High-Zoot Coupe: A luscious bit of auto erotic arrives in a boisterous V-8 package.
BY CSABA CSERE, PHOTOGRAPHY BY TOM DREW October 2007
You can picture the Audi product planners checking off the boxes as they continue their run against BMW and Mercedes. Small, medium, and large sedans: A4, A6, A8. Check. Sporting versions of same: S4, S6, S8. Check. Super-sporty sedan: RS 4. Check. Mid-priced sports car, medium SUV, attention-grabbing flagship, convertibles, stations wagons. Check. Check. Check. Check. Check.
The only missing model is a big coupe, something to compete with the likes of the BMW 3- and 6-series and the Mercedes CLK- and CL-classes. Presto: With the 2008 S5—Audi’s first coupe with adult-size rear seats since the demise of the Coupe Quattro in 1991—that hole in its lineup has now been plugged.
And it has been plugged by a machine that delivers the sex appeal that is a coupe’s major reason for being. The S5’s combination of big grille, rakish roofline, and artfully sculpted character lines will turn heads with regularity. And inside, the S5 provides perhaps the most engaging experience since the original TT.
Our test car was finished in black and deep-red leather and brushed aluminum, and in the current world of mostly monochromatic interiors, the effect is striking and luxurious. A new dashboard arrays all the controls and displays toward the driver, enhancing comfort and usability. Details like the metallic vents and the subtle red stitching on the black leather shift boot and steering wheel enhance the posh atmosphere. Even Audi’s control-everything MMI knob falls readily to hand and eye.
BY CSABA CSERE, PHOTOGRAPHY BY TOM DREW October 2007
You can picture the Audi product planners checking off the boxes as they continue their run against BMW and Mercedes. Small, medium, and large sedans: A4, A6, A8. Check. Sporting versions of same: S4, S6, S8. Check. Super-sporty sedan: RS 4. Check. Mid-priced sports car, medium SUV, attention-grabbing flagship, convertibles, stations wagons. Check. Check. Check. Check. Check.
The only missing model is a big coupe, something to compete with the likes of the BMW 3- and 6-series and the Mercedes CLK- and CL-classes. Presto: With the 2008 S5—Audi’s first coupe with adult-size rear seats since the demise of the Coupe Quattro in 1991—that hole in its lineup has now been plugged.
And it has been plugged by a machine that delivers the sex appeal that is a coupe’s major reason for being. The S5’s combination of big grille, rakish roofline, and artfully sculpted character lines will turn heads with regularity. And inside, the S5 provides perhaps the most engaging experience since the original TT.
Our test car was finished in black and deep-red leather and brushed aluminum, and in the current world of mostly monochromatic interiors, the effect is striking and luxurious. A new dashboard arrays all the controls and displays toward the driver, enhancing comfort and usability. Details like the metallic vents and the subtle red stitching on the black leather shift boot and steering wheel enhance the posh atmosphere. Even Audi’s control-everything MMI knob falls readily to hand and eye.