Same Swagger
Road & Track|June 2017

A (SOMEWHAT) NEW TAKE ON THE OLD PERSONAL-LUXURY COUPE.

Richard Pinto
Same Swagger

PERSONAL LUXURY is an artful marketing term for making a practical vehicle less so, dressing it up, and charging more. Today it is often used to describe teardrop-shaped crossovers. What it used to refer to was two-door luxury cars with eye-grabbing style— legends like Toronado, Eldorado, and Thunderbird. The name S5 lacks that overt machismo, but this Audi has the swagger of those old-time personal-luxury coupes.

The S5, introduced in 2007, became an icon overnight, largely because of its striking design. This version is just as handsome, which is a fawning way of saying it hews so closely to its predecessor, it’s possible to miss that it has been redesigned. Put old and new side by side, and you’ll notice the headlights and taillights have modern lighting elements, the shoulder line is broader, and the surfaces are creased more sharply. But the greenhouse, proportions, and shape are seemingly unaltered. As with the TT and the R8, Audi appears to be stuck, having designed itself into a corner. Icons are tough to follow.

This story is from the June 2017 edition of Road & Track.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the June 2017 edition of Road & Track.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM ROAD & TRACKView All
REMADE IN JAPAN
Road & Track

REMADE IN JAPAN

ON A MISSION TO HIGHLIGHT THE COUNTRY'S FINEST ARTISANS, BUILT BY LEGENDS PIECES TOGETHER THE GREATEST-AND MOST EXPENSIVE-SKYLINE RESTOMODS EVER BUILT.

time-read
8 mins  |
August - September 2023
CREASE MONKEY
Road & Track

CREASE MONKEY

HOW GIORGETTO GIUGIARO'S FOLDED-PAPER ERA DEFINED THE SEVENTIES AND BEYOND.

time-read
3 mins  |
August - September 2023
WOULD THE REAL INTEGRA PLEASE STEP FORWARD?
Road & Track

WOULD THE REAL INTEGRA PLEASE STEP FORWARD?

A comparison between a 2001 Type R and the all-new Type S reveals much about motoring, then and now.

time-read
4 mins  |
August - September 2023
HUMMER. REBORN
Road & Track

HUMMER. REBORN

After more than a decade, General Motors' profligate son returns.

time-read
1 min  |
August - September 2023
THE V-8 BENCHMARK
Road & Track

THE V-8 BENCHMARK

The E39-generation BMW M5 has been the sport-sedan icon for over 20 years. Can Cadillac's CT5-V Blackwing measure up?

time-read
4 mins  |
August - September 2023
BABY BLUE
Road & Track

BABY BLUE

The Mazda Miata gets better without changing much at all.

time-read
2 mins  |
August - September 2023
INSANE BROTHERS.FROM OTHER MOTHERS
Road & Track

INSANE BROTHERS.FROM OTHER MOTHERS

The Lamborghini Urus Performante presents with symptoms of Completely Bonkers first seen in the Nineties GMC Typhoon.

time-read
4 mins  |
August - September 2023
NO RESERVE
Road & Track

NO RESERVE

BRING A TRAILER'S ONLINE AUCTIONS ARE TRANSFORMING HOW COLLECTOR CARS ARE SOLD.

time-read
3 mins  |
August - September 2023
Going, Going, Gone
Road & Track

Going, Going, Gone

The generational shift that's redefining what a collector car is.

time-read
9 mins  |
August - September 2023
LET'S GET DIGITAL
Road & Track

LET'S GET DIGITAL

TO EVOKE PROTOTYPE RACING'S RADDEST ERA, A CLASSICALLY STYLED CHRONOGRAPH WON'T DO

time-read
1 min  |
August - September 2023