|
Walter d’Silva, Audi’s head designer, once called his A5 Coupe the most beautiful car he’d ever drawn. How to top it? Surgically, precisely remove the roof and transform the two-door coupe into the 2010 Audi A5 Cabriolet.
TheCarConnection.com’s experts have rated the A5 and S5 among the best two-doors on the market, and the new four-seat convertible shares much of the exciting two-door’s shape, from the shoulders down. Aside from the convertible roof—fabric for compact size and to eliminate the tall, square tail that hardtop convertibles require for storage—the A5 Cabriolet and high-performance S5 Cabriolet stay in the A5 family with a strong, deep grille; a sideview like some sort of German Chevy Camaro; and a sexy rear end with just enough detail to accent its shape, not overwhelm it. The Cabriolets do get distinctive rear LED lighting, and S5 Cabriolets get optional aluminum trim for mirrors and the interior.
Elsewhere inside, the cabin is much the same as the coupe, with a slightly busy dash shape that cocoons drivers and occupants and maybe a touch less sophistication than Audis from the last generation.
Three engines charge the performance of the Cabriolet. The base engine is a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 211 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Front- and all-wheel-drive versions are available with this engine; front-drive versions use a continuously variable transmission, while quattro AWD versions get a six-speed automatic. Top speed is 130 mph. Audi’s 3.2-liter V-6 is also offered with 265 horsepower, AWD and the six-speed automatic. The top-range version is the S5 Cabriolet; it sports a turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 with 333 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque, quattro all-wheel drive and a seven-speed S-Tronic dual-clutch transmission. Its top speed hits 155 mph, and it offers a rear differential that splits power between the rear wheels when traction is needed. Audi’s Drive Select system allows drivers to change the feel of transmission shifts, power delivery, steering and suspension. |
 Yes, we are fully aware of the GT-R's best-known nickname, "Godzilla" -- so called because the automotive press found previous generations as ferocious and all-conquering as Japan's fire-breathing monster. But following a full week of intensive evaluation in Nissan's new sports car, we here at Motor Trend now lay claim to a more suitable GT-R moniker -- Ichiban. From Japanese, ichiban translates to "number one." In Motor Trend vernacular, however, it simply denotes: 2009 Car of the Year.
Every September, it seems a few editors comment, "This is the toughest field I can remember." Sure enough, as this year's testing drew to a close, several staff members expressed those same sentiments. And for sound reason-the competitive set is more imposing than Jamaica's Olympic track team. From the jumbo-shrimp Honda Fit and the discount-Lexus Hyundai Genesis to the quicker-than-a-Cayman BMW 1 series and the cat's-meow Jaguar XF, this year's pool runs deeper than any of recent memory. Yet, no contender proved as profound, awe-inspiring, or, more important, able to fulfill our criteria as the GT-R. How did Nissan so competently clinch the calipers?
|
|
|
|
Automobiles Evolution
