markcincinnati

Freshpow - I WANT the RS's to be very successful in the US (well, everywhere, in fact). And, I do agree about the styling -- but it is a subtle (especially on the interior) difference. I'm of the opinion that if Audi were to come up with an RS Line (analogy: S Line) and charge for the "look" they'd have plenty of takers. I remember when the S Line first came out -- it was mostly a nod toward "looking like" (mostly) an S version and, as I recall, there was an S Line suspension. On several of my trips to Germany I've seen cars that were "S" cars but they had the logo "S4+" which turns out to be a bit of a bump up from a standard S but nowhere near an RS -- just a plus (+). I know there are people who plunk down $65K for an "S" and immediately begin pouring 4-figure sums into upgrades. I am not against capitalism and competition, but I wonder if there would be a PROFITABLE market for OEM "upgrades" that were actually meaningful. I recall last year Audi offered up an A6 Performance model that did have some modest improvements (+7HP, for instance) that were mostly cosmetic but also included some quantifiable performance gooses.

Just like a lot of folks, I've enjoyed the relentless increases in HP and torque from generation to generation, but there's always that "big one" looming out there -- and in comes APR, MTM, blah, blah, blah to fill the void (generally without warranty -- APR is addressing this, however). I would be willing to pay for an S+ version -- something that would include both appearance and performance "+'s". According to my dealer, the increase in sales due to RS availability is important, but volumes will be very low, especially since (see CAR WOW), the S5 with a few choice options on top of a Prestige config really will be up to $25K less than an RS5 similarly equipped. Those of us who live in medium and large-sized cities who have no interest in "track days" may have an appreciation for the RS, but not enough to pop for another $20 - $25K. Yet, whattya think you could get for $5K? Perhaps 5-10% more power (with factory warranty), an RS Line grill and special RS Line wheels and perhaps the sport exhaust or sport suspension option or maybe for $6,500 both (of course there would need to be a special S+ wheel program for the really premium customer, too). Folks buying one of these cars would probably consider an 8-12% bump in price for the "+" designation even if they wouldn't go for a 35-40% bump up to an RS. The increased margin would certainly attract management's attention, I'd imagine. And, if S Line didn't eat into true S branded sales, I'd think there would be little to be concerned about the S+ cannibalizing true RS sales.

Where do I sign up?

ArvX147

Sadly APR has been trying to crack this ECU for a looong time and cannot.

the JB4 may be the only option on this generation for a while.

superswiss

I'm really wondering what Audi's bigger plan is here. What you are describing is essentially what BMW M and AMG have been doing for a while. AMG now has their AMG Lite models, and most of the core AMG models are available in at least two variants, e.g. C63 and C63 S. Audi Sport has only been dabbling in this with the R8 V10 Plus, the RS7 Performance and the S8 Plus. The latter is especially interesting as it is essentially the RS7 Performance in the body of an S8, but Audi explicitly felt that it shouldn't be called the RS8. The Audi Sport models seem to have a bit of an identity crisis. Rumor is there is an RS5 Performance in the works, but the RS5 is already at the price point of the higher trim competitors. For example, the RS5 as I would configure it comes out to $87,325. That's pretty much everything except for the Dynamic Plus package. An equally configured C63 S comes out to $89,810. That's within spitting distance for a car with over 500 HP, 174 mph top speed w/o needing to add a $6000 package and the CCBs, and the drama thanks to the continuous use of a V8 that some of us still expect from an RS model. So if there is an RS5 Performance it's gonna come in significantly above the C63 S price-wise and still won't have a V8 to set itself apart from the S5. So, if that's Audi's plan, I think they priced themselves out already.

markcincinnati

Bingo.

Chris

To each his/her own. It comes down to a combination of factors - but most importantly what a person wants. I want an RS5. That makes the price difference worth it for me, but not necessarily someone else, even if they have the financial means to get one. Yes, some of it is prestige because I can have one, but I hope to not come across like someone who is a flashy d-bag. On a side note: Audi's subtleness is what I like about them over other similarly priced or spec-ed cars.

I'm really looking forward to getting mine. Every written review I've read, or video review I've watched tells me pretty much the same thing. It's more of a grand touring car. It's not unhinged or likely to kill you like its competitors. It's easy to drive. The interior is superior to its competitors (where I will spend most of my time with the car - inside it). And ... it's damn quick. This car checks nearly every box for me. I do remember really liking the sound of the 4.2 L V8 in my B6 S4, but the feeling and performance of my B8 S4 was far better to me.

I may be way off base and totally ignorant here, but I would challenge someone to provide stats on how often S, or RS, or even R drivers track their car. I'd be willing to bet it's a minority, and a small one at that.

jkwb49

I agree with Chris. Last time I bought a 2012 S5 because I wanted a V8 with a manual and chose not to wait for a RS5 because of the transmission. I have never read a glowing review of the old RS5, it was a great engine without a chassis to match. This time I looked at a S5 and thought it was boring both in looks and in action. I bought a RS5 because of this. If I didn't need awd I might have looked elsewhere more seriously. The suspension adjustments are mind blowing and now my Porsche is the slow car. I don't detect any hesitation in throttle response and have been very happy with the purchase. Maybe it is just me, but trying to justify prices on cars at this level becomes somewhat foolish, these are not rationale decisions otherwise I would have some crappy toyota or honda...

superswiss

From the very respected professional race car driver Randy Pobst regarding the old RS5. Just saying...

NoMoreBMWs

My argument is that the S5 is already plenty fast, largely due to the handling. Here is a comparison of the C43 coupe, S5 coupe and my old E92 M3 on two short tracks:
BMW M3 vs Audi S5 Coupé vs Mercedes-Benz C 43 AMG Coupe 4MATIC - FastestLaps.com I just don't need anything faster on public roads in North America. But as a three time M3 owner and long time large displacement sportbike owner I have no issue with the irrational choice of the RS5.

superswiss

That's kinda what it boils down to for me. IMO, driving a sport/performance car is as much or more about the experience as it is about power and how fast it is. Especially here in the USA with the low speed limits. Different story in Germany. But for example when I drive the R8, I can't really use the power the R8 offers on public streets, but the experience of driving one is at a different level especially the Spyder. Having that glorious V10 soundtrack behind me mated to that snappy S-tronic makes merging on the highway and just driving around an unmatched experience. Similarly with the old RS5. It provides a very different experience from the S5. If I think about it, that's really what's missing for me in the new RS5. Just driving around, the experience isn't really different from the S5. It gets more enjoyable if you can stretch its legs, but in many parts of this country, you have to seek out places where you can do that, so to me a car needs to provide a unique experience in every situation, which the old RS5 did, and something like a C63 continues to do.

Chris

There are plenty of cars out there that, for the majority of driving time, will get no where near the full capabilities of the machine. I'd venture that even the S models fall into that category, let alone RS or R.

But in the world of irrational cars: if all else was equal, I'd still choose the RS5 over the BMW or Merc competitors because *I* think the Audi looks better. Of course, then adding in Quattro to the calculus ...