For those not familiar with this Audi , it is a marvelous but expensive sports car that packs an abundance of power and handling — just right for retracing my steps on a curvy mountain road I had not traversed in more than three decades.
While the base engine is a 2-liter, 211-horsepower four, the test car sported the upscale Eaton-supercharged 3-liter, V6 good for 333 horsepower at 5,500 to 6,500 rpm and 325 pound-feet of torque at 2,900-5,300 rpm. A slick-shifting, six-speed manual is the tranny of choice here. A top speed of 155 miles per hour and zero to 60 in 4.9 seconds should satisfy most drivers.
The 4.2-liter V8 is gone for 2013, but given the performance of the six, it probably will not be missed by many of the Audi faithful.
I didn’t realize until I was about five miles into the run that 24 was an old favorite dating to several other Rocky Mountain high trips over the years. Not only were there lots of challenging curls to negotiate, there were opportunities to let the six really feel its oats while passing slower-moving trucks on the scarce straight stretches of highway. My hat is off to drivers who run semis over this road in winter.Before I tackled the back roads, there was a short stint on the interstate. With a smooth and quick down shift on the entrance ramp with foot to the floor, I was well over the speed limit by the time I merged on to I-70. Then a short run to Colorado 24, a twisting, turning bit of pavement that links the former silver mining town of Minturn with Leadville over the 10,424-foot Tennessee pass.
Audi’s all-wheel Quattro drive proportions power at 40% to the front and 60% to the rear, and in the S5 picks up a sport suspension to go along with the five-link independent suspension in front and the trapezoidal link independent setup in the rear.
Translated into basic English, that means flat cornering at any sane speed that will also test the bravado of the operator. Disc brakes all around with Audi’s hydraulic brake assist were always available should stopping power be needed. That system senses emergency braking and applies maximum available power boost when needed.
Driver feedback through the new-for -203 leather-covered sport steering wheel was good, even as Audi joins most auto makers in the move to electromechanical steering that backers say raises mpg by one whole mile per gallon. If it matters, the car is rated by the EPA at 18-28 mpg on premium gasoline. On my test drive, I was simply having too much fun to worry about mileage. I think most owners at this price range and level of sportiness would concur.
The 255/35 summer tires mounted on optional 19-inch, five-segment spoke wheels gripped the pavement like the New York Yankees’s hold on first place. Audi’s Drive Select beefs up steering and suspension settings. I kept the system in the sport mode for the entire morning test. This was best for mountain roads and didn’t stiffen ride enough to make it uncomfortable.
For 2013, the S5 got a mild design refresh, with a new, and for my money, more aggressive front end. Inside, the center stack was simplified (always a good thing), and buyers can choose from among three wood finishes and aluminum or carbon inlays.
All of the vital control systems fell readily to hand; there was plenty of room for two up front, and the leather-clad seats held my bod firmly in place during the trip. In the end, I felt the S5 had achieved the perfect blend of luxury and performance, and that is not an easy thing to do.
The base price of the S5 with the six-speed manual is $50,900. An automatic should add about $2,300. With many luxury and performance options, the test car topped out at $66,895. Not a small sum to be sure, but in my opinion well worth the cash outlay. In fact, that is below the price of a Corvette convertible , and about in line with a BMW M3 .