BANG! Audi S5 V6T w/ ARMYTRIX Cat-Back Valved Exhaust

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Hide Your Children: The ABT RS6-R Thunderbus

Hide Your Children: The ABT RS6-R Thunderbus

These cars make it possible for the happily married man or woman to inject a little bit of fossil-burning fun into their lives without compromising on practicality. Mercedes has its AMG models, BMW has its teutonic M division and Audi has quattro GmbH responsible for the S and RS models. 

The chunkiest of them all – the RS6 – came out at the end of 2012 sporting a 4.0-litre V8 twin turbo motor and enough luggshury to waft five people in comfort very swiftly across the German landscape. It was a fast-moving, mile-munching ship that quickly became popular among enthusiasts.With a power output of 560PS and a top speed electronically limited to 250km/h, this was enough to do the school run in peace, followed by a generous shopping session, and then be driven back home as if you had forgotten to turn off the stove. At this point, most rational humans would think, ‘Ample power, plenty of space, peace and sheer luxury – this is it!’

This is where ABT Sportsline comes in. These guys are loosely related to the Audi works DTM team involving our own Mattias Ekström. When it comes to extracting power from Audis while keeping the car driveable and more challengingly – street legal in Germany, the engineers at ABT aren’t exactly what you’d call sane.

They’re the kinda guys who will look at a small aircraft carrier and suggest it needs a power boost.So when Audi launched the RS6 they quickly got to work at their headquarters in the little town of Kempten in Allgäu, Germany, adjacent to the building where their DTM race cars are built.

After nearly two years of intense engineering and testing they came up with this, the ABT RS6-R.If a very strong muscle and a very powerful explosion were to mate, this would be the result. Sitting here, black-on-black, this car just oozes menace.

One of the first things ABT got to work on was the power, and there’s a good chunk of it – a full 170PS up from stock to be precise. ABT achieves this using a performance package they call ABT Power. This includes an extensive ECU upgrade and a custom stainless steel exhaust system complete with a Y-pipe and a sports catalytic convertor.

Do we really need a business estate with 730 horsepower? With its extremely low production run and a price tag just shy of 200,000 euros, I know I can never afford the ABT RS6-R. But at the same time, I am extremely glad I live in a world that facilitates the existence of a batsh!t-insane car like this.

ABT Sportsline RS6-R

Engine: 

Audi 4.0L TFSI V8, ABT Power ECU upgrade, ABT stainless steel exhaust system with Y-pipe & sports catalytic converter, black ABT tail pipes

Driveline

Audi 8-speed automatic

Suspension/Brakes

ABT adjustable coilovers, RS6 carbon ceramic disc brakes

Wheels/Tires:

ABT DR wheels 22×10-inch +52 offset, Dunlop 295/25ZR22 tires

Exterior:

ABT front lip with blades, air inlet covers, side skirt attachments with side blades, rear skirt attachment (all red carbon fibre); ABT carbon fibre rear spoiler, ABT carbon fibre mirror covers, ABT fender inserts

Interior

ABT sports steering wheel with LED shift lights & carbon shift paddles, ABT floor mats, ABT embroidery on seat headrests, red carbon fibre insert

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Old but Gold

Audi - The super rare, Audi RS2 Sedan (315 Bhp) only 4 where

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Audi e-tron Quattro Concept 2015

 Flow-enhanced design with a drag coefficient of 0.25; a powerful, all-electric e-tron quattro drive with up to 370 kW - Audi is presenting the Audi e-tron quattro concept at the International Motor Show (IAA) 2015 in Frankfurt. The car is the company's statement about the future of electric mobility: It is sporty, efficient and suitable for everyday use.

"Audi will present an all-electric, luxury-class sport SUV in early 2018. The Audi e‑tron quattro concept provides a concrete foretaste of this," says Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Member of the Audi Board of Management for Technical Development. "It combines driving pleasure with great range, an expressive design and excellent comfort."

Electric power

The Audi e‑tron quattro concept uses the power of three electric motors: One electric motor drives the front axle, the two others act on the rear axle. Total output is 320 kW. The driver can even mobilize 370 kW and over 800 Nm (590.0 lb-ft) of torque temporarily while boosting. The concept study thus performs like a sports car. When the driver floors the right pedal, the Audi e‑tron quattro concept sprints from a standstill to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in 4.6 seconds and quickly reaches the electronically governed top speed of 210 km/h (130.5 mph).

The concept with three electric motors which Audi is presenting for the first time makes the technology study an e‑tron quattro. An intelligent drive management system controls the interplay between them as appropriate for the situation. The focus here is on the greatest possible efficiency. The driver decides on the degree of recuperation, the driving program S or D and the mode of the Audi drive select system.During sporty driving on a winding road, the Torque Control Manager actively distributes the power between the rear wheels as necessary. This torque vectoring provides for maximum dynamics and stability.

The large lithium-ion battery is integrated into the floor of the passenger compartment. It gives the Audi e‑tron quattro concept a balanced axle load distribution and a low center of gravity - prerequisites for its dynamic handling. The battery's capacity of 95 kWh enables a range of more than 500 kilometers (310.7 mi). The Combined Charging System (CCS) enables charging with DC or AC electrical current. A full charge with DC electrical current at a charging column with an output of 150 kW takes just around 50 minutes. As an alternative, the study is equipped with Audi Wireless Charging technology for contactless induction charging. The charging process is very convenient. The Audi e‑tron quattro concept uses a system for piloted parking that guides it to the proper position at the charging plate. In addition, a large solar roof provides electricity for the drive system battery on sunny days.

The chassis also expresses the high-tech character of the concept study. The adaptive air suspension sport, which features controlled damping, lowers the body at higher speeds to reduce drag. The dynamic-all-wheel steering combines a dynamic steering system on the front axle with a steering system for the rear wheels. Depending on speed and the driving situation, they steer either opposite or in the same direction as the front wheels. The Audi e‑tron quattro concept thus reacts even more spontaneously and stably, and is also very manoeuvrable at low speeds.

Aerodynamic: The exterior design

The Audi e‑tron quattro concept harmoniously combines the design with the aerodynamics and all-electric drive system. The five-door technology study is 4.88 meters (16.0 ft) long, 1.93 meters (6.3 ft) wide and just 1.54 meters (5.1 ft) high. Its coupe-like silhouette with the extremely flat greenhouse that tapers strongly toward the rear lends it a very dynamic appearance. The car's drag coefficient measures just 0.25 - a new best for the SUV segment, where figures are usually considerably over 0.30.

All of this contributes considerably to the long range of more than 500 kilometers (310.7 miles). At speeds from 80 km/h (49.7 mi), electrically actuated aerodynamic elements on the engine hood, the flanks and at the rear end direct the flow of air as needed to improve the flow through and around the vehicle. This is one example of the intensive development work in the wind tunnel. Wind noise is low on board the car, and there are no engine noises in an electric car in any case. The fascination of electric driving unfolds in near total silence.

The vertical separating edges on the side panels and the fully enclosed floor pan with its newly designed microstructures contribute to reducing drag. Cameras replace the exterior mirrors - another contribution to the excellent aerodynamics and also a foretaste of the future of driving.

All the main lighting functions at the front of the car use Matrix laser technology. The bottom section houses a new, distinctive lighting signature comprising five lighting elements. Each of these combines an LED luminary with an extremely flat OLED element (organic light-emitting diode). Audi is developing Matrix OLED technology for use in production vehicles and is showing it for the first time in the concept study at the IAA.

The rear lights also comprise two sections. Each of the top zones features nine red OLED units for the tail light function, with three more below.

Deep integration: The interior

The package of the Audi e‑tron quattro concept enables a spacious, comfortable interior for four persons and 615 liters (21.7 cu ft) of luggage. The interior has a light and open feel to it; its architecture melds harmoniously with the operating and display concept. All displays in the interior use OLED technology. The extremely thin films can be cut to any desired shape.

The new Audi virtual cockpit curved OLED is a further development of the Audi virtual cockpit that debuted in production vehicles in 2014. To the left and right below the fully-digital instrument cluster are two touch displays with black glass and a subtle aluminum frame. The driver controls the lights and the systems for piloted driving with the left display. The large display on the right is for media and navigation management. The steering wheel serves as an alternate control level. Its spokes are equipped with contoured touch surfaces.

Below the selector lever on the center tunnel console are two more OLED displays for the drive system status, climate control and freely programmable information functions. The curved displays in the front section of the doors serve as digital exterior mirrors.

The two rear passengers sit on comfortable individual seats. They can use the OLED displays on the center console to configure the climate control and infotainment for their area or to exchange data with the driver. An LTE module connects the Audi e‑tron quattro concept with the Internet. The connectivity features in the study are cutting edge.

The zFAS: Nerve center for piloted driving

The concept study is equipped with all the technologies that Audi has developed for piloted driving: radar sensors, a video camera, ultrasonic sensors and a laser scanner. The data these supply come together in the central driver assistance controller (zFAS) in the luggage compartment. It computes a complete model of the car's surroundings in real time and makes this information available to all assistance systems and the systems for piloted driving. These technologies are also nearly ready for use in production vehicles.

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Audi RS5

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Audi RS5 Reviews

Like the proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove, the RS5 packs a powerful punch, boasting a 450-hp 4.2-liter V-8 that loves to rev. There is a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, Quattro all-wheel drive, and a sport-tuned suspension, all on hand for maximum driving enjoyment. The RS5 is available as coupe or as a cabriolet for those who like a little sun with their fun. While it’s pricey—and could still use a bit more soul—few cars combine speed and beauty at so high a level as the RS5.Overview: The Audi RS5 is what happens when you give the gang at Quattro GmbH, Audi’s in-house performance division, a long leash and an open checkbook. While it shares its basic silhouette with the comparatively pedestrian A5/S5 coupe, the RS5 is an entirely different beast. At its core is a 450-hp 4.2-liter naturally aspirated V-8 that loves to rev to its 8300-rpm redline. (For those keeping score, that’s more than double the 220 horsepower produced by the turbocharged 2.0-liter four found in the A5 and 117 more than the 333-hp 3.0-liter supercharged V-6 in the S5.) All-wheel drive is standard, and Audi’s seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch automatic is the sole transmission choice.

Although the RS5-specific front fascia, large wheel flares, and slightly wider rear track hint at its pedigree, Audi plays this one close to the vest. The retractable rear wing, which deploys at about 75 mph, is one of the few extroverted elements. Well, that, and the finely tuned growl from the optional sport exhaust, which added $1000 to the bottom line of the 2015 Audi RS5 model we recently drove. Likewise, the interior keeps things on the down low, sharing the same basic layout and instrumentation as the A5 and S5. The materials imbue a reserved, high-quality feel, and the fit and assembly is befitting of a vehicle costing $70K-plus.What’s New: By the time the RS5 made it stateside, it had already spent two years burning up the roads on the Continent. We came away from a drive of the 2011 model so impressed we booked a return trip to Europe with the sole purpose ofpitting the Audi RS5 against the Cadillac CTS-V and the BMW M3. But while those cars have moved on—the M3 coupe is now the M4 and the CTS-V is all-new for 2016 and now sedan-only—the changes to the RS5 are minimal. Updates for 2015 include optional goodies such as matte-black 20-inch five-spoke wheels and red brake calipers, as well as the fact that blind-spot warning joins the $2900 Technology package and the Black Optic Plus package has been updated to include a carbon-fiber engine cover.

What We Like: At the top of the list is the engine. While the rest of the world continues to lean on forced induction to compensate for shrinking displacement and dwindling cylinder counts, the RS5’s 450-hp 4.2-liter V-8 stands as a textbook example of naturally aspirated performance. In a car sometimes criticized for a lack of soul—including by us—an engine capable of making every run to redline a sonically charged event is an asset. We’re also fond of the exterior’s understated elegance, the supportive and comfortable seats, and the fact that the rear seats are actually large enough for genuine humans—for short trips anyway. The electric power steering setup was one of the best on the market when the RS5 hit our shores for 2013; while competitors have caught up, the RS5’s system still provides linear response and satisfactory weighting without being twitchy. The RS5 offers predictable handling to counter the awesome thrust of the V-8, with moderate understeer signaling when the limits of adhesion are near.What We Don’t Like: We’d be lying if we said we wouldn’t want to experience the RS5 with manual transmission bolted to its lusty V-8 (as in the 2007 Audi RS4 sedan). In that same vein, the RS5 can come off as being a bit sterile and, yes, devoid of soul. At about 4050 pounds, it’s no lightweight, and despite its performance bona fides, at times it doesn’t seem to take any particular glee in demonstrating them. (Typical German, right?) And then there’s the price. With a base MSRP of $71,825, its point of entry is at least a few grand richer than that of competitors such as the Mercedes-AMG C63, Lexus RC F, and BMW M4.

Verdict: There are sharper tools in the sports-coupe shed, but the RS5 is arguably the easiest to handle and most forgiving of the bunch.

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Audi RS3

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