The 2014 Audi RS 5 Cabriolet features one of the last normally aspirated V8s of the German luxury market: a 4.2-liter V8 producing 450 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque. But that kind of exclusive German luxury V8 drop-top motoring comes with a – how can we put this nicely – hefty price tag: $77,900.
Considering the standard RS 5 Coupe starts at $69,795, customers will have to really love the idea of a ragtop performance coupe, as the Cabriolet carries an $8,105 premium.
Behind the less-than-torquey V8, Audi has mated its seven-speed S-tronic dual-clutch transmission. Though we would have liked a manual, we have to admit the seven-speed is a mighty fine transmission. Sending power to all four wheels through Audi’s Quattro all-wheel drive system as standard, the RS 5 Cabriolet will make a 0-60 run in 4.9 seconds and onto an electronically limited top speed of 174 miles-per-hour.
The cloth top will stow itself away in 15 seconds up to speeds of 30 mph, which means you can let the wind into your hair on the fly. When it’s stowed, the convertible top only takes up 2.12 cubic-feet of the 13.42 cubic-feet of trunk space. Is this enough for a set of golf sticks? You’ll have to tell us.
If you’re sitting there thinking to yourself, “Well, $78,000 isn’t too much for a German performance convertible,” think again. That’s just the base price. If you want heated and cooled seats, or Audi’s MMI infotainment with satellite navigation, or carbon ceramic brakes, or any of the things you really want on an $80,000 toy, you’ll have to pay to play, as it were.
Those extra grip-y ceramic brakes will set you back another $6,000 alone. So don’t expect to drive away from your local Audi store in the RS 5 Cabriolet for anything less than $85,000.
Ridiculous pricing aside, we love this car and we encourage you to go get one. The next version will surely feature a supercharged V6. So act now if you want to be one of the only guys on the block – or in town for that matter – sporting a shouty Audi V8.
