S5 blows its top

Audi has turned its sizzling coupé into a beautiful soft-top - and new supercharged four-seater promises more wind-in-the-hair thrills than A4 Cabriolet it replaces...

The S5 Cabriolet is out in the open – and it’s shaping up as the only thing to be seen in next summer!

We have the first official pictures of Audi’s newcomer, which is grabbing all the headlines with its good looks and sporty proportions. It’s powered by the same 328bhp 3.0-litre supercharged V6 as the latest S4 – so this is one car with performance to match its style.

The S5 shuns the trend for folding hard-tops and sticks with a traditional fabric roof. Audi claims its triple-layer hood is lighter than a metal lid, yet equally refined at speed, and it folds away in 15 seconds. Additional sound deadening is available as an option – this aims to deliver wind noise on
a par with the fixed roof model.

There’s a generous 320 litres of boot space even with the roof stowed, and as it’s bigger than the A4 Cabriolet, it’s a genuine four-seater. The swooping shoulder line from the A5 coupé is immediately noticeable, providing the new car with a free-flowing silhouette.

But the trademark Audi grille, flanked by large air intakes and LED running lights, give the front end an aggressive look, while at the rear, quad exhausts hint at the car’s performance potential.

The S5 rides on 18-inch alloy wheels as standard, although buyers can also specify 19-inch or 20-inch rims.

Despite losing the roof, the car promises to deliver the razor-sharp driving experience Audi owners have become accustomed to. High-strength steels used in its construction, plus reinforcement at selected points on the chassis, ensure class-leading rigidity.

The S5’s blown V6 is hooked up to the quick-shifting S tronic twin-clutch transmission, which drives all four wheels via the quattro system.

There’s also a sport differential, which shuffles power between the rear wheels to provide it where there’s most grip. All this means the S5 should deliver huge entertainment from behind the wheel.

In addition, owners benefit from an advanced drive select system. This lets them adjust the throttle response, the ferocity of the gearchanges and the weight and feel of the steering. All of these functions can be tweaked through Audi’s new MMI cabin control set-up.

Dig deeper, and the S5 has more tricks up its sleeve. The leather seats feature a special layer of trim to reduce heat from the sun, while in cold weather, neck-level ducts in the seats provide a Mercedes-style ‘air scarf’ to keep occupants warm. What’s more, if the car senses that it’s about to roll, aluminium hoops shoot up behind the rear headrests for protection.

Prices for the A5 Cabriolet range will start at around £30,000 when it arrives in the second quarter of 2009. The S5 is expected to weigh in at £44,000.