Supercharged V6 Audi S5 Cabriolet unveiled
August 3, 2009 by George Skentzos
Audi has lifted the lid on its open air A5 range flagship model by revealing the new S5 Cabriolet.
The new model adopts a supercharged V6 TFSI engine in place of its naturally aspirated V8 which promises to maximise efficiency without diluting driving pleasure.
The supercharged V6 delivers peak power of 245kW and 440Nm between 2,500 and 4,850rpm, mated as standard to a seven-speed S tronic twin-clutch transmission.
This is coupled with the latest evolution of Audi’s quattro all-wheel-drive system which is capable of varying torque not only between front and rear axles but also between each rear wheel with an optional sport differential.
The result is zero to 100km/h acceleration in just 5.6 seconds with a top speed limited to 250km/h.
Despite its performance, the new S5 Cabriolet emits just 224g/km of CO2 with a combined fuel economy figure of 8.0 litres per 100km.
Unique ‘S’ sports suspension complements the quattro system and sport differential allowing them to operate at optimum efficiency, while also lowering the S5 Cabriolet body to within millimetres of its 19-inch five spoke alloy wheels.
Aluminium-look door mirrors, xenon plus headlights with LED daytime running lights, rear LED lamps, special ‘S’ front and rear styling treatments and black painted brake callipers bearing the S5 logo will also be distinguishing features.
Its soft-top acoustic hood reduces external noise intrusion into the cabin to virtually the same level as the fixed head Coupe and can retract in just 15 seconds at speeds of up to 50km/h.
With the soft top in place, a best-in-class luggage capacity of 380 litres enables easy accommodation of luggage for each of the four passengers.
Print it: 
So does the S5 coupe get that engine too? It would be a bit strange if it didn’t.
Just look at that car – it’s perfect. It’s cars like this that baffle me as to why anybody would buy a Lexus and more to the point, a hard top convertible. No swollen backsides here, just perfect lines. I think I’d quite like one actually, but I would get the 3.0 TDI Quattro.
Spot on Alex, it is perfect. I would rather the coupe over the cabriolet but it still looks awesome and something I could definitely see myself in. Just need my partner to salary sacrifice one on a novated lease.
Beautiful car – one of the few Audis I would consider (along with the S5 coupe).
Alex Says:
August 3rd, 2009 at 9:14 pm
“why anybody would buy a Lexus”
Price. S5 coupe is $150K+ with on road costs, and I am guessing the cabriolet would be $170K+ or more.
Guys, while this may be a great car, buy the turbo four or diesel: you actually don’t need the performance the S5 gives you. Test drive the S5 of course, to get a feel for it, but buy the diesel for even better fuel economy and torque. Lets face it, in the city(or the office car park which is where most of these cars will spend their time) you will never reach the RPM cutoff, so get a performance car that has all its power in the low RPM: a diesel. Still the same looks, but more practical.
Realist, I was referring more to the A5 convertible range in general. I think the base A5 will probably be very closely priced to the Lexus, but it will be interesting to see how much it comes with as standard because it probably won’t beat the Lexus there. Still, I would definitley take the Audi.
Alex Says:
August 4th, 2009 at 3:56 pm
“Realist, I was referring more to the A5 convertible range in general.”
Good looking cars, but aren’t the base A5’s FWD…?
Is that the engine with the Roots Blower?
8.0l/100km combined? Something not quite right there …
Adam i though the same, there’s no way this car can acheive 8.0l/100km. Mybe on the highway cycle, but not combined. Could CA maybe check that out.
Interesting: when A European car maker such as Audi decides to bolt on a supercharger to one of their engines in order to extract a few more Kw’s from it… certain people on this site [you know who I'm referring to]
see it as a stroke of automotive engineering brilliance.. and heap praise on both the car and the company
Yet; when someone else like Holden or Ford do it the same people say that its as a cheap and easy option and proceed to bag sh!t out of them.
It makes you think that if the Holden or Ford had the exact same engine or even the same features etc as their beloved Europeans – that these “owner operators” would still refuse to buy a Holden or Ford.. and they have the nerve to call other people Badge Snobs.
Wheelnut, what are you on about? I have heard nothing but good things from everybody about Ford’s offerings of forced induction. In fact, everybody seems to think that they’re brilliant. Not to mention how optimistic everybody seems to be about Ford’s upcoming 2.0 turbo Falcon. Saying that, I haven’t read all the ranting comments on this website.
I think you’ll find people are commenting more on the cars in general. The fact is that a $50,000 Ford Falcon isn’t going to go into competition with a $150,000 Audi so of course the people who would buy the Audi wouldn’t buy the Ford or Holden.
It’s called different markets, not badge snobbery. I wouldn’t buy a Ford Falcon or a Holden Commodore, but it’s because they don’t have the quality, the looks, the refinement or the excellent drive I have come to expect from the cars I own. And they certainly don’t offer individuality. They are getting close to being really good cars, especially as far as refinement goes, but they still leave some to be desired.
Realist, the very base engines are still front wheel drive but I don’t imagine that they’ll be coming to Australia. The fact is that Audi are clever about their technology and how much power they task the front wheels with so it’s not as if they offer an inferior drive to the Quattro models.
I think the pick of the A5s is either the 3.0 TDI Quattro or the 2.0 TFSI Quattro and I think the latter will probably be the base offering in Australia.
Wheelnut®™ Says:
August 4th, 2009 at 9:40 pm
“It makes you think that if the Holden or Ford had the exact same engine or even the same features etc as their beloved Europeans – that these “owner operators” would still refuse to buy a Holden or Ford.. and they have the nerve to call other people Badge Snobs.”
Pity we’ll never get to test the theory, because tax payer funded motors only produce low rent cars with far fewer goodies than the Germans and Japanese.