Jamblastx

Since the lease in my 2013 S5 is up late next year, I would be all queued up for the new next generation S5 when it arrives sometime next year. For me, a manual transmission is a deal breaker and I have been sweating if Audi was going to go by the industry standard, and stop offering it. So I decided to contact Audi of America and at the very least, put in my two cents worth and this is the reply I received. Non-committal as I would have expected but still....who knows

"Thank you for contacting Audi of America regarding the redesigned Audi S5. At this time, there has not been any official announcements on when this model is expected to be released and whether or not a manual transmission will be offered here in the USA.



Feedback from customers such as yourself is a very important part of our research in planning for the future. We truly appreciate the comments and suggestions that come to us from owners and fans of Audi cars, and we truly do try to integrate them into our vehicle line. Thank you for your contribution.



As a loyal Audi enthusiast, your comments and questions are important to us. If you are in need of future assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact me through Audi Customer Experience Center at +1 877 615 2834. We are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If I am not available at the time of your call, please provide the reference number at the top of this e-mail and any one of my associates can assist you."

PhilNotHill

Thanks for posting. We have a 2014 S4 with manual transmission. I assume it is the same as the S5 i drove. Wonderful transmission. I love it. My wife will not drive anything but a manual. With awd it fit our needs perfectly. I was afraid 2014 would be the last year for a manual. So we ordered one to our exact specifications.

Then i wanted to replace our 2009 Outback turbo. subaru only has cvt which i hate. The only way to get the manual is a little engine. Definitely want more powe in the mountains.

I decided to get the RS5. It only comes with a double clutch trasmission. And what a great transmission it is. Wanted something different from the S4. Both are great cars. Don't worry, i can get my manual t fix in the Boxster S as well.

Now it looks like 2015 was the last year for na V8 engine with 450 hp. Looks like a turbo will be the only option for the next RS5. There is some question as to whether this will even come to the US. Please note: Europe gets the RS4 and we do not.

Best

Reggie

You are right on the last year for the NA V8 (one of the reasons I just ordered one). Still up in the air on if the RS will get a turbo V6 or not IMHO. If so it will be a totally new engine since the present V6 is S/C - this leads to lots of new testing needed to bring that model into the US.

I doubt that Audi USA thinks it has the market for both a RS5 and a RS4. I suspect they will bring the RS4 in with the next model as they didn't for the B8 RS4. However, if demand is strong for the RS4 it could lead Audi to bring in a RS5 too - but my experience in trying to figure out Audi US Marketing has been horrid.

superswiss

I think the writing is on the wall. So far AoA hasn't been able to make a business case to bring the 6MT A3/S3 to North America and those are higher volume cars than the 4, 5 etc.

For almost 20 years I used to drive manual transmissions on my own cars, because the alternatives were slow/delayed shifting sluggish 4-speed torque converter automatics and what not. Even as they added more gears to the autos they were still quite sluggish. Paddle shifters on most auto boxes are terrible. The shifts are delayed and when downshifting it doesn't rev match, so it's a lurching mess. However, automatic transmissions are very convenient during the 95% of the time when one just daily drives the car.

I've always been intrigued by the sequential manual gearboxes ever since BMW started with the SMG. However, I never bought one as they are pretty much terrible in anything other than full bore track driving.

Then the dual clutch transmissions went mainstream and the rest is history I think. Since I got the RS5, I have no desire to go back to a manual transmission anymore. It's a great auto box for daily driving and a kick *** sequential sharp shifting automated manual for canyon carving a track driving.

Now, I've driven other dual clutch transmissions and while I think the S-tronic in the RS5 is phenomenal as is the DCT in BMW M cars. Not all dual clutch transmissions are equal. The S-tronic in Audi S cars is certainly watered down and not as exciting. On the other hand, the RS7 demonstrates that you can make a kick-*** torque converter auto box that give s a dual-clutch a run for the money.

Point is, most cars are daily driven at least some of the time and manual transmissions make less and less sense. It's fun and engaging 5% of the time, but clunky and inconvenient the other 95% of the time.

jsausley

I disagree completely. To me a DSG is boring 95% of the time and only fun 5% of the time when you're pedal-to-the-metal and either on a track or on a safe, curvy road.

Meanwhile manual is fun 95% of the time, zipping around a city or on any backroad, and you don't have to drive fast to enjoy it. A manual is only annoying in traffic, and I'm rarely in traffic.

My daily is a DSG, but my fun car will always be a manual.

As for the question about the B9 --

If you take a look at leaked interior picture of the B9, you will see that the MMI controls are right in front of the shifter tunnel on the car. This means they had to develop a shorter DSG shifter than previously offered, so that the driver can use it as a hand-rest to operate the MMI (this is even explicitly stated in Audi literature on the new Q7).

The reverse of that implies that if a manual were offered, it would require an entirely new center console to be made that reorganizes the layout of the MMI. A manual shifter in first, third and fifth gear would be in the way of the MMI buttons and a manual shifter also has to be taller than the DSG shifter, so you could never rest your hand on it like you can on the DSG (not even counting the fact that that is a very unsafe practice).

I don't believe any B9 will be coming with a manual, just because of that fact, whether in the US or in Europe. I can't see Audi redesigning a new center console just for the 5% of buyers who buy a manual. I believe the A3 will be the entry level manual (in Europe -- it isn't available with a manual in the US either).

superswiss

Notice I said it's more convenient 95% of the time. I actually agree with you. I think if you are looking for a single car that can do it all, be a comfortable, convenient vehicle for the daily grunt including traffic, but also a hoot on weekends while canyon carving, a DSG is hard to beat. Best of both worlds in a single car.

That and in Europe they have already made the change. If you check audi.de you'll notice that the current S4/S5 are only available with S-tronic. Question is, is Audi feeling enough pressure to pull a BMW and offer a 6MT just for the North American market. BMW has been doing that with the current and last generation of the M5. I have a strong feeling that Audi isn't gonna chase the 5% of the North American market as badly as BMW is. Audi's biggest growth market is Asia now.

jsausley

Yeah, it's been that way for the entire B8.5. From what I understand about European enthusiasts, they feel slighted if they pay for outdated technology, so they'd rather have the S Tronic simply because it's newer and more advanced. Over there, manual transmissions are seen as plebeian and cheap, but here they're seen as fun, classic and pure.

SloopJohnB@mac.com

Rev matching is fun if you like to hear the engine blip, etc., but as my Daddy used to say, brake pads are much cheaper than clutches and transmissions! And modern brakes are sufficient to preclude use of engine braking in track situations!

Only reason to downshift is for ensuing acceleration or descending a grad (or making noise as I've just said). The rest is just noise, much as a playing card on bicycle spokes!

Jamblastx

Thank god for BMW and even Cadillac offering direct competitors (4 series and ATS coupe) that do offer a manual. To me that and consumer pressure (which is why I wrote to Audi) is the only chance of the manual staying on.

I find it hard to believe that a company cannot find the business need to still offer a manual for a 5% take. They do not need to develop the manual further but rather, just adapt it to the new model. Shouldn't be that big a deal. If BMW can find a business model that works to offer super unpopular variants of their models like the 3 and 5 series GT's, I'm sure Audi can find one for the manual

jeff968

One of the factors in my new A5 purchase this past weekend was being able to get it with a 6 speed manual. So I'm good for a while now.