Inside Line tests new Audi RS5

[Onslaught]

I don't understand why this thread got so complicated.

DSG's shift faster, and produce better lap times than traditional manuals.  For those of us who race their DD on weekends, I can see why a DSG would be preferable to a manual.

Some people find joy in driving a stick.  Some people don't.  It's really that simple.  I've driven both DSG 911's and 6-speed ones, and I enjoined the manual one more.  If buyer X finds the inverse to be true, than good for him. 

Everyone is making this far more complicated than it should be.

Every time the word transmission comes up here things turn into a clusterfuck. And it's always the same people saying the same thing. I'm just a guilty. You'd think by now we'd all know what side we're all on.



I'm just happy I'm on the right side.

[r0tor]

raising my hand  

You drive a car with one of the better shifters out there. You don't enjoy that?
It's even better in and MX-5 and you can really throw the gears around in them because they have no power so you've got to work for everything.

The RX8 can go between 7 and 70mph in 2nd gear.  

On most back country roads near my house, its insane to get past 50-60mph.  So why in the world would I want to be shifting all the time which would require me to be short shifting and take the car out of its powerband and out of the joy of high rpm rotary fun???????

[MX793]

The RX8 can go between 7 and 70mph in 2nd gear.  

On most back country roads near my house, its insane to get past 50-60mph.  So why in the world would I want to be shifting all the time which would require me to be short shifting and take the car out of its powerband and out of the joy of high rpm rotary fun???????

I don't know, maybe so you're not disturbing the locals?  My car will basically go from 0-62 in 2nd (0 assuming you're not starting on an incline).  One of my favorite roads is a winding bit of 2 lane through a gorge.  55 mph speed limit through most of it, though the turns are typically 25-35 mph (recommended).  My speed through there when driving in a spirited fashion is between 38 and 60, so I could really leave it in 2nd through much of it, maybe popping into 3rd on the longer sections of straightaway.  There are some houses on the road, as well as some places where people fish in the stream, which is exactly why I don't use 2nd gear.  I use 3rd in the corners, maybe 2nd in one turn that is a 20 mph blind corner, and pop into 4th on the straights (save for the really short stretches between corners).  Still enough into the meat of the powerband that I'm getting decent drive/acceleration, but the motor isn't absolutely howling so as to disturb the locals.

[Raza]

I can almost make 60 in my 2nd gear...I think if I push to the rev limiter I can actually get it, but it's definitely past redline.

I felt like sharing.

[Onslaught]

I can almost make 60 in my 2nd gear...I think if I push to the rev limiter I can actually get it, but it's definitely past redline.

I felt like sharing.

I can get to 60 in the Miata in a week.

[giant_mtb]

I can almost make 60 in my 2nd gear...I think if I push to the rev limiter I can actually get it, but it's definitely past redline.

I felt like sharing.

[SVT666]

I can almost make 60 in my 2nd gear...I think if I push to the rev limiter I can actually get it, but it's definitely past redline.

I felt like sharing.

1st is good to 43 mph
2nd is good to 68 mph
3rd is good to 88 mph
4th is good to 105 mph

Beyond that, I'm not sure.

[Raza]

1st is good to 43 mph
2nd is good to 68 mph
3rd is good to 88 mph
4th is good to 105 mph

Beyond that, I'm not sure.

So you only need 3 gears to travel in time!

[SVT666]

So you only need 3 gears to travel in time!

Yup.  That's better then the DeLorean I think.

[Onslaught]

Yup.  That's better then the DeLorean I think.

Just about anything is better than the DeLorean. My best friend has one and wow.

[the Teuton]

Just about anything is better than the DeLorean. My best friend has one and wow.

Your best friend is awesome.

[Onslaught]

Your best friend is awesome.

Yes, it look really cool on the back of a tow truck. The natural habitat for a DeLorean

[the Teuton]

Yes, it look really cool on the back of a tow truck. The natural habitat for a DeLorean

I don't blame John Z.; I blame the French.

DeLoreans rock, and I will own one for either myself or my brother someday.

[sportyaccordy]

I don't blame John Z.; I blame the French.

DeLoreans rock, and I will own one for either myself or my brother someday.

This is one of those dreams that reality makes a nightmare

[Tave]

DeLoreans rock, and I will own one for ... my brother someday.

How does that work, exactly?

[r0tor]

I don't know, maybe so you're not disturbing the locals? 

whats the fun in that?

...and again in your example anyway, its sounds like you shift very very little when actually having fun in the real world...

[the Teuton]

How does that work, exactly?

my bad...purchase for...

[omicron]

Hasn't the California just been released with a 6-speed manual? Admittedly, apparently the last Ferrari to be thus-equipped, but it seems odd for the so-called 'soft' Ferrari to be available with a manual gerabox and not the driver's 458.

[MX793]

whats the fun in that?

Where's the fun in having the speed limit reduced or cops posted (or both) because the locals have gotten fed up?  As it stands, they dropped the limit to 35 for a pretty big part of this road (I suspect due to complaints, it's a very popular road for sportbike riders).

...and again in your example anyway, its sounds like you shift very very little when actually having fun in the real world...

I'd estimate I shift gears ten to a dozen times over a 3 to 3.5 mile stretch on this particular road when driving as described.

[r0tor]

i used to shift for the sake of shifting... i found it much more fun to use my sports car the way it was intended

[Raza]

i used to shift for the sake of shifting... i found it much more fun to use my sports car sedan the way it was intended

Fixed it for you.

[MexicoCityM3]

Impressions from Evo?s magazine review of this RS5:

How does it compare?

A BMW M3 is sharper, faster, far more interactive and ? I have to assume - nothing like as relaxing to live with. The combination of S-Tronic and 4WD will really suit the UK market. The Mercedes C63 AMG is closer in concept and far more characterful, but on a damp road its driver would be all over the place following an RS5. Which actually sounds rather fun. The GT-R trounces the Audi for speed and dynamics but its interior is nothing like as appealing.


Anything else I need to know?

I?m going to say something a little controversial, but I was a touch disappointed with this car. It?s nothing like as characterful as the last RS4, and for all its technical brilliance it lacks roll-on performance ? ironically just the type that the turbocharged S4 offers. It?s a fine car, but a long way from perfect.

Full review here:

http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/evocarreviews/250807/we_drive_audis_new_rs5.html

[Onslaught]

Fixed it for you.

Well you're correct.

[omicron]

Whatever those RS chaps (arsechaps?) were smoking when they burped out the RS4 needs to be brought back into Ingolstadt with haste. 

[r0tor]

Impressions from Evo?s magazine review of this RS5:

How does it compare?

A BMW M3 is sharper, faster, far more interactive and – I have to assume - nothing like as relaxing to live with. The combination of S-Tronic and 4WD will really suit the UK market. The Mercedes C63 AMG is closer in concept and far more characterful, but on a damp road its driver would be all over the place following an RS5. Which actually sounds rather fun. The GT-R trounces the Audi for speed and dynamics but its interior is nothing like as appealing.


Anything else I need to know?

I’m going to say something a little controversial, but I was a touch disappointed with this car. It’s nothing like as characterful as the last RS4, and for all its technical brilliance it lacks roll-on performance – ironically just the type that the turbocharged S4 offers. It’s a fine car, but a long way from perfect.

Full review here:

http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/evocarreviews/250807/we_drive_audis_new_rs5.html

Is evo suddenly smoking crack?  The new S4 is not turbocharged...

[Raza]

Is evo suddenly smoking crack?  The new S4 is not turbocharged...

Evo's been going downhill for some time now. 

[r0tor]

oh i thought of this thread this morning and drove in 2nd gear for about 6 miles above 7,000 rpms just cause i was tired of sh1fting

[Onslaught]

oh i thought of this thread this morning and drove in 2nd gear for about 6 miles above 7,000 rpms just cause i was tired of sh1fting

Thought of it too today when I was taking my car out for the first time in weeks. I top out at 60 in second and spent most of my time changing from 2-3 over and over again.

[r0tor]

Thought of it too today when I was taking my car out for the first time in weeks. I top out at 60 in second and spent most of my time changing from 2-3 over and over again.

lolz at your shorter gearing

[Onslaught]

lolz at your shorter gearing

It's a good thing. Makes me shift more! Hmm shifting.