Audi RS5 Qustion

Howdy GRM hive - was the RS5 ever offered in the states with a manual transmission? What about the V8 S5?

I am not 100% sure but I remember my brother was looking at buying one (RS5) a few years ago and manual was not an option. 

The V8 S5 was available with a manual, the RS5 was not.

codrus said:

The V8 S5 was available with a manual, the RS5 was not.

 

As I thought, thanks

The only recent RS car that came with a manual was the TTRS in 2012, before that the RS4 in 07-08.  Audi went DSG only on all of those and now all the S cars are also DSG only.

docwyte said:

The only recent RS car that came with a manual was the TTRS in 2012, before that the RS4 in 07-08.  Audi went DSG only on all of those and now all the S cars are also DSG only.

It's even worse, the B9 S4 is a traditional torque converter automatic, not even a DSG.  Same is true of the RS6/RS7.

The manual S5 is a nice highway cruiser. Reminded me of my E39 540i.

In reply to codrus :

I knew about the RS6/7, think it's because the DSG can't take the torque on those motors.  Didn't know that about the new S4 tho, that's pretty lame and seems like they're moving the S4 away from a sporty sedan to a luxe sedan...

docwyte said:

In reply to codrus :

I knew about the RS6/7, think it's because the DSG can't take the torque on those motors.  Didn't know that about the new S4 tho, that's pretty lame and seems like they're moving the S4 away from a sporty sedan to a luxe sedan...

They floated the same "can't take the torque" line with the B9 S4, despite having a proven DSG option in the C7 S6 that works fine with higher torque numbers.  It's not about torque, it's about money and about meeting the expectations of the mass market instead of the enthusiasts.

docwyte said:

The only recent RS car that came with a manual was the TTRS in 2012, before that the RS4 in 07-08.  Audi went DSG only on all of those and now all the S cars are also DSG only.

Good info, thanks

In reply to codrus :

It's gotta be about money, as the mass market looks at the DSG as an automatic transmission.  You can talk to them about dual clutches until you're blue in the face, all they're going to say is "I put it in D and drive off, right?"

Once we have my wife's Volt paid off in a little over a year I am going to be back in the market for something sporty and fun, while also having a backseat and AWD. The RS5 really has my interest, especially with a sweet sounding high revving V8.

It's worth looking into the direct injection intake port cleaning requirements before shopping for an RS5.  Nothing catastrophic, but they suffer significant power loss at after 20K-30Kish miles due to carbon deposits that are a moderate PITA to clean.

docwyte said:

In reply to codrus :

It's gotta be about money, as the mass market looks at the DSG as an automatic transmission.  You can talk to them about dual clutches until you're blue in the face, all they're going to say is "I put it in D and drive off, right?"

Have you driven a DSG?  I have one in my C7.5 S6, and while it's a lot closer to "put it in D and drive" than something like the E46 SMG, it's still got its fair share of quirks and oddities.  Parking-lot herky-jerkies, occasional neutrals and rolling backwards when trying to creep up an incline, stuff like that.

In reply to codrus :

Yup, I have.  Truthfully I'm not a fan, really.  If I need an auto trans, I'd rather have a traditional lock up torque convertor.  If I want a "manual", I'd rather have a third pedal and shift it myself.  I'm just not enamored with the flappy paddles, the technology, the "Ooo, it shifts so much faster than a human can!"

Whatever.  Mclaren isn't calling me anytime soon, so driving on the track is all about involvement for me, not shaving 0.000xxx seconds off my lap times because of flappy paddles.  Around town, if I'm stuck in traffic or needing to tow something, having a traditional auto tranny is nice.

I suspect I'm going to get forced into a flappy paddle gearbox for my next car, as I want a Golf R and the Mk8's will be out when I make that purchase.  Sounds like the drivetrain is going to be a 400hp hybrid/4 cylinder gasser or the current RS3 5 cylinder gasser, both with DSG only....

docwyte said:

In reply to codrus :

Yup, I have.  Truthfully I'm not a fan, really.  If I need an auto trans, I'd rather have a traditional lock up torque convertor.  If I want a "manual", I'd rather have a third pedal and shift it myself.  I'm just not enamored with the flappy paddles, the technology, the "Ooo, it shifts so much faster than a human can!"

Whatever.  Mclaren isn't calling me anytime soon, so driving on the track is all about involvement for me, not shaving 0.000xxx seconds off my lap times because of flappy paddles.  Around town, if I'm stuck in traffic or needing to tow something, having a traditional auto tranny is nice.

I'm not a fan of torque converters except in tow vehicles.  I'd prefer the S6 with a manual, frankly, but there were none available in that class of vehicle, so the DSG was the best compromise.

I agree on track driving.  Dual clutches are fast, so if I was *racing* a car, I'd go with one of those (assuming it was legal under class rules).  For track days it's more about enjoying myself, and I prefer the real manual for that.