The 2013 Audi RS 5 Cabriolet

You will soon be able to order the new Audi RS 5 Cabriolet for an expected delivery date in early 2013. Prices have yet to be confirmed but Audi have given us an indication of a starting price of just over £70,000.

Audi RS 5 Cabriolet is powered by Audi’s hand-built V8 4.2-litre petrol engine which is shared with the RS 4 Avant. It is coupled to the familiar seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission with paddle shift controls on the steering wheel. It produces 450PS @ 8,250 rpm, delivering 430 Nm of torque at between 4,000 and 6,000 rpm. Which will propel the RS 5 from 0-62 mph in 4.9 seconds and then on to an electronically limited 155 mph, for an extra cost (why) you can remove the restriction and then the top speed increases to 174 mph.  According to Audi you should expect to 25.9 mpg on the combined cycle.

There is permanent quattro all-wheel-drive power delivery, and is backed up here by torque vectoring, the crown-gear centre differential and the rear sport differential for even more stringent protection against traction losses and split-second allocation of torque between the front and rear axles and the rear wheels. Up to 70 per cent can flow to the front or as much as 85 per cent to the rear, as necessary. The default 40:60 ratio of the rear-biased configuration ensures confident handling.

It rides 20 mm lower than the standard Audi A5 Cabriolet; its mounts are stiffer, and its anti-roll bars are larger and firmer. Carbon fibre-ceramic brake discs are also available at extra cost, as is the Dynamic Ride Control (DRC) system, which uses diagonally opposed pairs of shock absorbers linked by hydraulic lines and a central valve. During fast cornering, the system intensifies the stabilisation of the front outside wheel for optimum stability and composure. Its response can be varied across three settings at the touch of a button.

Audi RS 5 Cabriolet is fitted with a lightweight ‘acoustic hood’ which according to Audi offers a degree of sound absorption that runs its fixed head counterpart remarkably close, and at the press of a button opens and closes fully automatically in 15 seconds and 17 seconds respectively – at speeds up to 31mph.

We will of course let you know the full UK specifications and prices as soon as we get them later on in the year.