-=Hot|Ice=-

That would be very, very interesting. The RS7 Performance was a monster. Lets hope the RS5 Performance follows suit. I really hope it's a car that'll be M3 Competition killer but I'm not really holding my breathe.

JohnEnglish

At the track it won't be a M3 killer but it would be nice to see Audi raise the power level to 500ish HP and tighten up the handling.

Voodoo64

did a search on the panamera facelift hoping for clues on a RS5 Performance but the changes look to be very mild. Looks like the engines will pick up the 48V mild hybrid tech and maybe longer EV range for those models.

Another theory: There have been a rumor for the RS6/7 Performance models to use the Panamera Turbo S hybrid powertrain mainly to spread the R&D cost. Maybe RS5 Performance can use the normal e-hybrid 2.9L + electric motors setup, though in the panny it adds nearly 700lbs which does the handling no good!

JohnEnglish

I think your best bet is to look at the previous gen RS7 vs the RS7 Performance. Audi bumped up the HP with bigger turbos and upgraded engine internals, slightly stiffer suspension, and different wheels.

Adding batteries and electric motors would add too much weight to the car and probably cost too much. I can see Audi adding the 48V electrical system with the electric compressor to eliminate turbo lag from the S6 and S7, bigger turbos, and maybe a slightly more aggressive suspension; maybe even slightly wider tires.

Dan99

I believe the B9 RS5 already does this.

JohnEnglish

Unfortunately the B9 RS5 doesn’t have a 48V electrical system and doesn’t have an electric compressor to eliminate turbo lag. However, the S6 and S7 which use the same engine have the 48V electrical system with the electric compressor.

The 48V battery is located in the bottom of the trunk.

Dan99

Sorry, it was the RS5 TDI that I read about.