Audi RSS Any Better Than The Bmw M3 - 2011
Audi India just announced that the company will sell the new Rs5 sports coupe in India. The 2011 Audi RS5 will hit Indian roads as early as June this year. Before we begin, here is a lesson in Audi nomenclature.
The Audi A5 is a two door version of the A4 sedan we are familiar with. What Audi does, is they add a bit of spice to the A5 and call it the S5, a powerful version of the standard coupe. With the RS5 badge comes even more power and so you have a 444 bhp sports coupe that is conceived to take on the mighty BMW M3. But, has it worked? That’s what we are going to find out.
For a start, the new Audi RS5 is more powerful than the BMW M3. Unlike the M3, it has got Quattro sending power to all four wheels. So, you might think, RS5 is the car to blow a million Indian rupees over. The BMW might not be able to carve through the tarmac with its rear wheel drive setup like that of the four wheel drive Audi but if you want a car to have fun with, a car that changes directions faster than a housefly then, the BMW M3 is still the one to go for.
I agree, four wheel drive gives confidence while going around a corner quickly and at the same time ensures that you don’t end up in the hedge with your expensive German coupe wrapped around a tree.
The Audi has a Lamborghini derived 4.2 litre V8 which produces 444 bhp, 24 bhp more than the M3 and 430 torques, 30 Nm more than the BMW M3. However, the M3 weighs 1640 kg as opposed to the Audi RS5 which weighs in at 1816 kg. Now, that is 176 kg more, thanks to the heavy Quattro system.
So, where the Audi has the upper hand on the M3 as far as sheer power is concerned, the weight of the car alone blows away its advantage over the king of the hill. Audi might boast about the power it produces or the four wheel drive system but, the truth is that, it is lugging around more car than the M3 which sort of nullifies the 24 bhp advantage.
Both cars have a paddle operated, 7-speed, semi-automatic gearbox (6-speed manual is optional with M3). Both sprint to 100 kph in around 5.0 sec with the Audi managing a slightly quicker time. Surprisingly, even though the RS5 is four wheel drive, it beats the rear wheel drive M3 to 100 kph.
From there on however, the M3 leaves the RS5 to bite the dust. By the time the RS5 reaches 200 kph, the M3 is already 5.0 sec clear of the Audi. Top speeds don’t matter as both cars reach close to 286 kph. You get adaptive suspension in both coupes but, even with BMW’s EDC turned on, the ride is fairly comfortable as compared to the RS5.
The Audi sports a rear spoiler that rises up as you pick up speed and also doubles as an air brake. Still, this contraption fails to improve its braking performance compared to the M3 which stops in 34.6 m from 100 kph. This is also where the weight of the RS5 comes into the picture.
To sum up then, the new Audi RS5 is a great car, but as a drivers car, the M3 still rules the roost. The M3 in India costs around INR 1.2 Cr. Audi will price the RS5 around this figure if it wants to compete with the almighty M3. One more factor that you have to consider is that, all Audi’s look exactly the same.
If you show up at a party in your RS5, most chaps would turn it down as any other Audi. So, if you are planning to spend a hefty INR 1.5 Cr. on a sports coupe, why not go for the base R8 instead or, if space is what you want, what’s wrong with the BMW M3?
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