Do RS5's respond well to mods?

[Cut You Off]

I've been shopping for a toy and so far cross shopped the Maserati Granturismo Sport (454hp), Jag F-Type v6 coupe with 340hp (haven't found the 380hp S trim for sale locally yet), and B8 S5 v8 (354hp). I've mostly owned M cars and MBZ because they suit taller drivers very well but want to try something different this time. I test drove a B8 RS5 for the first time yesterday and the seating postition/legroom is by far the most comfortable compared to the above vehicles. 450hp is no slouch however it didn't have enough juice for my preference. I understand Audi's in general have a linear powerband but what if I want to modify it so it can throw me into my seat a little and provide a bit more excitement? Other than a tune, what other bolt-on mods do RS5 owners perform short of FI? Does a tune transform the car?

[Don Arco]

I pondered trolling you because there’s plenty of documentation on this in the RS5 section. Yes, the tune does transform the car adding about 50hp and changing the entire driving experience. You can upgrade with the following mods:

• Exhaust (plenty to choose from)
• JHM Stage 2 (ECU & TCU)
• RMR trans cooler
• CAI (Eventuri, Armaspeed, Güggen, etc)
• JHM Lightweight Flywheel
• JHM headers
• JHM Lightweight crank pulley
• Various suspension mods (AKB, CR15, 034/ECS drivetrain inserts, sway bars, Öhlins/KW3/Bilstein coilovers)

You’ll have an 11s car with all of those mods, then it’ll get better with FI and E40. :)

[Cut You Off]

I pondered trolling you because there’s plenty of documentation on this in the RS5 section.

Haha thanks for taking it easy on me and for the feedback. I'll spend more time reading thru previous posts. The one I test drove already has an Akrapovic exhaust

Online data suggest factory RS5 1/4 mile times are ~12.3-12.5. I previously owned a E60 M5 which was ~12.3 stock but felt significantly quicker. I'm not concerned about improving 1/4 mile times, just want a bit more instant power delivery typical of v8's

[namvar]

Plenty of articles on here talking about how you can get an S5 (v6) modded to be much more powerful than an RS5.

[jdmnomore]

RS5 is a much quicker car off the line which is how it manages to tie the e60 in quarter mile times. After the e60 is gone. A bolt on tune RS5 is going to get off the line QUICK and hold it's own well into the 120s against a car like an e60. They're not the greatest top end cars but from a dig or low roll they're little beasts.

[Don Arco]

Plenty of articles on here talking about how you can get an S5 (v6) modded to be much more powerful than an RS5.

S5 hp numbers aren’t that impressive relative to the RS5, but the torque that can be made from the 3.0sc makes all the difference. Namvar is correct though. You can buy an S5 cheaper and it’s also cheaper to modify. The S5 will also be slightly less in terms of maintenance, so keep that in mind as well. Although if money is no issue, then you could supercharge their RS5 and still be the king of the hill in its class. Ultimately depends on what you’re after. If the V8 is a must, then this one is about as good as it gets. Tuned to launch from 6300rpm and redline at 8800rpm — it’s very fun. We’re also still expanding this platform, so there’s room for improvement to get closer to 550hp while still NA, and even more so with FI.

[Cut You Off]

Plenty of articles on here talking about how you can get an S5 (v6) modded to be much more powerful than an RS5.

I checked out a 2009 and a 2010 S5 a few weeks back and strongly disliked the driving experience, felt soft and numb like what I would expect an A5 with a sports trim package would be like, not something deserving of the S badge. There are 1 or 2 S5's with the 3.0 motor for sale locally, I'll give it another try. Same year/similar mileage vs RS5 seem to be ~$10k cheaper

[03TLSinCO]

I checked out a 2009 and a 2010 S5 a few weeks back and strongly disliked the driving experience, felt soft and numb like what I would expect an A5 with a sports trim package would be like, not something deserving of the S badge. There are 1 or 2 S5's with the 3.0 motor for sale locally, I'll give it another try. Same year/similar mileage vs RS5 seem to be ~$10k cheaper

The '09 & '10 are V8's (B8 platform), not V6T (supercharged, B8.5 platform). Different driving experiences. However, the RS5 is a much more precise machine from a driving perspective than any S5. And the V8 in the RS5 is very different than the one in the B8 S5.

With the Stage 1 tune on my B8.5, I'm very happy with my S5. I'd never take advantage of the handling advantages of the RS5. While the sound of the RS5 V8 is awesome, the torque advantage of the V6T, especially where I live (over 5,600' altitude) works better for me.

[ENV²]

They respond very well to suspension mods. They can end up handling amazingly.

Sent from a misfiring cylinder

[DJMustard]

I also recommend lighter wheels, or even CCB if you can afford it. Lightening up the corners really helps the driving dynamics, don't know if it will throw you back in your seat though.

This engine is dull up to 4,000 RPM and really comes alive above 6,000, so you have to work it, but once you open up the exhaust that will be a rewarding experience in its own right :)

[s vier]

100% agree on dropping weight off those corners. I dropped 18lbs per corner in the front and 5lbs per corner in the rear. It really livened the car up. Wheels + CCB.

[snocat17]

I've been shopping for a toy and so far cross shopped the Maserati Granturismo Sport (454hp), Jag F-Type v6 coupe with 340hp (haven't found the 380hp S trim for sale locally yet), and B8 S5 v8 (354hp). I've mostly owned M cars and MBZ because they suit taller drivers very well but want to try something different this time. I test drove a B8 RS5 for the first time yesterday and the seating postition/legroom is by far the most comfortable compared to the above vehicles. 450hp is no slouch however it didn't have enough juice for my preference. I understand Audi's in general have a linear powerband but what if I want to modify it so it can throw me into my seat a little and provide a bit more excitement? Other than a tune, what other bolt-on mods do RS5 owners perform short of FI? Does a tune transform the car?

I'll address the other aspects of the cars you mentioned. I considered an F-Type and 440xi before I bought my S5. I'm 6' 3" and over 300 lbs. The S5 was by far the most comfortable. I was buying it as a Daily Driver, so that was very important to me. There is no way I could daily the F-Type as it was too small, had no trunk, and awful mpg. The 440xi didn't feel as fun to drive as the Audi.

My FIL bought a Ghibli and I like the fit and finish of it, but the cockpit is not as ergonomic for me. Also, the infotainment system is awful. The exhaust sounds wonderful, but I bet the exhaust on an RS5 with an aftermarket system sounds amazing also.

As mentioned the S5 has more available bolt-on mods mostly because there are many more on the market. Since it very similar to the S4, and shares the same powerplant as the SQ5 and Q7 from those years, there are lots of tuning possibilities. The RS5 was designed more for the track, with the higher red-line and better handling. I installed a CAI and back-pipe on my S5 and it added a little hp but improved the sound most of all. You really have to drive an S5 from 2014-2017 to compare it to the RS5 you drove.

[Ulrict]

+1 to snocat.

I have a 2016 S5 which I've modified; ECS cold air intake, APR TCU/Stage 2 ECU tunes, 57/187mm pulley swap and upgraded heat-exchanger. Per the dyno runs I had done today it puts 404hp/370Ftlb to the wheels. Fellas at the shop estimated that to be around 500hp at the crank (just an estimate).

It absolutely puts me back in the seat off the line as well as goosing it in 2nd, 3rd and 4th. Hell, it breaks all four loose using launch control at 3500 RPM (Continental DWS street tires). And, will also snap your neck if not leaning back into the seat like the fat hump I am when getting on it.

Beyond that it's incredibly fun to drive and if put in comfort mode it's an absolute lady on the streets, even with those mods. A dream too on the streets in Dynamic but the wife isn't a fan of fast... I live on a windy, twisty, up and down road with a 30mph limit. I can easily negotiate nearly the entire thing at 50+ without sliding around in the seat or feeling like the car is leaning too hard one way or the other. I do not have magnetic ride.

I paid $26.5k for this off-lease one owner S5 (all service records included) with 44k miles on it a few months ago. The mods ran me around $5k.

I've never driven a RS5 but if your budget is around $30k then I would go with a 3.0T S5 unless you must absolutely have that V8 exhaust note which I'll gladly admit is sexy as hell. However I love the loud-ass supercharger whine mine has. And the surprised looks