Fridae

Audi's last successful proper sporty four-seater coupe had men all over Europe lining themselves along dirt tracks under the harshest of weather conditions just to capture the sight and sounds of it driving by; the legendary Audi Quattro in the 1980s.

With a vengeance and the brilliance of Design Guru Walter De Silva, the new Audi A5 coupe is easily the most beautiful car of recent times. In the case of the top performance model (for now) of the A5 range, the Audi S5's proportions are perfection as the compact front engine bay kickstarts a gradual gradient to the most perkiest and most pronounced rear end I have seen on a car yet. Could this be the renaissance of the "design-genius" era like the one we had last seen in 1998 when the first Jaguar XKR, the first Mercedes-Benz SLKs and CLKs and the first Audi TT were launched?

While the LED headlamps might attract passers-by easily, it's hard to ignore the S5's other features. The Audi S's parts bin has been raided to dress the S5 up: deeper front bumper, a heavily chromed radiator grille, the ever essential quad exhaust pipes, iconic aluminum wing mirrors, drop dead gorgeous 19" double spoke alloys and a highly approved subtle looking boot spoiler.

There are high expectations of the S5's performance given the spectacular looks. Shoe-horning the engine from the previous S4, a creamy 4.2 litre V8 into the S5 would only seem appropriate. Three hundred and fifty bhp and 440 Nm of torque is being churned out, enough to hurl the 1675 kg Audi coupe from a standstill to the century dash in an impressive 5.4 secs.

When Audi launched the S5, premiering its new MLB platform which will form the basis of the new Q5, A4, A6 and A8, the suggestions of how its rivals will be crushed sounded rather ambitious then. Especially considering how nose-heavy inflicted driving behaviours have ruined most Audis in the past. Audi's words should be taken seriously as the new S5 demonstrated how they can be world's outright leader in the premium car market. The Audi S5 has a 50:50 weight distribution, a phenomenon considering Audi stuck to its tradition of a longitudinal layout for its engine.

The steering of the S5 remains suitably sharp and alert at all speeds. The crisp responses from the car's cornering abilities is truly remarkable considering a heavy V8 sits in the engine bay. Unexpectedly, the Audi S5 delivered a beautiful ride despite those aggressive 19" razor thin tyres. As we await the arrival of the RS5 in 2009, I meanwhile wonder why anyone would buy a (whisper it� much less attractive looking) 3-series coupe given the capabilities of the new Audi S5.

Out test unit had an interior dressed in red leather, which complements the beautifully designed interior. The ergonomics of the S5 is flawless as it shares the interior with the big selling A4 saloon on which it is based loosely on. Notice the driver-centricity of the S5's interior as every control and button falls into the driver's hands without effort and stress. This reminds me of pre-Bangle BMW interiors (BMW's current design director Chris Bangle came onboard in 1992), which I adore to this day. Special mention should be made for the excellent Bang and Olufsen sound system which is exclusive to Audi cars. The only possible complain would be that the roof only tilts; otherwise the S5 has a well thought out premium sporty interior.

It's hard to say whether the Audi S5 will turn out to be a classic ten years down the road, however, it will be far from wrong to point out how poorly designed its current rivals are. Lesser field of competition aside, the new Audi S5 is a sheer class act, achieving a fine delicate balance of poise and looks. Seemingly, the Audi S5 can be described as a piggy bank breaker as the high asking price at S$250,000 and its rather high fuel consumption seems to have done little to dampen the appeal of this automotive art piece.

	Audi S5
Engine	4,163cc 8-cylinder 32V FSI Direct Injection
Transmission	6-Speed Automatic with Tiptronic  function, 4-wheel drive
Max. Power	354 BHP @ 7000rpm
Max. Torque	440 NM @  3500rpm
0-100 km/h	5.4 secs
Top speed	250 Km/h
Fuel Economy	10.8 L/100km (combined cycle)
CO2 emissions	226 g/km (Euro IV compliant)
Dimensions (L x W x H) / Weight	4630mmX1854mmX1369mm 1,675 Kg
Price with COE*	$245,000*

*Prices quoted are indicative of prices in Singapore. Please contact your local distributor for prices in your country.