Audi RS5 vs BMW M4 CS – AutoWeek Dubbeltest
The nurburgring nordschleife. this is the place manufacturers come to polish, improve and hunt for the best times in the segment. regardless if they’ll ever visit a track with the car. the new bmw m4 cs and new audi rs5 drove countless laps, audi has chosen to develop a kind of gt-car with this new rs5. because rs stands for rennsport which means “racing”. you get an
Eight-speed automatic gearbox as standard, the interior is insulated very well, nice seats with massage function, there are some rs-accents; you’ve got some logo’s and a special alcantara steering wheel with a flat underside, but the spring rate is very acceptable. there’s enough suppleness to it, to prevent it from becoming annoying. and if you want to get to the eifel,
And this is a very enjoyable travel companion, because if you don’t touch the drive select-system… there isn’t a moment in the rev range where the resonance is annoying… the v6 engine produces 450 horsepower and 600 nm of torque, which is a lot. but because it produces that amount of torque between 1900 and 5000 rpm, that means it’s incredibly easy to accelerate,
Without having to make an effort. so you decide to speed things up. you’ve arrived at the eifel, and that’s when you get to know the other side of the rs5. because there’s a v6 in the front now instead of a v8, and audi always puts their engines very far forward, also, there’s an optional sports differential for the rear. quattro, so it sends more power to the rear axle,
But because it’s also got that sports differential, that power is divided in a way that the outer wheel, that means that the car slides around a bit at the touch of your foot. you can even get it to break out in certain circumstances, also, if it happens, you’ll think it’s going to get too dangerous. and it will send the power to the front wheels again. or no matter
How good you are, you’ll always be able to go fast with this rs5. if you put your 18-year old nephew who has just got his license in this car, he’ll be able to drive this car very fast in a relatively safe way. it also means that when you pass the point of driving quickly, because whenever you screw it up, the car will always save you. it’s all about the audi, because
That’s the one who does the hard work. and then there’s only one way to solve it, or rather; a proper way, you really need a lot of space to create oversteer, and that’s virtually impossible on the public roads. that’s also when you notice the engine is very smooth, if you put everything in “dynamic”-mode, the most dynamic settings, but if you shift back three times it
Takes a little too long… that means the final downshift will be in the corner. the steering then. which varies in weight, when it comes to pressure and directness, sure, you can drive it quickly, but it will be done the way the audi rs5 wants you to. michelin pilot sportcup 2-tires, an automatic gearbox with a double clutch, which has water injection, a roll cage,
And a huge wing. it’s a lot extremer than a normal m4 with competition pack. when we were driving here, it was very noisy because there isn’t a lot of insulation in here. there’s a sportier exhaust system installed in here, that produces some resonances which are quite annoying, the springs are quite stiff, just like the dampers. the double clutch automatic gearbox can
Act rough… also, the michelin sportcup 2’s might have amazing amounts of grip, if you combine those two factors and throw in some leaves as well, it can all go wrong on a roundabout, the same goes for those optional ceramic brakes. if they’re cold, they’ll squeak and the pedal will be incredibly stiff. it really is a car which you’ll have to put in work for. not only
The engine but the whole car. but when you get it up to heat… until you realize there’s so much more to this than the rs5… that also means it’s a lot sharper than the rs5, there’s also more feeling to it, there’ll be a moment of body roll, but when you notice that, the nose already is on the inside of the corner on the apex, and then you’ll realize how quick this
Thing actually is. however the biggest improvement of this cs relative to the normal m4, the normal m4 really devours tires. there’s a really thin line between ‘it’s alright’ and ‘oh no my tires are burning’. so you’re able to use the m-differential in a better way. and really get through to the bottom of this car… then, the drivetrain. and i’m not as enthusiastic…
Which is 10 horsepower more but with the same amount of torque. the only problem is that you’ll have to wait until you reach double the amount of revs. also, it’s quite a harsh way to transfer the power. the automatic gearbox with double clutch is amazing when you’re really racing, if you get below, you’ll get quite some turbo lag… and that’s what this m4 cs is all
About; sacrificing. on roads like this or on a race track, this will absolutely destroy the rs5. you’re not always in the eifel, you’re not always on a race track, the rs5 is easier to go fast with. the rs5 just might be the recommended choice in the netherlands, with all kinds of traffic and the fact you won’t use more than 70% of your car…
Transcribed from video
Audi RS5 vs BMW M4 CS – AutoWeek Dubbeltest – English subtitles By AutoWeek
