2 Misano red RS5s B8.5 / B9

[strzin]

Did some canyon carving and a PCH cruise this past weekend with a good friend
of mine. Man, has the B9 RS5 has grown on me. Whats your guys take on the B9 RS5 aesthetic wise?
Nothing like admiring these two next to each other with a view

[DL8468]

Beautiful!


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[rnp614]

Your B8.5 hands down. No contest. Yours will age a million times better. No fake vents. Just say no. Plus the V8 sound always wins.

[s vier]

Yeah, I agree with the B8.5 being the long term winner. Think of it this way: it’s on a 10+ year old platform and it STILL looks phenomenal.

In 1971 Ford came out with the new Mustang design. Nobody wants a 71+ Today.

[spa]

The B9 RS5 has grown on me a bit more, at first sight I thought it was terrible. Thing is with the B8.5 RS5 it was love at first sight and I am still in love with the design today. The B8.5 is clean, classically beautiful design and always will be. The B9 is more of a hot cluttered design mess, that gets a bit of appeal by being new with a lot of extra stuff tacked on it to catch the eye.

[Hey_T_S5]

If you ask B9 owners that same question they will praise their B9, if you ask B8.5 they will say they prefer the older style. In my opinion, I like the fact that the B9 looks so much different than the previous version, it’s almost like the B9 is a brand new Audi model and not the replacement of the B8.5. Still, if given a choice of a brand new 2019 Audi RS5 vs a brand new 2016 Audi RS5, I think most of us here would take the 2019 model, I know I would!!
Oh by the way, both cars on that pic look pretty kick ass!


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[spense5]

8.5 >

[rnp614]

Yeah I think it's great that they look different. Keeps me happy with my B8.5. The B9 is interesting and can look nice but nowhere near the appeal of the 8.5. I would say even with the older tech I'd take a brand new last gen over a new current gen.

If you ask B9 owners that same question they will praise their B9, if you ask B8.5 they will say they prefer the older style. In my opinion, I like the fact that the B9 looks so much different than the previous version, it’s almost like the B9 is a brand new Audi model and not the replacement of the B8.5. Still, if given a choice of a brand new 2019 Audi RS5 vs a brand new 2016 Audi RS5, I think most of us here would take the 2019 model, I know I would!!
Oh by the way, both cars on that pic look pretty kick ass!


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[ENV²]

I like the B8.5 more even before I got mine. The engine is much more moddable and the tq in the new one is better. Also the tech.

[leew102]

The B9 has also grown on me. I think it looks better in sportback configuration than coupe though. Something with the proportions are just right on the sportback for me. Certain colors look better on the new body style too (the Misano Red really being one of the best colors imo). I still prefer the B8.5 over the B9, I might be biased though because I have one. Though, I think it’s more of, since Audi went more aggressive in design, I far prefer the c63 and m4 (in that order) to the new RS5. The B8.5 kinda filled a niche of sleek, classy performance model when compared to the m3/4 or c63 during the same model years, which the B9 doesn’t do for me.

[JamesRS5]

The B9 has taken more styling influence from the original UR Quattro than the B8 chassis, the wheel arches have a more pronounced box, the vents by the front and rear lights (even if they aren't functional). I parked up next to a Nardo Grey B9 in the workshop last week, it made my car look dated, the same as if you pull up next to an RS4 in your B8 RS5, the newer car looks fresher and more fitting in with the modern car designs. I love the look of my B8 but I would change it for a B9 in a heartbeat, the B9 is a much better car and more what an RS model should be, the B8 is a little lame as an RS.

[RockJGC]

I still don't like the looks of the B9 cars, but I will admit that the B9 RS5 in particular looks MUCH better than the B9 A5 & S5. Audi did a better job differentiating the B9 RS5 from the B9 A5/S5. With the B8.5 cars, the RS5 looks too much like the A5/S5.

[Ape Factory]

Their overall shape really isn't that much different. The same hood, roof and trunk line. I mean it is a coupe after all... When the latest Camaro came out, took one look at it and said it looked like a cheap, tarty Audi RS5 with extra creases and unnecessary, cheap styling elements. I feel the same about the new RS5. Overall, it's just not a beautiful car. Aggressive maybe, but not beautiful. I look at the body design and it looks like what's referred to as a transition model, a bridge from the old to a new model another cycle out. It eases the transition into a new design language over time.

The only reason the B8.5 looks dated is because we're all used to seeing it for a decade. If the rolls were reversed, and the B8.5 body was the updated one, we'd all be completely smitten. I personally blame Toyota for the "crease" wars. Everyone else is designing with beautiful curves, smooth lines and body contouring. Meanwhile, at Toyota, they've hired Michael Bay and gone full transformers on us.

[RockJGC]

Their overall shape really isn't that much different. The same hood, roof and trunk line. I mean it is a coupe after all... When the latest Camaro came out, took one look at it and said it looked like a cheap, tarty Audi RS5 with extra creases and unnecessary, cheap styling elements. I feel the same about the new RS5. Overall, it's just not a beautiful car. Aggressive maybe, but not beautiful. I look at the body design and it looks like what's referred to as a transition model, a bridge from the old to a new model another cycle out. It eases the transition into a new design language over time.

The only reason the B8.5 looks dated is because we're all used to seeing it for a decade. If the rolls were reversed, and the B8.5 body was the updated one, we'd all be completely smitten. I personally blame Toyota for the "crease" wars. Everyone else is designing with beautiful curves, smooth lines and body contouring. Meanwhile, at Toyota, they've hired Michael Bay and gone full transformers on us.

I don't see the B8.5 as dated at all. Not in the least bit from an exterior point of view. Interior? Sure, I think it's beginning to look a bit dated. If anything, I'd say the B8 A5 looks dated just because of the headlights mostly, but the B8.5 headlights are much more in line with current Audi vehicles.

As for the new RS5, I still think it looks far better than the new A5/S5. Nobody would ever mistake a new RS5 for a new A5/S5. And outside of Audi fans, most people couldn't tell a B8 or B8.5 RS5 from an A5/S5. In fact, I was watching a YouTube video the other day where a guy came up on a B8.5 RS5 on the highway and he commented that it was an A5 with the 2.0T engine. A few people corrected him in the comments, but even more people argued that the car was in fact an A5. I knew it was an RS5 because of the subtle differences (round fuel door versus a lower positioned rectangular fuel door was an easy way to tell) and pointed them out, but most people still argued that the car was an A5. For whatever reason, the RS5 rear spoiler was down (but you can clearly see it in the trunk lid on the video) even while driving on the highway.

[leew102]

I don't see the B8.5 as dated at all. Not in the least bit from an exterior point of view. Interior? Sure, I think it's beginning to look a bit dated. If anything, I'd say the B8 A5 looks dated just because of the headlights mostly, but the B8.5 headlights are much more in line with current Audi vehicles.

As for the new RS5, I still think it looks far better than the new A5/S5. Nobody would ever mistake a new RS5 for a new A5/S5. And outside of Audi fans, most people couldn't tell a B8 or B8.5 RS5 from an A5/S5. In fact, I was watching a YouTube video the other day where a guy came up on a B8.5 RS5 on the highway and he commented that it was an A5 with the 2.0T engine. A few people corrected him in the comments, but even more people argued that the car was in fact an A5. I knew it was an RS5 because of the subtle differences (round fuel door versus a lower positioned rectangular fuel door was an easy way to tell) and pointed them out, but most people still argued that the car was an A5. For whatever reason, the RS5 rear spoiler was down (but you can clearly see it in the trunk lid on the video) even while driving on the highway.

I definitely agree that the B9 RS5 is noticeably and clearly differentiated from the A5/S5 and agreed, the RS5 looks far better which is why the B9 has been growing on me. But I also think that if Ford and Chevy made a cross between the front end of the Fusion and the rear end of the Malibu, you’d have a knockoff A5/S5 copycat. Probably a weird way to look at cars but I was happy to see the bits Audi added for the RS5.

[Ape Factory]

Nobody would ever mistake a new RS5 for a new A5/S5. And outside of Audi fans, most people couldn't tell a B8 or B8.5 RS5 from an A5/S5. In fact, I was watching a YouTube video the other day where a guy came up on a B8.5 RS5 on the highway and he commented that it was an A5 with the 2.0T engine. A few people corrected him in the comments, but even more people argued that the car was in fact an A5. I knew it was an RS5 because of the subtle differences (round fuel door versus a lower positioned rectangular fuel door was an easy way to tell) and pointed them out, but most people still argued that the car was an A5. For whatever reason, the RS5 rear spoiler was down (but you can clearly see it in the trunk lid on the video) even while driving on the highway.

Shamefully, I have to agree. Came up on a white “5” when pulling into work and was excited as I originally thought it was an RS5. Rotor wheels. Then I saw the exhaust outlet and realized it was an S5. Gutted.

I do think the RS5 sportback looks far better in person than in photos. If I needed more utility, I’d take a hard look.