Audi Admits Its Performance Stats Are Deliberately Conservative, Suggests 3.7sec 0-62 For RS5
Recently, we spent a week with the new Audi RS5. Our main takeaway from our extended test? It’s stupidly fast, and feels much quicker than the Mercedes-AMG C63 S, despite having an identical 0-62mph time.
Turns out there’s a good reason for that: it is actually quicker. Speaking to Car Advice, Audi’s Head of Technical Development Stephan Reil said:
“I’ve been in this job for nearly 20 years, and with all the cars I’ve worked on, the performance numbers we published were conservative. And it’s no different with the latest RS5.
“So, if we say 3.9 seconds, you will measure, maybe, 3.7 if the conditions are fine, probably 3.8, but even under the worst conditions, you’ll do it in 3.9 seconds. But you will not find a 4.0.”
This shouldn’t really be a surprise, as for years Audi’s hot RS models have been chucking out faster times acceleration times IRL than the on-paper figures. The reason? Audi would rather be called out for its cars being faster than they’re supposed to be, rather than slower.
“I simply don’t want to hear, when you guys write ‘well, they claim 3.9, but we got 4.0’,” Reil said, adding, “I don’t want to read that.”
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
The one who said “we got 4.0” or “we got 4.5” is that guy who can’t launch the car.
Cough
Rich 19 yo Kids.
What about on snow?
That’s nothing new. Audi also had to de-tune their engines from the factory because they already make too much power. Not to mention they only tell us the wheel horsepower, with around 20% drivetrain loss.
Meanwhile for a stock GT-R to achieve 2.7 sec it needs:
-Perfect tarmac
-Perfect weather
-New tyres
-Lightweight driver
-Negative slope of 30 degrees
stuff like this is why i like audi. they rather have their cars to be awesome and surprising to people that buy them instead of making the numbers sound better so they can win the numbers game and sell more units, while being dissapointing in real life. cough dodge demon cough 9 seconds cough
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You will find a 4.0 0-60 time if you don’t know how to use a timer
Hey, downvoters! Don’t forget about the magic word, “opinion”, when you read other’s comments!
Ah, but did you know in the right conditions you can do 0-60mph in 2.7 seconds?
All you need is a downwards slope… of 90 degrees.
Like this if you are a male