How would you spec your Audi RS5?

TopSpeed

By Ciprian Florea

Published Mar 26, 2018

I like mine in Sonoma Green

It took Audi quite a few years to offer a competitor for the BMW 4 Series, previously known as the 3 Series Coupe, as the A5 made its debut back in 2007. The performance-spec RS5 took another three years to arrive in showrooms as a competitor for the BMW M4 and Mercedes-AMG C63. With a brand-new A5 launched in 2016, an updated RS5 was finally introduced at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show. Now that the German coupe made its way to the United States, you can configure the RS5 of your dreams from the comfort of your home.

More than Eight Exterior Colors

The RS5 comes with eight standard exterior colors. Nardo Gray is the only paint that's free, with the other seven requiring a $575 upcharge. Options include Mythos Black, Navarra Blue, Glacier White, Florett Silver, Sonoma Green, Daytona Gray, and Misano Red. It's a bit disappointing that five of them are white, black and various shades of grey, but I really like the Sonoma Green. Fortunately, you have access to the many colors available through the Audi Exclusive palette, but this will set you back a whopping $3,900.

Upholstery and Inlays

The RS5 is equipped with S Sport front seats as standard, while the upholstery list includes four different configurations. The black Nappa leather with honeycomb Crescend Red stitching is available at no cost, while the Black and Lunar Silver leather with Rock Gray stitching costs $1,500. For the same price, you can get all black upholstery with honeycomb gray stitching. If you like the classic diamond stitching more, the black leather and Alcantara upholstery with gray thread is free of charge. The carbon-fiber inlays are included at no additional cost.

Wheels

Three wheel options are offered, starting with the 19-inch, 10-spoke star design. You can opt for bigger, 20-inch Audi Sport, five-spoke rims with a high-gloss black finish or the five-spoke, bi-color matte wheels. The latter two are priced at $1,500 and $2,500, respectively. All three wheel options come wrapped in summer performance tires.

Options and Packages

This section includes a handful of interesting and expensive options. Priced at $3,300, the RS Driver Assistance package adds a number of cool tech, such as Adaptive cruise control with Traffic Jam assist, Audi active lane assist, Head-up display, High beam assistant, Top view camera system, and Traffic sign recognition. The Navigation package, priced at $2,600, adds Audi connect PRIME & PLUS (6-month trial subscription), MMI Navigation plus with MMI touch, Audi virtual cockpit, and the 8.3-inch MMI center screen. If you're willing to spend $6,000 on the Dynamic Plus package, you get top speed increased from 155 to 174 mph, a carbon-fiber engine cover, ceramic front brakes, steel rear brakes, and direct TPMS. The dynamic steering is priced from $1,150.

Interior customization is easier with Fine Nappa leather package, which adds the Nappa leather with contrast honeycomb stitching mentioned above, Nappa leather-covered center console and door armrests, and LED interior lighting package plus. A Bang & Olufsen sounds system with 3D sound is available for $950. Visually, you can modify the car with the Black Optic package, which includes the 20-inch Anthracite wheels, high-gloss black exterior kit, and body-colored side mirrors, all for $1,500. Finally, the Dynamic package adds front, and rear brake calipers finished in red, an RS suspension with Dynamic Ride Control, and an RS sport exhaust system with black tips for $3,350.

Pricing for the new RS5 coupe starts from $69,900, but add most of the options listed above and the sticker goes past the $85,000 mark.