Audi RS5 Cabriolet PHOTO GALLERY

While Audi never officially talked about the possibility of presenting a convertible version of its RS5 sports car, the idea has been circulating around the internet ever since the debut of the coupe.

But now we have concrete evidence that Audi will most likely go ahead and very soon introduce an RS5 Cabriolet to its lineup thanks to these official trademark fillings obtained by Carscoop.

The images provide us with a 360-degree view of the roofless RS5 (in facelift form, as you may have noticed) that will feature seating for four and the same electrically operated fabric top as the A5 and S5 convertibles, the refreshed versions of which made their world premiere in Frankfurt last week.

There are no prizes for anyone guessing what's hiding under the bonnet as the BMW M3 Convertible-rivaling model will get the same 4.2-liter naturally-aspirated V8 with 450-horses and 430 Nm (317.15 lb-ft), matched to Audi's seven-speed S-tronic dual-clutch transmission and quattro all-wheel drive system, as the RS5 Coupe.

We'll update the story on the RS5 Cabriolet as soon as we find out more.

PHOTO GALLERY

Audi A5 E-Tron Quattro Plug-In Hybrid Prototype

This is the A5 e-tron Quattro plug-in hybrid which matches a 2.0 liter TFSI engine with 211 PS (155 kW / 208 bhp) with two electric motors, one on each axle, that makes this A5 an all-electric capable vehicle.

The electric motor at the front adds another 45 PS (33 kW) to the power going through the front wheels while an 81 PS (60 kW) electric motor at the back powers the rear axle. That rear-mounted motor only kicks in when acceleration requires it to or when sensors detect a loss of rear traction such as in a hard curve. Juice for the electric motors is supplied by a 9.4 kWh lithium-ion battery pack.

With that electrical setup, the A5 e-tron Quattro can travel up to 40 km (25 miles) solely on electric power and is able to reach speeds of up to 100 km/h (62 mph). Overall, fuel-economy is rated at 2.7 liters/100 km with a 0 to 100 km/h sprint time of 5.9 seconds (0.6 seconds faster than the standard 2.0 liter TFSI A5) and a top speed of 228 km/h (142 mph).

But this is just a prototype and Audi engineers have had to make use of carbon fiber and aluminum parts to counteract the weight gain of all that electrical gear to keep the curb weight around the same 1,600 kg (3,527 lbs) mark of the standard 2.0 TFSI A5 Quattro.

We'll see if this prototype ever makes it to the streets but Peugeot is ready to prove the concept's market-viability by bringing the 3008 HYbrid4 all-wheel drive capable diesel-electric hybrid to market later this year.

Source: Audi via MotorAuthority

Spy Shots : Audi A5 Coupe

Ingolstadt's ( Audi's headquarters in Germany) 3 Series Coupe competitor has been spotted running around "naked" in Germany, as Germancarblog informs us. Despite the light camouflage, we get a pretty good idea to as how Audi stylists interpreted the Nuvolari GT concept theme in a more down to earth, production version. No word out yet if the A5 will be based more on the new TT or if Audi will prefer to use the next generation A4 platform. Whichever solution they select though, be sure that the A5 will be available with 2.0 TFSI (200 & 265 Hp), 3.6 FSI (280 Hp) engines and of course, with Ingolstadt's hefty diesel line up. You should also expect later on, top spec S5 & RS5 versions fitted with V8 motors. via: Autoblog.it & Germancarblog

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