First Drive: 2023 Audi RS 5 Competition (Coupe and Sportback)

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Gearheads, if you haven’t already, take advantage of the current (no pun intended) situation. Despite — or maybe because of — manufacturers transitioning toward electrified powertrains, we are living in a golden age of internal-combustion-powered performance. Let’s call it one last kick at the can, with engineers, especially from those automakers with sport-racing departments, imbuing certain worthy cars (and crossovers) with increased — absurd, in some cases — levels of horsepower and handling.

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Audi is no exception, and while the addition of a new $11,400 Competition package for its 2023 two-door RS 5 Coupe ($92,900 without the package) and four-door Sportback ($93,400, ditto) models might seem a mild and pricey upgrade in the face of the cars’ main competition — Mercedes-AMG’s C 63, BMW’s M3 and M4 Competition, the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, et al — the results are a quicker, more balanced and more forgiving car that rewards those looking for enhanced performance dynamics without punishing them with an overly stiff, unpleasant ride for day-to-day commuting duties.

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Let’s start with the basics: the RS 5 comes with a potent 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 that pushes out 444 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque, with the Coupe achieving a 0-to-100-km/h time of 3.8 seconds, the Sportback one-tenth of a second slower. Without upping the engine’s output, both models, when equipped with the Competition package, see their maximum top track speed reach 290 km/h — up 40 km/h from the previous top speed, and up 10 km/h from the previous Dynamic Plus package’s 280 km/h.

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The hard parts that constitute the Competition package include 20-inch five-spoke mill-cut wheels on P275/30R20 Pirelli P Zero Corsa performance tires, a sport-optimized engine control unit and differential tuning, sport exhaust “plus” with black tailpipes, more direct steering, an RS coil-over suspension with sport sway bars (resulting in a 10-mm decrease in ride height), plus a 290 km/h speed limiter. There are interior and exterior upgrades as well, which I’ll get to later.

Audi takes pride in the RS sport exhaust system, the matte black tailpipes producing a more “intense” sound pattern as a result of reduced insulation between the engine compartment and interior. This reduction of insulation not only complements the exhaust note, which is a throaty bass rumble, but also decreases the RS 5’s weight by more than eight kilograms.

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Enhancements to the ECU software make for heightened shift changes in S transmission mode when the Dynamic drive mode is active. The coil-over suspension with front and rear sport sway bars and a ride height sitting 10 mm lower than standard RS 5 models. To amplify the performance quotient even further, customers can manually lower the ride height by an additional 10 mm, for an overall reduction of 20 mm.

There’s more. Improvements to the quattro sport rear differential, notes Audi Sport, results in an increased degree of agility and driving enjoyment, especially with Dynamic selected. Additionally, Sport direct steering is more precise, the steering ratio fixed at 13.1:1. The Competition package also brings a new data set in the control unit with changed parameters designed to shift more power to the rear wheels. The updated software in the transmission control unit makes for quicker shifting and an increased spread between the various driving modes. In combination with the Pirelli tires and newly tuned ABS software, the RS ceramic front brakes provide extra braking power, reducing, says Audi, the RS 5’s stopping distance by up to two metres when dropping anchor from 100 km/h.

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With these upgrades, Audi Sport says it has created a car with precise handling and even better tracking. Good looking too, the bright red RS 5 Coupe particularly fetching in the sun, a balanced mix of sleekness and muscularity. To test the company’s claim, we plied the highways and back roads of southern Spain in both Coupe and Sportback, heading north from Malaga into hillier countryside toward the private Ascari Race Resort near Ronda.

As a track weapon, the RS 5 is a better road car, one that eats up the miles, whether at a relaxed pace or at illegal speeds, in comfort, with a typically European firm ride. That said, it’s still capable of producing an ear-to-ear grin when flogged on Ascari’s beautifully laid out, 26-corner, 5.4-km-long circuit. Whether on the road or the track, what the Coupe and Sportback (and the stunning RS4 Avant sportwagon, which, sadly, is not being sold in North America) gave up in absolute handling — the 5s’ 58.1/41.9 weight distribution making them somewhat nose heavy — they made up for with confidence-inspiring grip courtesy of Audi’s renowned quattro all-wheel-drive system.

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Frank Stippler may not be a headline-generating name in motorsport circles, but the Audi Sport racing and development driver knows how to pedal a car, setting class lap records over the past few years at the Nürburgring in both an RS Q8 (7.42:2) and RS 3 sedan (7:40.75). Seeing that I needed to knock the rust off my own meagre track abilities, he offered to act as a hare to my hound, setting a pace and a line around Ascari I could chase, getting a better feel for the RS 4 sportswagon I was in (which has the same powertrain/drivetrain setup as the 5s) than I could achieve on my own. And with the eight-speed transmission in Sport, and Dynamic selected, the wagon’s demeanour encouraged a sporting attitude while forgiving a less-than-perfect line. In other words, awesome grip kept everything in check, even under high lateral Gs through the ess-bends.

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Inside, the Competition package further reflects the RS 5’s sporting intent, with some obvious motorsport-oriented elements. Dinamica/leather seats replace the standard leather seats. The three-spoke heated steering wheel, shift lever, and centre console are wrapped with Alcantara with contrast stitching in crescendo red. Matte RS carbon inlays and piano black trim bits are also part of the aesthetic. In addition, Audi beam puddle lights project the RS Competition logo from beneath the doors when opened.

Exterior revisions are subtle — gloss black Audi rings on the front and rear as well as the model badging and exterior trim, carbon-fibre front splitter, rear diffuser and exterior mirror housings. The front ceramic and rear steel brakes are paired with red painted calipers, a visual reminder of the cars’ impressive stopping power.

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So, what’s the takeaway here? Let’s break it down. This generation of the RS 5 is more than five years old. The Competition package breathes new life into the mature sport coupe/sedan, upping its performance bona fides and addressing concerns voiced by a small group of owners who thought the model not sporty enough. And, when set to maximum, Sport/Dynamic, it definitely moves the needle. Ultimately, though, for the $100K+ the car and package will set you back, it’s helpful to appreciate its more nuanced approach to performance — the RS 5 Competition’s primary rivals have more visceral dynamism.

That said, Audi Sport sees a future that includes electrification, which means the RS 5 and its internal-combustion, high-octane driving experience could be the model that ushers out this golden age of power and passion.