Audi RS 5

FIRST DRIVE Aficionados said there was no way a heavy PHEV could be a genuine RS. They needn't have worried

- Thomas Geiger

LET'S first address the massive, 2.5-tonne elephant in the room. When Audi pulled the covers off the new RS 5 a few weeks ago, hardcore petrolheads launched a massive backlash.

For the first time, the RS badge has been bolted to a plugin hybrid - and one that weighs about a third more than the old RS 4. Yet almost all of those complaints vanish when you slide behind the wheel.

Audi hasn't just added weight; it’s also given the car monumental punch to compensate. Under the bonnet sits a 2.9-litre six-cylinder engine producing 503bhp. But that’s only half the story. Integrated into the gearbox is an electric motor churning out an extra 175bhp. Combine the two, and the RS 5 boasts a staggering total output of 630bhp — a massive 50 per cent increase over the old model.

On a straight piece of road, the RS 5 feels explosive. Hitting the ‘Boost’ button unlocks the full 825Nm of torque, firing the RS 5 from 0-62mph in just 3.6 seconds — a figure that feels slightly conservative. Even without launch control, it will pull ahead of the old RS 5 in the first few seconds.

But straight-line speed in a modern, fast Audi is to be expected. What nobody anticipated from a car weighing nearly 2,500kg is the sheer level of cornering grip and agility on offer.