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AUDI S5

Published 3:51 pm Wednesday, July 2, 2008

This is a Fourth of July firecracker worthy of our nation’s birthday.

Let’s just call the Audi S5 a new immigrant from Germany in search of acceptance and a better life.

The S5 bridges the high-performance gap between Audi’s R8 and TT. The R8 costs around $110,000 and with its limited production is really only a dream car for most people. The TT is solid but small, and offers, at best, “only” V6 power — leaving some buyers looking for more.

That, my friends, would be the S5.

The S5 features a 354-horsepower direct-injected V8 engine coupled with a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission and Quattro all-wheel drive.

The S5 accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds. My manual-gearbox tester’s EPA rating is 14/21 mpg, which warrants a $1,300 gas-guzzler tax.

In addition to the more powerful engine, the S5 benefits from a sharper suspension and larger brakes.

Sensory overload occurs when this free-revving engine awakens from its slumber to the sound and fury of raw power flooding the passenger cabin. A tap of the gas pedal generates spontaneous response, with the power building to a crescendo just prior to each gear-shift change.

I would have been happy idling in the driveway. However, I must say it was a lot more fun putting this car through its paces around town and on assorted back roads.

But lots of cars are fast. What sets the S5 apart are the details that deliver performance with a big red bow.

The six-speed manual gearbox exhibits precise, short-throw action. Audi’s Quattro permanent all-wheel drive system provides perfect traction with variable torque distribution from its basic setting of 40 percent to the front and 60 percent to the rear axle. Getting squirrely is not an option in the S5 – unless you want to. I’ll cover that tidbit a tad bit later.

The S5’s sport suspension is tuned to enhance the coupe’s dynamic handling.

High-performance brakes with black-painted calipers ensure precise deceleration.

And finally, the electronic stabilization system can be deactivated in two stages whenever the driver wishes to exploit the potential of the car to its fullest on a suitable stretch of road.

If that’s not enough to capture one’s attention, subtle but clear design elements inside and out serve to distinguish this German coupe as a high-performance athlete in a league of its own.

The S5’s wide stance, pronounced rear spoiler and 18-inch wheels stand out without trying.

The rest of the story, of course, is modern convenience — a consideration not lost on German engineers who tricked this coupe up into nothing short of a wunderkind.

Inside the S5 are leather seats that fit like a glove, carbon fiber and aluminum accents, generous head and leg room (for front passengers), 14-speaker, 500-watt digital audio system, panoramic glass panel sunroof, DVD navigation system, and automatic air conditioning with three temperature zones – that’s more zones than Snohomish County.

The trunk, which is not something a buyer of this beauty would spend much time worrying about, will nonetheless make golfers smile. Its opening is large enough to accommodate two walking bags — as long as the Nike Sasquatch Sumo-squared driver (mine) and extra-long, yip-proof putter (my brother’s) are stowed separately.