Audi RS5 review – finally an M4 beater? - Design

The new RS5 certainly looks the part, thanks to muscular styling that’s said to be influenced by the firm’s monstrous 90 quattro IMSA GTO race car, which dominated American sportscar racing in late eighties.

Based on the standard A5 Coupe, the RS gets subtly pumped wheelarches, a larger grille and a deeper front bumper that’s crammed with intakes and sharply defined creases. Neat touches include the small vents either side of the headlamps and tail lights, plus the familiar silver door mirror caps.

You get 19-inch alloys as standard, with larger 20-inch items available as an optional extra. Other upgrades include the Carbon, Carbon Black and Carbon Matt Aluminium styling packs that add different coloured spoilers, sill extensions and door mirror caps. For the full lightweight look you can add the £3,250 for the carbon fibre roof panel.