Weight Balance of the A5 & S5

[Leadfoot]

Some of you might already know this but the weight balance of the new A5 is 55%/45% front to rear which is actually for the A5 fwd model and not the quattro S5, this is a huge improvement over the out-going A4 which was 61%/39%.

As yet there is no official figures for the S5, but basing the same improvements that the RS4 had on the standard model, the S5 and RS5 will have a weight balance in the range of 53~52% at the front axle and 47~48% at the rear. These figures are as good if not better than the current M5 which because of the engine can't meet BMW's holy grail of 50/50. So if you combine this with the fact that the steering system is much better than that of the RS4 and the controlled power that is Quattro one can expect the new S5 to be something very special indeed, not only to us Audi nuts but just might be able to pull the BMW guys out of their beloved Ms and sample something new.

[Ruergard]

Interesting, that's really nice. Looking good for the handling!

[Damienr8]

Yea I cant wait for a writeup discussing the handling differences between the RS4 and the S5. I would like to understand how significant these improvements are.

- Damien

[chewym]

I think the S5 won't be any better than the regular A5. Sure it has quattro but it also has a longer and slightly heavier engine. Probably about the same, maybe 1 percentage point better. BTW, the Q7 V8 FSI has a perfect 50/50 weight destribution.

[Leadfoot]

I think the S5 won't be any better than the regular A5. Sure it has quattro but it also has a longer and slightly heavier engine. Probably about the same, maybe 1 percentage point better. BTW, the Q7 V8 FSI has a perfect 50/50 weight destribution.

Actually the Q7 has a 47/53 weight balance.

http://www.autobild.de/test/neuwagen...rtikel_seite=0

[Damienr8]

53 front 47 rear would be significantly nice. I don't think that in the A5's case, having a perfect 50/50 weight distribution would prove useful since the torque split is rear biased. I do think 53/47 front/rear weight distribution is great enough for sblime handling characteristics and will complement the steering improvements very nicely.

I envison the A5 to be a drivers car, where the communication between the driver and the car happens with alacrity and precision.

[Leadfoot]

I personally hope that Audi give it is little more steering feel if only to satisfy the motoring press that seem to demand such things but not to the extremes that Porsche provide, great on the great and smooth roads but not so much on a bumped back road where the present Audi system works amazingly well.

You are quite right, 50/50 weight balance is not ideal when the car is awd with the engine up front, I think anything around the 55%~52% front bias is just about prefect especially when the awd system is rear bias. I think we will all be surprised how well the S5 will going around the ring but also the short circuits that seem to favour the rwd cars.

[chewym]

Well, the figure I quoted for the Q7 was from actual Car and Driver measurements for the Q7 V8 FSI. So that is for the American version. But still it shows that the Q7 has excellent weight destirbution. The A5 MLP platform was quoted to be similar to the layout in the Q7, so it should be pretty good. (as the A5 already shows, it isn't bad)

[SuperstarDriver]

S5 will be a very good handling car, MLP platform will definitively beat the crap BMW handling as saying by stupid people around the world, that feeling in a bmw is better than an audi...bla bla...when pigs will fly) you shall see how fast will grow audi range of S/RS models to become the world most performant premium cars!sweet...

[PeterJohn]

S5 will be a very good handling car, MLP platform will definitively beat the crap BMW handling as saying by stupid people around the world, that feeling in a bmw is better than an audi...bla bla...when pigs will fly) you shall see how fast will grow audi range of S/RS models to become the world most performant premium cars!sweet...

I looked for an Audi first, when I was in desperate need for a new car. But I couldn't find a Quattro with the specs I wanted, and I didn't want another FWD. The BMW was available on short notice, with all the specs I was looking for, and a great price, so I bought it. I'm a general car enthusiast, so I appreciate the engineering no matter the badge. And the "crap BMW handling" suits me just fine, so I guess I'm stupid.

I think you work for BMW, SuperstarDriver. I think you are an undercover marketing agent who has been put behind a computer to discredit the Audi community, by making them look like a bunch of pompous asses.

That, or Audis offensive has attracted the same kind of annoying snobs that you often find behind the wheel of a BMW. Too bad. Audi can expect a backlash pretty soon. Some people, I know, wouldn't want to be caught dead in a bimmer. Audi is heading the same way, and I can only hope the brand is strong enough. There is a BMW already, so what will Audis hook be? If BMW starts looking like the underdog, Audi will loose a lot of its "at least it's not a BMW" sales.

If two dogs fight over a bone, the third one walks away with it. The new C-Class from Mercedes-Benz will start to look very attractive to people who don't want to get involved in the battle between the Audi snobs, and the Bimmer snobs.

And to get back on topic, the A5 chassis is fantastic, and if it lives up to it's promise, it will kick BMWs ass all the way to the next solar system.

[SuperstarDriver]

man don't you understand that a performance car must have an 4WD system to put all the power down for effiecieny? Audi is all the way leader of the sports segment because of the quattro and super high rev engines like RS4 for example!You are just making me nuts when saying Audi snobs!Where?I saw every single day BMW snobs but Audi snobs?!No...Audi drivers are driving their cars but BMW are making show with RWD oversteering at every start and in the curves...so what is bmw?!better than audi?more efficient and good driver feelings?!no way man!A CAR MUST BE EFFICIENT TO BE A PROPER SPORTS CAR!INEFFICIENY DOESN'T HAVE PLACE IN A RACE CAR OR NORMAL PERFORMANCE CAR!WHY IS AUDI KILLING ALL THE OPONENTS AT LE MANS IN ALMOST 6 YEARS IN A ROW?WHY?WHY IS LE MANS THE BEST RACE IN THE WORLD WHERE AUDI IS THE LEADER?!AHHH...YOU HAVE MORE WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH ABOUT AUDI ENGINEERINGS?I THINK YOU DON'T...

[Leadfoot]

superstardriver,

I am sorry but we have as many snobs driving Audis as any other brand, you seriously have to get off this BMW witch hunt, sure I like a lot here don't like BMW cars but at least give a constructive reason for this.

I see PeterJohn as the most level-headed of all people on this site and someone who I believe will in the near future be driving an Audi in some form or another.

[SuperstarDriver]

why i hate bmw?
-3 friends of mine died in 2 years in a row in different cars, the new 3 series, 5 series from 2002 and and 7 series from 2005
-bmw cars doesn't give confidence in driving when pushing to the limit and accelerating hard in the last moment of the curve you crossed, and when you want more power you can't get it even with ESP on your tires are burning all along every time you push the accelaration and you see that your car isn't moving as fast as you do this because it spinning tires a little bit more before the car actually put more power down and that's not ok with me
-the design of the exterior is not my style at all, doesn't fit with my optics about how it want to look a car, and the interiors of ALL BMW are so bad constructed even with the turometer and speedmeter is making me an impression that it was made for a low cost car and the designer used to design the cockpit by using old bmw's without changing the things on it to be more present and more satisfied when you look at it, cause when i'm entering in a bmw i don't have that feeling of wanting to do something good with that car, it's not a feeling car for me
-the technology is not the best in the industry
-i only hate bmw, i also like Mercedes Benz, Lexus, VW, Porsche, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Honda, Infiniti, etc ...but i really really don't like BMW at all...it doesn't fit my style because i'm a desperate driver who needs speed and passion when driving without careing about the weather even when is raining or snowing or icey roads Audi keeps me on the road safely at high speeds!
-bmw is for everyone else in my country the perfect car but not for me, not for me...Bring Me Women, is not for me the style of making spectacular drifts to impress, not for me by having a car like everybody does, etc

When my car will arrive i will get to know you all when we gonna meet the S/RS drivers in europe and talk with you a lot more of this kind of things!I hope for now is allright my opinion!

[rqiu]

why i hate bmw?
-i only hate bmw, i also like Mercedes Benz, Lexus, VW, Porsche, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Honda, Infiniti, etc ...but i really really don't like BMW at all...it doesn't fit my style because i'm a desperate driver who needs speed and passion when driving without careing about the weather even when is raining or snowing or icey roads Audi keeps me on the road safely at high speeds!

SuperstarDriver, I don't understand you. You hate BMW but like Lexus? You think Lexus is a driver's car but BMW is not? I would prefer a BMW to a Lexus.
I like Audi, but I don't hate BMW. I had the new 3 series, and I liked it. I don't think it is unsafe.

[Yahh]

I think SuperstarDriver should calm down a bit too. I also like Audi better than BMW...But seriously!

[Leadfoot]

I am not going to jump on the bandwagen and dump on the poor guy, his heart is in the right place and in time he will calm down, heck if you check out his first few posts to his most recent you will see it's already starting.

I reckon by 2020 he will be as laid back as Ben.

[Benman]

I reckon by 2020 he will be as laid back as Ben.

ROFLMAO!!!

Somehow I doubt it.

Seriously, SuperStar, if you wish to continue "contributing" here, please refrain from the "BMW DRIVERS SUCK, BMW MUST DIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEE" comments. Please. We are asking nicely.

Ben

[Leadfoot]

Sorry for your lose and in a way your dislike is understandable, but maybe your friend were driving beyond their capabilities and the capabilities of the cars.