What's the news?

Audi has unveiled its latest member of the RS family via a live internet broadcast. Revealed by host Marin Haven and DTM drivers Rahel Frey and Eduardo Mortara the RS 5 Cabriolet is, as you would expect, suitably dramatic and suitably quick.

Exterior

The usual RS trademarks of aluminium mirror caps, pumped up bumpers and sills and arch-filling wheels are all in place. The wheels themselves are 20-inch items shod in 275-section tyres and they house eight-pot calipers up front that clamp down on 365mm discs featuring new 'wave technology' to reduce their unsprung weight.

Lights, front and rear, have been redesigned with Xenon and LED units up front framing the oversized grille. The big news is of course the roof; it's a fabric item that can retract in 15 seconds and at speeds of up to 30mph. When stored it robs 80 litres from the boot space.

Eight exterior colours - a monochrome, four metallic and pearl effects and three crystal effect paints - are available and can be teamed with a rag top in black, grey, red or brown. If you are so inclined Audi will install a styling package in matt aluminium, as well as an engine compartment design package that uses carbon fibre.

Interior

Four RS-branded seats dominate the interior. Trimmed in leather and Alcantara the front chairs feature power adjustment and extra lateral support for when you are flinging the RS 5 Cabriolet around the track. And it seems that is exactly what Audi intends drivers to do with the car as it has fitted a handy lap timer. Chrome highlights and Piano Black trim feature but these can be swapped out for aluminium or carbon fibre - and that is without venturing towards the Audi Exclusive program that allows buyers to tailor their cars to their desires.

Mechanicals

The Cabriolet model features the same high-revving 4.2-litre FSI V8 as its coupé brother and the results are largely unchanged. The 450hp, 430Nm naturally aspirated engine can catapult the RS 5 Cabriolet from 0-62mph in 4.9 seconds (marginally slower than the coupé) and onto a limited top speed of 155mph. Should you require more speed Audi can raise the limiter to 175mph.

Power is transmitted to the tarmac via Audi's quattro all-wheel drive system and the seven-speed S-Tronic dual-clutch transmission. Interestingly Audi has fitted the RS 5 Cabriolet with a launch control function that lets out the clutch at optimal take-off speed.

Anything else?

Customer deliveries of the Audi RS 5 Cabriolet begin in early 2013 in Germany. UK prices and availability will be announced soon.

Paul Healy - 7 Sep 2012