Everyone loves to kick that modern cars person lost their character. They’re excessively competent, excessively isolated, excessively good. The cars of aged were amended due to the fact that they were worse, these radical say; automakers should commencement making cars worse to amended them. But what would it look similar if a shaper really listened to that advice? If a institution known for tech and luxury decided to slope connected quality instead?

It mightiness look similar this: the Audi RS5 Competition. Audi asked its buyers what the basal RS5 lacked, and seemingly 1 connection kept coming back: emotion. So the institution went backmost to its R&D labs, retuned the car’s electronics, and swapped retired dormant value for new, instrumentality suspension. But tin a suite of late-stage upgrades truly springiness a car character, oregon is it conscionable a ruse to eke different $16,100 retired of Audi buyers?

Full disclosure: Audi shipped maine disconnected to the confederate seashore of Spain to thrust the RS5 Competition, wherever I got to dip my hands successful the Mediterranean for the archetypal clip (and capable my shoes with soil successful the process). The institution paid for lodging, transport, and meals, and had question agents connected manus to assistance benignant retired my return travel nightmare. Without them I whitethorn inactive beryllium successful Amsterdam, sleeping successful an airdrome chair.

2023 Audi RS5 Competition: What’s New

The RS5 itself isn’t new. Jalops of olde person driven the car before, successful both its coupe and four-door fastback assemblage styles, and mostly recovered it to beryllium Good. Most of what those past writers enjoyed remains successful this version: the 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 with its 444 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque, the eight-speed automatic transmission, the Quattro all-wheel thrust with an physics rear differential. This isn’t a brand-new car – the Competition is an enactment package, not an overhaul.

So what does that enactment bundle get you? There are plentifulness of caller small trim pieces and accents, splashes of reddish and c fiber, but that’s not truly what you’re present for. The tremendous carbon-ceramic brakes up beforehand hint astatine what you truly privation here, but adjacent they aren’t new – conscionable a preexisting option, repackaged with the caller Competition spec.

It’s not each shared parts. The Competition bundle gets a unsocial three-way adjustable coil-over suspension arsenic good arsenic caller weight-saving wheels and tires. The engine, transmission, rear differential, and traction and stableness power person each been re-tuned – not for much power, but for amended effect and handling.

2023 Audi RS5 Competition: Specs

The Competition tune raises the RS5’s apical velocity from 174 mph to 180, and the full bundle shaves a tenth disconnected the car’s manufacturer-estimated 0-60 clip – down to 3.6 seconds for the coupe, 3.7 for the Sportback. It besides shaves an incredible, mind-altering 35 pounds from the curb weight, which without the Comp battalion comes successful astatine 3,737 lb for the coupe, 3,825 for the Sportback. That’s astir a afloat 1 percent of the coupe’s heft!

Half of that value simplification is unsprung, coming from the lightweight wheels wrapped successful ace grippy Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires, cutting 4.4 lbs per corner. Audi claims the 60-treadwear rubber, combined with ABS re-tuned for the accrued grip, helps bring the car to a halt “up to” 6.5 feet sooner than a basal RS5 – presumably 1 without the already-optional c ceramic brakes that the Competition includes.

The RS5 Competition besides gets a revised steering rack, with a fixed 13.1:1 ratio. The car present sits conscionable nether fractional an inch little than the modular version, with a 2nd “recommended” suspension mounting that lowers the car a further 0.4 inches for way use. Of course, you’ll request the included wrench acceptable and a assistance (or a bully jack and jackstands) to execute that recommended thrust height.

Here’s what makes the Competition suspension truthful unique. A “three-way adjustable coil-over” tin beryllium tuned individually for low-speed compression (weight shifting from 1 broadside of the car to the different successful a corner), high-speed compression (hitting a bump successful the road) and rebound (the dampers extending to their neutral constituent aft a compression event). In astir cars, these parameters are acceptable astatine the factory, ne'er to beryllium changed again. In fancier models, these damping rates volition set unneurotic – usually via physics accommodation mechanisms wrong the shock, though much precocious systems usage dark magicks to alteration the viscosity of the damping fluid itself. Few mill suspension setups let each 3 to beryllium changed independently.

Three-way coils are usually top-tier aftermarket parts, recovered connected contention cars built for way times oregon amusement cars built to look similar contention cars. But successful Audi’s implementation, things are a small off. Like astir coilovers, the RS5 Competition setup is adjustable for preload (the hostility connected the outpouring with nary value connected the suspension) and thrust height. Unlike astir coilovers, though, these can’t beryllium changed independently – the acceptable of collars that controls thrust tallness besides manages preload, truthful a little thrust tallness tin lone beryllium had with stiffer dampening. That’s not necessarily a occupation — owners who privation a little halfway of gravity apt privation a stiffer thrust excessively — but it means there’s a much constricted scope of imaginable suspension settings to trial out. Remember this.

Similarly, astir three-way adjustable coilovers diagnostic distant reservoirs – other damping fluid held successful a abstracted chamber, linked to the damper by a hose. This other fluid allows for amended vigor dissipation, keeping the dampers astatine their perfect operating somesthesia passim a grueling way stint. Audi’s engineers considered utilizing distant reservoirs connected the Competition suspension, but discovered that the chassis didn’t permission capable room. The institution besides considered adding physics damper adjustment, similar what’s recovered connected galore different show Audi models, but scrapped the thought owed to value – remember, that important 35-pound savings.

The tenable effect to these 2 nitpicks, of course, is that autarkic preload accommodation and distant reservoirs would beryllium overkill connected a thoroughfare car. But then, that aforesaid statement applies to three-way adjustable coil-overs arsenic a whole. The institution says it encourages experimentation with damper settings, but supplies 2 recommended presets for those not looking to tinker. Going adjacent further, Audi expects buyers to consciousness much of a quality successful the car simply by optioning those coil-overs, adjacent if they ne'er messiness with them. At immoderate point, the instrumentality suspension begins to consciousness much similar a method of padding the Competition-pack MSRP than an effort astatine quicker thigh times.

2023 Audi RS5 Competition: How Does It Look?

Like an Audi, and similar an RS5. Audi has 1 of the astir cohesive plan languages successful the automotive satellite close present – each exemplary is instantly recognizable arsenic a sibling of the rest. I’m a instrumentality of the approach, wherever each car shares the aforesaid look and gets lone incremental changes each year, for 2 reasons: first, it brings consistency to the brand, letting radical cognize that this car is archetypal and foremost an Audi. Second, it lets the institution determination its plan resources into creating 1 genuinely beautiful, sleek, well-proportioned plan – alternatively than 30 abstracted mediocre faces.

But the Competition battalion doesn’t bash overmuch for the quality of the RS5. There’s nary abstracted badging similar you’ll find connected BMW’s astir performance-oriented models, making the Audi the subtler offering. When you’re buying for a utilized Comp-pack Audi successful 8 years, look retired for the matte c reflector caps and blacked-out tailpipes – arsenic good arsenic those split-five spoke wheels. Beyond those, you’ll person nary exterior denotation of a Competition model.

My tester was a gorgeous deep purple, masquerading arsenic achromatic successful each but the brightest light. It’s beauteous overmuch intolerable to decently seizure connected a camera, the car preferring to amusement up arsenic immoderate benignant of Anish Kapoor void, but it’s worthy seeing successful person. Imagine Nissan’s Midnight Purple, but for the benignant of radical who person accountants alternatively than Googling “file taxes free” each year.

2023 Audi RS5 Competition: How Does It Drive?

This is it. The large one, the Competition pack’s raison d’être. Does the driving acquisition springiness this Competition exemplary much character, much soul? Can a instrumentality suspension and re-tuned electronics crook the highway-gobbling RS5 into thing wholly unique, thing you can’t judge until you thrust it?

Not really, no.

With the suspension successful Audi’s recommended Street setting, the car feels unpleasantly stiff. It’s not the nausea-inducing severity of a Ford Focus RS, but it surely echoes that different turbocharged all-wheel-drive four-door. I recovered myself wishing I could dial the suspension back, property a fastener connected the dash and consciousness the car soften up beneath maine connected the highway. Alas, the Competition enactment removes immoderate specified button.

That stiffness doesn’t travel with overmuch steering feel. The car is communicative capable done a hard corner, but it lone starts talking erstwhile pushed acold beyond what’s harmless connected the streets. The steering is pleasantly dense done a corner, but oddly airy connected center.

Power is ample; anyone who says 444 hp isn’t capable is either a nonrecreational contention operator oregon compensating for thing that nary car tin fix. But the turbo six delivers its grunt truthful dutifully, truthful unremarkably, that the quality Audi seeks is obscurity to beryllium found. If the cleanable is the force of the good, this motor whitethorn genuinely beryllium cleanable – and suffering for it.

The transmission is worse, and not successful a bully way. The shifts are snappy, putting immoderate “slush box” worries to rest, but there’s a sizeable hold betwixt pulling the paddle-shifter and getting your desired gear. In hard driving, the transmission showed a fewer frustrating quirks, occasionally ignoring a downshift command. If that’s a signifier of overzealous over-rev protection, it’s lone doing fractional the job: On country exit astatine the apical of the tach, the transmission would often bent conscionable a interaction longer than accustomed aft you deed the upshift paddle – similar punishment for not shifting erstwhile the car thought you should have.

The RS5’s c ceramic brakes are incredibly powerful, with the benignant of archetypal wound that teaches passengers not to scope for a portion portion approaching a reddish light. But, overmuch similar Andrew Collins recovered erstwhile driving the RS5 backmost successful 2019, that wound tin beryllium inconsistent successful show situations. Even monolithic c ceramic brakes can’t fell a luxury car’s curb weight.

2023 Audi RS5 Competition: How’s the Interior?

Audi knows amended than astir however to laic retired a large interior. Everything is wherever you expect it to be, and astir everything functions arsenic you want. Sure, the full-width vent successful beforehand of the rider whitethorn look a spot cheaper than the benchmark for that benignant — the Honda Civic, an full car that costs a specified $6,550 much than the Competition enactment bundle unsocial — but that’s the lone hiccup successful an different gorgeous cabin.

The touchpoints, too, are fantastic. The Competition steering instrumentality is simply a near-perfect size and thickness for spirited driving, wrapped successful Alcantara to consciousness other special. The seats look sporty, but they inactive person massagers successful them. The bolstering leaves a spot to beryllium desired connected track, though this whitethorn beryllium much the effect of my Sailor Moon proportions than immoderate contented with the car.

2023 Audi RS5 Competition: How Does It Compare to the Competition?

The Competition sanction fires straight astatine BMW’s top-tier M cars, though the remainder of the RS5’s specs autumn short. Its 444 horses are overshadowed by the basal M3 and M4’s 473, fto unsocial the other 30 that BMW gives you with its ain Competition badge. The M cars are besides quicker to 60 mph erstwhile specced with all-wheel-drive, each taking lone 3.4 seconds. Top speed, successful apical trim, is perfectly identical betwixt some German competitors, though the Audi’s steering rack is acold tighter than BMW’s 14.6:1 ratio.

But the BMWs, for each their other power, outgo considerably less, starting astatine conscionable astir the aforesaid MSRP arsenic the Audi earlier adding its $16,100 Competition add-on. Sure, folks tin reason astir which car looks better, but that’s a substance of idiosyncratic taste.

Mercedes doesn’t connection a nonstop sedan rival successful this segment, and the C43 AMG Coupe isn’t overmuch of a rival either. Despite the shared displacement and forced induction, the Mercedes takes a afloat 4 and a fractional seconds to deed 60 mph – apt owed to its 60-horsepower shortage from the Audi. With a terms acold beneath either BMW oregon Audi, however, the C43 plays its ain tune.

2023 Audi RS5 Competition: Final Thoughts

Plenty of manufacturers physique cars that outshine their spec sheet. BMW does it by cramming horses nether the hood. Honda does it with a 1000 tiny, meticulous upgrades, each unnoticeable connected its ain but contributing to a transcendent whole. Toyota does it by spending the bulk of its wealth connected the chassis and letting the aftermarket woody with the bolt-on parts. Each attack creates a car that’s unique, thing that stands retired of the crowd. Something with character.

It seems Audi, successful processing the modular RS5, built a car that’s conscionable excessively good. Everything the Competition shares with the modular car — the engine, interior, and Quattro drivetrain — is exemplary. The occupation is, everything that changes with the Comp battalion leaves you wanting it changed back. The institution succeeded successful adding emotion to the RS5. Unfortunately, that emotion is frustration.

Of course, Audi volition merchantability each RS5 Competition it tin build. In the luxury-performance market, exclusivity and uniqueness ever sells. But I fishy astir folks, adjacent those who question exhilaration down the wheel, volition beryllium happier successful a basal RS5.