Audi RS5
Cabrio offers supercar pace and
four-seater practicality
The Audi A5 Cabriolet has been around for
nearly four years now, but this is the first time it has been given the
go-faster treatment by the brand's Quattro high-performance division. With a
powerful V8 and grippy four-wheel-drive chassis, the new RS5 promises to be one
of the fastest four-seater convertibles money can buy.
Four-wheel-drive
Audi provides loads of grip
It certainly doesn't hide its performance
potential. Bulging wheel arches, a deeper front bumper and carbon-fiber rear
spoiler give the Audi real muscle car appeal, while our model's $2,025 optional
20-inch alloys replace the standard 19-inch wheels.
There's been a similarly racy upgrade for
the cabin, where you'll find heavily bolstered, high-backed front seats, a
thick-rimmed, flat-bottomed steering wheel and several RS5 logos. Yet elsewhere
it's standard A5, which means an excellent driving position, first-rate
materials and exemplary build quality. Only the slightly dated dashboard design
costs the Audi valuable points here.
Still, as you'd expect of a car costing
$103,478, the RS5 comes with plenty of standard kit, including sat-nav, a DAB
radio, xenon headlamps and Nappa leather seats. Also included is the same
powered 'Acoustic' fabric roof as in the standard A
. It's packed
with sound-deadening material, and makes the interior almost as quiet and
refined as you'd get in a metal-roofed coupé.
There’s
lots of kit and the build quality’s great, but the design is looking a little
old
Prod a button on the center console and the
roof whirs open in around 16 seconds, before stowing neatly under a panel
behind the rear seats. And with the roof down you're even better placed to
enjoy the noise of the car's incredible V8.
This 444bhp 4.2-liter engine is shared with
the R8 supercar, and it delivers explosive performance. When combined with the
four-wheel-drive transmission, slick twin-clutch gearbox and hi-tech launch
control, it blasted the RS5 Cabriolet from 0-60mph in just 4.6 seconds. Yet
it's the soundtrack that really grabs your attention, turning from a muted
rumble to a hard-edged roar as the revs rise, while the twin exhausts emit a
symphony of pops and crackles with every downshift through the gearbox.
Our test car was fitted with the $2,550
Dynamic Ride Control adaptive dampers and $563 Dynamic Steering, both of which
are designed to deliver a more engaging driving experience. Yet in its
sportiest setting, the ride is too firm, and the steering is stiff and heavy.
Leave the car in Comfort mode, and the controls respond more naturally,
allowing you to exploit the RS's incredible
grip.
The Audi is also impressively refined, and
the wind deflector cuts out buffeting when the top is down. There are also for
full-size seats and a 380-liter boot. The $103,478 RS5 isn't cheap, but nothing
else can deliver the same mix of performance, practically and open-air thrills.
Audi RS5 technical Specs
·
Price: $103,477
·
Engine: 4.2-liter
V8, 444bhp
·
0-60mph: 4.6
seconds
·
Test economy:
19.8 mpg/4.3mpl
·
CO
:
249g/km
·
Annual road tax:
$712
·
Why? RS5 combines
R8 running gear with four-seat practicality and head-turning style. But is it
really worth the $105,000 price tag?
VW Beetle Cabriolet
Retro looks hide a thoroughly modern
family soft-top
Yet
whether you love or hate the Beetle's style, there's no denying it attracts
attention
None of our convertibles can beat the
Beetle for drop-top tradition. The rear-engined original can trace its roots
back to 1949, which means the fashionable VW has been around in one form or
another for more than 60 years. As a result, it's no surprise to find the
latest model takes many of its design cues from its famous predecessors.
Bulbous wheel arches and a rounded nose
hark to the past, while Design models even get domed chrome wheel trims. Even
the distinctive 18-inch alloys and tailgate spoiler of our range-topping
Sport-based 60s special-edition version fail to dilute the retro image. Yet
whether you love or hate the Beetle's style, there's no denying it attracts
attention.
Retro
design continues inside, but a wind deflector is extra. Small boot is
restrictive
The car's well insulated fabric hood lowers
in just 12.9 seconds and can be operated at speeds of up to 31mph, although
unlike many rivals the mechanism it left exposed in the space behind the rear
seats, just like the fifties original. The retro theme continues inside, with a
body-color finish for the dash and door trims, while an upright windscreen
means occupants are more exposed to the elements than in any other car here.
Happily, the cabin quality is bang up to date.
Top-notch plastics are used throughout,
plus the fit and finish are excellent. All versions get a DAB radio,
air-conditioning and a powered hood, but you'll have to fork out $410 for a
wind deflector. Still, our 60s models offsets this omission with heated seats,
a powerful Fender stereo, cruise control and eye-catching blue-and-grey leather
seat trim.
Turbo
engine gives V spirited performance
There's more than enough room for four
adults, plus the cabin is packed with useful storage, such as the double-decker
glovebox and the elasticated bottle holders set into the doors. There's also a
50:50 split fold rear seat, which is just as well, because the cramped boot can
only swallow 225 liters of luggage.
Thanks to its Golf MkVI underpinnings, it's
no surprise to find the Beetle is composed and capable on the road. The major
controls are well weighted, plus there's plenty of grip and a cushioned ride.
It's not as much fun as a MINI, but the supercharged, turbocharged 158bhp
1.4-liter engine responds well, taking the car from 0-60mph in 8.4 seconds.
Other engine options include the 104bhp 1.2 and 207bhp 2.0 TSI petrols, plus
1.6 and 2.0 diesels.
Even base models get a multi-layer fabric
hood, which helps cut road and wind noise and makes the VW a relaxing cruiser.
And even without a wind deflector, there's little buffeting with the roof down
– although there is some turbulence on the motorway.
Prices start at $27,608 and $3495 more than
for a MINI One Convertible. However, the Brit is smaller, slower and has less
kit, while higher-spec models don't enjoy as much of a price advantage. If you
want a fun four-seater convertible, look no further than the Beetle.
VW Beetle Cabriolet technical Specs
·
Price: $39,172
·
Engine: 1.4-liter
4cyl, 158bhp
·
0-60mph: 8.4
seconds
·
Test economy:
28.3 mpg/6.2mpl
·
CO2:
158g/km
·
Annual road tax:
$262
·
Why? With its
retro designs and Golf underpinnings, the Beetle appeals to both heart and
head.
