• New high-end sports convertible with RS heritage
  
• RS 5 Cabriolet for an attractive price of $175,900
  
• Audi Connect makes its debut in Australia

Australia, October 25, 2013 – The very first RS 5 Cabriolet has arrived in Australia, following on from the success of the last-generation RS 4 Cabriolet. This dynamic new performance model seats four people and is powered by a high-revving 331kW 4.2-litre V8 FSI engine that provides an extraordinary soundtrack that is best heard with the cloth soft-top lowered. The RS 5 Cabriolet delivers a totally unique driving experience that is truly spectacular in every way.

"This year has been one of many new high-performance RS models from Audi," said Audi Australia's Managing Director, Andrew Doyle.

"The very first RS 5 Cabriolet is arguably the most eye-catching of these, and it offers something completely different to our other RS models. For those who enjoy this kind of driving, the sound of the RS 5 Cabriolet's high-revving V8 engine with the top down is a unique thrill that no other vehicle can replicate."

The RS 5 Cabriolet's perfectly balanced proportions and flared guards are the first thing that catches the eye. A flowing side profile is punctuated by a sharp tornado line and precise details that are the hallmark of an Audi RS model.

The lightweight textile roof of the RS 5 Cabriolet covers a generously proportioned interior space, and a special foam layer in the roof delivers high acoustic comfort for passengers inside. At the press of a button, the soft top opens and closes fully automatically in less than 17 seconds – even when driving at speeds of up to 50 km/h. When open, the roof hardly affects the size of the luggage compartment. It only requires 60 litres of its 380 litres total volume. Special reinforcements contribute to the convertible body's high rigidity, and aluminium front fenders compensate for some of the added weight of the reinforcements.

At the heart of the RS 5 Cabriolet is a high-revving, naturally aspirated V8 engine with FSI direct injection. From its 4,163 cc of engine displacement, it produces 331 kW at 8,250 rpm and maximum torque of 430 Nm between 4,000 and 6,000 rpm. The 4.2 FSI has red-painted cylinder head covers and is hand-built in Gyor, Hungary.

Mated exclusively to a high-performance version of the S tronic seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, RS 5 Cabriolet rockets from a standstill to 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds and is limited to a top speed of 250km/h. Combined fuel consumption is 10.7 litres per 100km.

The RS 5 Cabriolet is a truly dynamic performer. The quattro permanent all-wheel drive system with torque vectoring gives the RS 5 Cabriolet a decisive advantage in traction and stability. Its technological centerpiece, the crown-gear centre differential, is lightweight and compact. In normal driving operation, it distributes torque between the front and rear axles at a 40:60 ratio; if necessary, it can direct up to 70 percent to the front or a maximum of 85 percent to the rear.

For the ultimate in cornering performance, the Audi drive select system can control the optional sport suspension plus with Dynamic Ride Control (DRC). Each pair of diagonally opposing shock absorbers is interconnected via hydraulic oil lines and a central valve; when cornering at speed, the system increases support of the spring-deflected front wheel at the outside of the corner.

Audi Connect

For the very first time in Australia, Audi Connect is making its debut in the RS 5 Cabriolet. As the name suggests, this technology connects an Audi to the internet. It is optional, and for the RS 5 Cabriolet, costs $800.

It allows passengers to freely surf the web with their mobile devices via an integrated WLAN (WiFi) hotspot. Online services from Audi connect are also available to the driver – they range from Google functionality (Search, Earth and Street View), Panoramio pictures and Wikipedia information about various destinations in the MMI Navigation plus system.

After a successful launch in Europe, these features have been specially developed for the unique requirements of Australia's mobile network. These features are only the starting point for Audi Connect locally, with further development work being undertaken so that additional functionality can be offered to Audi customers in the future.

Specification

As expected of an Audi RS model, the RS 5 Cabriolet features a very high level of specification, based on the same standard equipment featured in its sibling, the RS 5 Coupe:

• 19-inch alloys wheels
• Xenon plus headlights with adaptive cornering lights
• MMI Navigation plus with 20GB hard drive and 2 SD card slots
• Bluetooth connectivity with audio streaming
• Audi Music Interface (AMI)
• Audi sound system (180w output, 6-channel amplifier, 10 speakers incl. subwoofer)
• Audi parking system plus with rear view camera
• Front and rear heated sports seats
• Climate controlled comfort seats, including neck-level heating (no cost option)
• Audi drive select
• High-performance RS braking system with lightweight 'wave' rotors
• RS sports suspension
• Wind deflector
• Acoustic hood, fully automatic with front and rear LED lighting
• Flat-bottom sports steering wheel in RS design, multifunction with shift paddles

In addition, the RS 5 Cabriolet (like the RS 5 Coupe) is available with one of three Dynamic sports packages that combine highly desirable performance features for $4,990. The packages only vary by three different styles of 20-inch alloy wheels, but all include Sports suspension plus with DRC and the Sports exhaust system with black tailpipes.

Pricing
*(Manufacturer List Pricing (MLP) – excludes registration, dealer delivery and government statutory charges)

RS 5 Coupe 331kW 430Nm $155,900
RS 5 Cabriolet 331kW 430Nm $175,900

About the Audi Group
The Audi Group delivered 1,455,123 cars of the Audi brand to customers in 2012. In 2012, the company posted revenue of €48.8 billion and an operating profit of €5.4 billion. Audi produces vehicles in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm (Germany), Gyor (Hungary), Changchun (China) and Brussels (Belgium). The Audi Q7 is built in Bratislava (Slovakia). In November 2012, CKD production of the Audi Q7 was added to the existing Audi A4, A6 and Q5 manufacturing operations in Aurangabad (India). At the Brussels plant, production of the Audi A1 has been running since 2010, while production of the new A1 Sportback began in 2012. The Audi Q3 has been built in Martorell (Spain) since June 2011. The Company is active in more than 100 markets worldwide. AUDI AG's wholly owned subsidiaries include AUDI HUNGARIA MOTOR Kft. (Gyor, Hungary), Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. (Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy), AUDI BRUSSELS S.A./N.V. (Brussels, Belgium), quattro GmbH in Neckarsulm and the sports motorcycle manufacturer Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. (Bologna, Italy). Audi currently employs more than 70,000 people worldwide, including around 50,000 in Germany. The brand with the four rings plans to invest a total of €11 billion by 2015 – mainly in new products and the expansion of production capacities – in order to sustain the Company's technological lead embodied in its "Vorsprung durch Technik" claim.

Audi is currently expanding its site in Gyor (Hungary) and will start production in Foshan (China) in late 2013 and in San José Chiapa (Mexico) in 2016.
Audi lives up to its corporate responsibility and regards sustainability not only as a basis for financial success, but also as essential to ensure a worthwhile future for the generations to come. The company has therefore strategically established sustainability as a principle for its products and processes. Corporate responsibility includes fuel-efficient products, resource-efficient production processes, a future-oriented and fair personnel policy, effective involvement in society and responsible business operations in general. This gives the motto of "Vorsprung durch Technik" a new dimension that extends far beyond the products. The ultimate goal is CO2-neutral mobility.