No V8, but roofless S5 still gets 329bhp
The aural delight that is the V8-engined Audi soft-top is officially no more. Audi has revealed that its range-topping A5 convertible - the S5 - will hit UK dealers at the beginning of October, priced from £42,245.
The A5 cabriolet has already replaced the A4 cabriolet as Audi's flagship four-seat drop-top, and the S5 will take over as the range's performance flagship.
However, unlike the old S4 cab (and indeed the S5 coupe, the car upon which the soft-top S5 is based) the drop-top S5 gets the 329bhp supercharged V6 first seen in the current S4 saloon.
The weight of the extra chassis strengthening means that the S5 takes 5.6sec to hit 62mph, versus 5.4sec for the V8 S5 coupe and 5.3sec for the S4 saloon. Audi's seven-speed twin-clutch S tronic transmission is standard fit.
Of course, the most important performance statistic for a cabriolet in an unpredictable British summer is how quickly you can get the hood up and down. The S5's hood closes in 17 seconds and can open in 15 seconds - and both operations can be performed at up to 31mph. Order books are open now.
Look at that - we managed an entire story on a four-seat Audi convertible without mentioning hairdressers or Princess Di once...oh...
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