Filed under: Coupe, Audi, Reviews, Luxury

With the introduction of the A5 for 2008, Audi launched itself into a vehicle segment it had never competed in - one which has waned significantly over the past two decades. Not so long ago, the personal luxury coupe was one of the top selling segments in the U.S., but for a wide variety of reasons, the overall sales picture left it behind.

Now you might ask yourself, “How is an A5 in any way similar to the likes of a 1970s-era Chevrolet Monte Carlo or Ford Thunderbird?” At first glance, the A5 is something completely different, but when you dig below the surface, there are more similarities than one might think - particularly when considering the 2.0T model. Except for a few NASCAR-inspired specials, PLCs of the 1970s weren’t typically performance machines anyway - they focused more on style and creature comforts. And it’s here where the A5 delivers.

Photos by Sam Abuelsamid / Max Abuelsamid / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading Review: 2010 Audi A5 is a personal luxury coupe for the modern age

Review: 2010 Audi A5 is a personal luxury coupe for the modern age originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Jul 2025 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Audi, Quick Spin, Racing

There is only one Audi TT RS in the entire United States right now. And here we are, hurling the black coupe down the front straight at Willow Springs Raceway at 132 mph. We’ve been invited out to the sunny California desert on a pristine day to flog the hottest-ever Audi TT back-to-back against its TTS sibling, along with a few stints in the all-new S4 and R8 V10 for good measure.

The TT RS isn’t simply another upgraded model in the automaker’s diversified lineup. The TTS (and the other standard performance models) come from the Audi AG Sport division, while the TT RS was incubated and hatched by Quattro GmbH - the team who brought us the nefarious R8, RS4 and RS6. And while we’ve seen the TT on our shores with four- and six-cylinder powerplants, the new five-cylinder engine marks a significant departure for the front-engine coupe and convertible (even as it pays homage to the original 1980s-era Audi Sport Quattro).

So what makes the TT RS special and how does it fit into the current TT lineup? More importantly, how does the enthusiast-tuned package work under demanding track conditions? We intend to find out while answering a very important question for Audi: Should it bring the TT RS to the States?

Photos by Drew Phillips / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading Quick Spin: 2010 Audi TT RS performs, assuming Audi AG decides to deliver

Quick Spin: 2010 Audi TT RS performs, assuming Audi AG decides to deliver originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Apr 2026 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Audi, Reviews, Luxury

Taking a great looking performance car and chopping off its roof is risky business - compromises are inevitable. That’s especially true in this modern age of unibody structures. Removing a big chunk of a vehicle’s architecture without adequately reinforcing what’s left can yield a chassis incapable of managing the position of the wheels, let alone result in a vehicle that loses its level of driver engagement and enthusiasm. On the other hand, reinforcements add mass - often lots of it. It’s a treacherous path, as both flaccid body control and weight are the mortal enemy of performance.

You can understand our trepidation, then, upon learning that Audi was planning on introducing its S5 Cabriolet at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show. By our reckoning, the German debutante’s rollout was cause for both consternation and celebration. When the A5 and S5 coupes arrived in 2007, they were hailed as being among the best looking cars ever to wear the brand’s Four Rings. The new Cabriolet models would bring with them the euphoria of open-air motoring, but we had to wonder - would Audi’s rakish new hardtop be turned into a floppy flier just by giving it a roofectomy? Equally as important, would the model’s newly downsized engine drop the performance? There was only one thing to do: Put the range-topping S5 Cabriolet through a week-long test.

Photos by Sam Abuelsamid / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading Review: 2010 Audi S5 Cabriolet speaks too softly, but carries a big stick

Review: 2010 Audi S5 Cabriolet speaks too softly, but carries a big stick originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Apr 2026 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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There was no sign of Sol on the Costa as I nosed the quartz-gray Audi A8 past the guard house and onto the rain-slicked traffic roundabout before heading out on the road.

The long, smooth roadway that connected the estate to the autoroute was the perfect place to get better acquainted with the A8′s 372-horsepower, 4.2-liter V-8 and its 328 pound-feet of torque. Leaving the handsomely designed gear select in Drive allowed the eight-speed Tiptronic transmission to run through the gears at its sole discretion. But with a flick of the steering wheel-mounted paddles (downshift with the left paddle; upshift with the right, just as God intended), I snapped down to third gear to decelerate as I approached the roundabout, the transmission responding instantly with the discipline of a well-trained Doberman, the standard Quattro all-wheel drive easily finding traction despite the rain-slicked tarmac. I merged with traffic, exited the roundabout and accelerated southwest toward Cadiz with the Mediterranean off to my left, popping into view as rain clouds scuttled toward Morocco.

Life in the south of Spain is sweet, and with the 2011 Audi A8 as a guide, it gets sweeter still.

Continue reading First Drive: 2011 Audi A8, the Grand Andalusian

First Drive: 2011 Audi A8, the Grand Andalusian originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 25 Feb 2026 14:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Sedan, SUV, Etc., Safety, Technology, Crossover, Acura, Audi, BMW, Honda, Infiniti, Lexus, Luxury, Off-Road

“Don’t hold back.”

Three words I’ve never heard before at a press event and three words that are running through my mind as I tramp down on the throttle and wheelspin my way towards the gray horizon.

Don’t hold back.

Ahead of me lies a three-quarter-mile stretch of perfectly groomed snow sitting atop a thick layer of ice, with over 300 feet of desolation on either side.

Don’t hold back.

From a standing start, the well-worn BMW X6 grapples with a lack of traction and then finally grips through the slush to propel me past 20… 30… 40… 50 mph. Then I slam on the stoppers. The ABS system pulses through the brake pedal and the coupe-shaped ‘ute grinds to a squeaky, squawky halt. Let’s try that again.

Don’t hold back.

This time I get up to 60 mph, lay on the brakes and it’s the same result. Now I’m bored, so it’s time to experiment with a few emergency lane change maneuvers. I get up to 30 mph, stab at the brake, yank the wheel to the right, then back to the left and straighten up. Nothing. No drama. No hesitation. No tail wagging. I do it again, this time at 40 mph with the traction control off. Same result. Then 50 mph. Same result. Then 60 mph. And then I promptly stuff myself into an six-foot-tall snow bank.

Didn’t hold back.

Follow the jump to read about our experience at Acura’s cold weather testing facility in Minnesota.

Continue reading Cold Weather Testing in Minnesota: Where Acura beats on one of the best AWD systems in the business

Cold Weather Testing in Minnesota: Where Acura beats on one of the best AWD systems in the business originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Feb 2026 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Podcasts, Etc., Tokyo Motor Show, Audi, Chevrolet, Ford, GM, Honda, Tokyo Auto Salon

For Episode #148 of the Autoblog Podcast, Jon Linkov, Consumer Reports managing editor for autos, fills Sam’s chair and mulls some timely topics with Chris and Dan. First up is the wheels coming off Penske’s deal to take on the Saturn brand. Honda’s CRZ concept, holding great promise in its CRX-like bodywork, comes under scrutiny next, before talk turns to the Chevrolet Caprice police vehicle. There’s a tire discussion in there somewhere that takes the ‘cast on a tangent, and the Audi E-Tron surfaces briefly before we touch on some Buff Book tricks: The Motor Trend and Automobile effort 6 vs. 8, and Car & Driver’s fun with Photoshop. As always, we wrap with some questions as we ride off into the sunset. Thanks for listening, drop us more fodder at Podcast at Autoblog dot com, and let us know how we’re doing by adding a review at the iTunes page and filling out our survey. As always, when you get lonely for Weblogs, Inc, check out what the guys at Engadget and Joystiq are doing on their shows, and we’ll see you back here next week!

Continue reading Autoblog Podcast #148 with Jon Linkov from Consumer Reports

Autoblog Podcast #148 with Jon Linkov from Consumer Reports originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Oct 2025 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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