Review: Audi 8F7 RS5 Cabriolet (2013-16)

Overview

Released in October 2013, the Audi 8F7 RS5 Cabriolet was a four-seat performance convertible. Manufactured in Neckarsulm, Germany, the Audi RS5 Cabriolet was powered by a 4.2-litre V8 petrol engine which drove all four-wheels via a seven-speed double clutch transmission (Audi’s ‘S-Tronic’) which had steering wheel gearshift paddles for sequential shifts.

4.2 FSI V8: CFSA engine

The 8F7 RS5 Cabriolet was powered by Audi’s CFSA engine which was shared with the Audi B8 RS4 . Effectively replacing the BNS engine which powered the Audi B7 RS4 , the CFSA engine had a two-piece, closed-deck cylinder block, a die-forged crankshaft, split connecting rods, forged aluminium pistons, chain-driven double overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder actuated by roller rocker arms, direct fuel injection (Audi’s ‘Fuel Stratified Injection’ or FSI) and a compression ratio of 11.0:1.

The RS5 Cabriolet could accelerate from rest to 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds and had an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h (or 280 km/h by request).

Dimensions

Compared to the Audi 8T3 RS5 Coupe , the RS5 Cabriolet was the same length (4749 mm) and width (1860), but 14 mm taller (1380 mm); wheelbase length was also unchanged at 2751 mm, though unladen weight increased from 1790 kg to 1995 kg. The RS5 Cabriolet’s power-operated roof could be opened in 15 seconds and closed in 17 seconds at speeds of up to 50 km/h. Boot capacity for the RS5 Cabriolet was 380 litres with the roof up, though this decreased to 320 litres when it was lowered.

Suspension

The Audi RS5 Cabriolet had five-link front suspension with upper and lower wishbones and trapezoidal link rear suspension. As an extra-cost option, buyers could specify Audi’s ‘Dynamic Ride Control’ (DRC). With DRC, diagonally-opposed pairs of shock absorbers were linked by hydraulic lines and a central valve. When cornering at speed, the valves regulated oil flow within the shock absorber of the deflected outside front wheel almost immediately, providing greater support and reducing lateral lift. DRC also included three selectable damping settings: comfort, auto and dynamic.

quattro

The Audi RS5’s quattro four-wheel drive system utilised an Audi-developed ‘Crown Gear’ centre differential. In normal conditions, the system provided a 40:60 front:rear torque split. If traction was lost, however, up to 85 per cent of the engine’s torque could be directed to the rear axle, and up to 70 per cent to the front axle. The system also included:

• open front and rear differentials with electronic differential locks which could brake spinning wheels to enable cross-axle torque transfers; and,
• a ‘torque vectoring’ rear axle which operated by selectively distributing torque to the rear wheels to generate yaw and thereby correct over- or under-steer.

Safety equipment

Standard safety equipment for the Audi RS5 Cabriolet included dual front airbags, front side airbags, ABS, electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, electronic stability control, traction control and front seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters.

Brakes

The Audi RS5 Cabriolet had 365 mm by 34 mm ventilated front brake discs with eight-piston monoblock aluminium calipers and 324 mm by 22 mm rear discs with single-piston calipers.

Features

Standard features for the Audi RS5 Cabriolet included 19-inch alloy wheels with 265/35 R19 98Y tyres, a 180 watt sound system with ten speakers, a CD/DVD player, MP3-compatibility, auxiliary inputs (3.5 mm/USB), 20GB audio storage and Bluetooth connectivity, Audi’s Multi Media Interface (MMI) with hard drive navigation, two SDHC card readers and a seven-inch colour display, three-zone climate control air conditioning, heated Nappa leather seats front and rear, power adjustable front seats, cruise control, Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity, directional bi-xenon headlights with washers, LED daytime running lights, front and rear parking sensors, a rear-view camera, automatic headlights, rain-sensing wipers, split and folding rear seats, rear seat load-through facility including ski bag, remote central locking with proximity key, power windows, power adjustable and heated mirrors with folding function, tilt and telescopic steering wheel adjustment, driver memory settings (for the seat and mirror positions), ambient lighting, a trip computer, tyre pressure monitoring, an alarm and immobiliser.

Related links

• Press Kit: Audi 8F7 RS5 Cabriolet (October 2013)
• Specifications: Audi 8F7 RS5 Cabriolet (October 2013)
• Technical data: Audi 8F7 RS5 Cabriolet (October 2013)
• Wikipedia.org: Audi RS5