Audi Admits Its Performance Stats Are Deliberately Conservative, Suggests 3.7sec 0-62 For RS5
Recently, we spent a week with the new Audi RS5. Our main takeaway from our extended test? It’s stupidly fast, and feels much quicker than the Mercedes-AMG C63 S, despite having an identical 0-62mph time.
Turns out there’s a good reason for that: it is actually quicker. Speaking to Car Advice, Audi’s Head of Technical Development Stephan Reil said:
“I’ve been in this job for nearly 20 years, and with all the cars I’ve worked on, the performance numbers we published were conservative. And it’s no different with the latest RS5.
“So, if we say 3.9 seconds, you will measure, maybe, 3.7 if the conditions are fine, probably 3.8, but even under the worst conditions, you’ll do it in 3.9 seconds. But you will not find a 4.0.”
This shouldn’t really be a surprise, as for years Audi’s hot RS models have been chucking out faster times acceleration times IRL than the on-paper figures. The reason? Audi would rather be called out for its cars being faster than they’re supposed to be, rather than slower.
“I simply don’t want to hear, when you guys write ‘well, they claim 3.9, but we got 4.0’,” Reil said, adding, “I don’t want to read that.”
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
Audi probably regrets listing the RS5 slower than the latest generation TT RS and almost even with RS3 plus it was too close to its competition, now they are fixing it. So we can safely say it will do 3.5 seconds :) It’s fine with me :)
I still strongly believe the 5cyl in the TT RS and RS3 have soul, like a real soul :) The RS5 is kind of uneventful, but who knows, my perception might change after seeing one in person and driving it.
This after the figures for the B7 RS4 were way lower than what was advertised.
Bullsh*t. It’ll be faster than 3.7. I’ve seen a TTRS do 3.6 and there’s no doubt that this is quicker.
As if 0-60 even matters.