There is so much eye candy in the overall design of the Audi S5 coupe that it's easy to overlook what's beneath the sleek shape — a hard-charging, road-gripping German tourer of the first order.

But, oh, that shape. Developed under the tutelage of Walter de'Silva before he headed off to run all of VW Group's design activities, the S5 has sinuous, flowing character lines that give the coupe an elegant, yet muscular, presence. The single-frame grille is neatly tailored, hemmed in by a thin chrome accent that is offset by an eggcrate texture with large interlocked rings boldly announcing that this is, indeed, an Audi. Two lower inlets that house circular driving lights and mail-slot-thin headlamp nacelles flank this large maw. The projector-beam headlamps are framed below with LEDs that act as daytime running lights. Seen from the distance on the shimmering runway of our test site, the S5 has a menacing face.

In profile, the visage softens with the gentle curvature of the front fenders, sculpted sides and a clean tail that sports a slight ducktail. Only the C-pillar treatment seems out of place — it's a bit thick and makes the greenhouse appear more upright than it actually is. Standing outside the car, you can see how the trapezoidal shape of the rear side glass gives the impression that the S5 should have great rear head room — in fact, it's much tighter than it appears. I would have preferred to see a more rakish angle to the glass, similar to that found on the TT.

The car's exterior beauty carries over inside. Audi has been rightly lauded as a leader in automotive interiors, and it doesn't disappoint with the S5. The materials, fit and finish are luxurious and high-tech at the same time, a difficult feat as usually technology trumps taste when it comes to cars with serious sporting intent. Satin-finished accents liven up the interior where the center information screen is neatly tied into the main instrumentation, rather than appearing as a separate box perched on the center stack. The rest of the controls and instruments are also neatly integrated, and Audi's intuitive MMI system is positioned just aft of the 6-speed gearshift. Audi has thoughtfully provided redundant controls, giving the driver the option of quickly and easily controlling various functions either through a dedicated switch or the MMI jog shuttle.



The leather sport bucket seats in the S5 are comfortable and supportive with a handsome stitch pattern that blends nicely with the high-tech look of the interior. The two rear-seat passengers are closely coupled with the aforementioned lack of head room. Although the S5, as its nomenclature implies, is slotted in size between the S4 and S6, it really is more of a "2+2+" rather than a full 4-passenger ride.

But it's beneath the slick exterior where the S5 truly shines. The new architecture on which this car is based is Audi's future. It's a new modular approach that allows the structure to be lengthened in wheelbase and widened in stance so that it will spawn an entire family of vehicles up and down Audi's line — the next iteration will be the A4. After that, a new A6 and perhaps a larger A7 coupe will follow on the same architecture.

This clean-sheet approach to the car has significant benefits. The 108.3-in. wheelbase permitted Audi to move the engine nearly 6 in. rearward. This move, along with a shorter front overhang, takes some of the mass off the nose, thereby reducing understeer. As a result, the differential has been moved farther forward to keep the output shafts on the centerline of the front axle, while the clutch and gearbox have moved aft along with the engine.

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0-60 mph: 4.8 seconds
0-100 mph: 12.1 seconds
1/4 mile: 13.3 @ 105.2 mph
700ft Slalom: 69 mph
Lateral Acceleration: .91g

I bought this issue along w/ the latest EVO mag yesterday. The review seems to say what I've been reading pretty much everywhere else; Great GT with top shelf engineering and design that will please anyone but an enthusiast.

Front/Rear weight distribution of 57%/43%. Still a bit too nose heavy, but slighly better than the old A4.

With ESP off the S5's pretty playful, letting the driver go completely sideways if they desire. GOod going Audi!

Great looking coupe indeed,best in class no doubt

^^ Couldnt agree more. pure eye candy

This sounds promising... ...I saw a black C 220 CDI Avantgarde last night. It also past me very slowly and inside was a blonde girl (around 30 years old), but she was smoking like hell - so my interest went back to the beautiful looking car with those amazing Xenon-Lights...
...but an Audi S5 is still looking better at night.