Times are changing, or so they tell us in those glossy brochures filled with buzzwords like “sustainability” and “innovation”. In reality, it seems “progress” in Ingolstadt translates to slapping a battery into a performance icon and watching the scales groan under the pressure. Enter the new Audi RS 5, the first plug-in hybrid in the RS family history. A milestone that sounds revolutionary in a press release but feels a lot more like a mid-life crisis when you look at the spec sheet.
This “sporty” sedan now clocks in at a staggering 2,355 kg (roughly 5,192 lbs) empty. For those keeping track at home, that’s not a curb weight. It’s a gravitational pull. Calling a vehicle this obese “agile” is like calling a rhinoceros a prima ballerina.
The heart of the beast is still the 2.9-liter V6 biturbo, now cranked up by an extra 60 horses to reach 510 HP. Then, Audi’s engineers invited an electric motor to the party, adding 177 hp and integrating it directly into the 8-speed Tiptronic transmission.
The result? A combined output of 639 HP and a monstrous 825 Nm of torque. On paper, it’s a rocket, blasting from 0 to 60 mph in a mere 3.6 seconds. It’s impressive, sure, but you can’t help but wonder how much faster it would be if it weren’t hauling the equivalent of a small guest house behind it.
Under the trunk sits a 22 kWh net battery, which doesn’t just power the wheels but also provides juice to the Dynamic Torque Control system. Audi has thrown every electronic trick in the book at this car, all to convince you that those two and a half tons don’t exist. It’s an arsenal of technology designed to fight the laws of physics that Audi themselves broke by making the car so heavy. They even offer optional ceramic brakes with 420 mm discs, presumably for those who want to feel lighter.
Visually, the RS 5 screams for attention, having been widened by 4 cm on each side, featuring a massive grille and a central exhaust tips. Inside, it’s a digital cathedral with three screens, including one for the passenger, so they can watch the battery percentage drop in real-time.
Starting at roughly $125,000 (€118,000) before you even look at the options list, the new RS 5 asks a very expensive question: do 639 horses really justify a weight class usually reserved for mid-sized SUVs? We’ll find out this summer.
