May 17, 2007 - VERONA, Italy--The tease started more than four years ago at the Geneva Motor Show.

That’s when the father of Audi’s recent design language, Walter de’Silva, taunted us with the idea of a large, Audi coupe.

In concept, it was the Nuvolari Grand Touring coupe. In production form, it is the 2008 Audi A5 2+2 GT and its requisite sporting variation, the S5.

Since then, de’Silva, now Volkswagen group’s head of design, has launched various Audis with their softer styling, dominated by that front grille. Nonetheless, he claims the A5 is the most beautiful car he has ever designed.

If the past decade’s Audis looked like they were machined from a single piece of aluminum billet, in contrast, the new Audi big coupe looks like it was chiseled out of the slabs of marble found near this Italian city of Verona, where Audi recently previewed its two new 2+2 GTs.



Audi’s first two-door hardtop since the Type 89 Coupe S2 of 1996, the A5 comes with seats for four and 455 litres of trunk space. BMW’s benchmark 3 Series Coupe and Infiniti’s upcoming G37 seem as immediate competitors. In dimension, the A5 is actually a little bigger than both of them and Mercedes-Benz’s CLK.

One look at the A5’s new formal wear and you can see where Audi is boastful of its emotional qualities.

More important, this new GT’s chassis addresses the more clinical driving characteristics critics have had of nose-heavy Audi’s from the past. To stay ahead of the above-mentioned rear-drive competition, Audi’s solution arguably makes the A5 the company’s most important model to date.

Essentially, the A5’s new architecture moves the axle forward. This not only makes it possible to have a long wheelbase with short front overhangs for the proportions that de’Silva likes, but it also optimizes weight distribution. To achieve this, engineers used a trick adopted from the Audi A8: the front axle differential is located in front of the clutch.



Despite this radical alteration, Audi ensures the A5 has all of Audi’s core qualities. Which starts with the usual high standard of interior ergonomics build quality.

Room for two up front is generous. Nonetheless, anyone asked to hop in the new Audi 2+2’s back seats may start the “Are we there yet?” chant early if they’ve already hit puberty.

One example of Audi’s constant ergonomic improvements can be found in the door panel trim. It’s there that inlays, armrest and stowage compartment combine to form a single form. And instead of an intimidating wall of dash buttons, Audi did a good job segregating features in the A5’s cockpit. All very encouraging except for the surprisingly retrograde electronic emergency brake that removes the more useful hand brake.

When the A5 and S5 arrive here later in the year, look for the A5 to be priced between the A4 (which tops at $49,500 with the 3.2 L V6) and A6, and the S5 between the S4 (which takes you over $70,000) and S6.

They both initially will be equipped with Audi’s new rear-biased (40:60) all-wheel-drive and six-speed manual transmissions. The S-Tronic manuatic versions arrive four months later.



Under the hood, the A5 will come exclusively with a 265 hp 3.2 L V6-cylinder engine, producing 243 lb.-ft. torque. The sportier S5 will house the current S4's 4.2 L V8 engine with 354 hp and 325 lb.-ft. torque under its lid.

In addition to the expected-for-this-class luxury kit on the A5, the S5 will gain subtle exterior styling, one-inch bigger wheels, high-performance brakes and calipers, sport-tuned suspension and interior details like specific sport seats.

Befitting its GT mission to a tee, immediate first impressions driving the A5 on the mountain roads northwest of Verona are that Audi’s done a nice job.

The new coupe’s quiet cabin, controlled ride and lively handling combine with excellent directional stability when you get up to higher speeds.

Keeping up with the fast-moving traffic on the autostrada was easy as well. The V6 never felt underpowered. Its broad rev band delivers a limited top speed of to 250 km/h and Audi quotes standstill to 100 km/h in 6.1 seconds; one second behind the new S5.

The A5’s compact turning circle was certainly appreciated on some of the tighter switchbacks. The 225/45 R17 European-model tires were more geared for a smooth ride, but the new chassis allowed them to hang on while cornering longer than anticipated.

Overall, the A5 had a hard time putting a wheel wrong.



In both coupes, Audi is touting its new trapezoidal-link rear suspension. At both the front and rear, the main pieces are aluminum. With completely new kinematics, turn-in is very neat, with the A5’s back end following obediently along.

Jumping into the S5, its mellifluous sounding V8 is ever present. With such broad access to its substantial amount of torque, one can leave the easy shifting six-speed in third gear and use it like an automatic.

On our coffee run up to Casa degli Spirit at the crest of Monte Baldo overlooking Lake Garda, passing the climbing cyclists and Fiat Puntos, the “whoop, whoop” of running the S5 through the gears garnered plenty of “molto benes” from the car crazy locals.

There’s plenty of grip from the S5’s 255/35 R19 rubber. Predictably, though, when cornering, the S5’s additional weight makes itself known. It causes the suspension to take a moment to compose itself, unlike the lighter A5.



Audi continues to tease, as you’ll have to wait until November for the all-new Audi A5 and S5 to join the just released TT coupe and roadster and R8 sports car as the more mature Audi two-door.

Eventually, one can expect a convertible A5 and S5.

Beyond other A5 models, what’s even more important is that Audi’s long awaited 2+2 GT’s new architecture and engines suggest good things for Audi’s higher volume A4 compact coming this fall at the biennial Frankfurt auto show.

Past the A4, and all of its variants, Audi’s goal is to have the A5’s new architecture in the next generation A6 and A8 as well.

- John LeBlanc, Publisher, www.straight-six.com

This article originally appeared in The Toronto Star's Wheels.