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Audi reveals special A5 DTM Champion edition

For this year's DTM touring car championship in Germany, Audi switched (at least in appearance) from the A5 to the more muscular look of the RS5. But now that it's won the title (the driver's title anyway), it's the base A5 that's getting the celebratory treatment.
Limited to just 300 units, the new A5 DTM Champion edition honors its winning driver Mike Rockenfeller in similar fashion to the special-edition BMW M3 that paid tribute to last year's champion, Bruno Spengler. It comes with a rear spoiler, special 20-inch alloys, aluminum trim on the mirror caps and, of course, a smattering of special badges inside and out.
Buyers will be able to place their orders next week in red, white or grey, with any of four engine choices, at a €1,900 premium. That is, in Europe, anyway. Given that DTM hasn't picked up on this side of the Atlantic just yet, we wouldn't go looking for this model at our local Audi dealer Stateside.

Next Audi RS4 to get V6 turbo, US sales still unclear

Audi's high-performance S models have forged a reputation in the US for offering wonderful driving dynamics in a package that doesn't scream, "I bought a sport sedan." However, its even higher-performance RS models are still somewhat of a rarity here. While the RS5 and RS7 are in the current US lineup, many of the wild RS models that Europe gets, like the RS6 Avant (pictured above), never make it to these shores. Unfortunately, that might not be changing anytime soon with the next-gen RS4.
The RS4 will follow the lead of the next BMW M3/M4 and (rumored) next Mercedes-Benz C-Class AMG and make the switch to a smaller turbocharged powerplant. According to an Audi insider speaking to Car and Driver, the next RS4 will drop the last generation's 4.2-liter V8 in favor of a turbocharged V6. The engine block will likely be shared with the supercharged 3.0-liter V6 in the regular S4 but fitted with two turbochargers. Power would likely be around 400 horsepower to match the 425-hp M3 and rumored 450-hp C-Class AMG.
Unfortunately, the RS might not make it across the pond to our waiting hands because the source says no decision has been made to export them yet. Obviously, we hope that Audi makes the right decision and brings the next RS4 here.

Audi A5 and S5 freshen up for 2017

UPDATE: A previous version of this story mischaracterized the 2017 S5's engine configuration. The article has been updated. Well, here's the new Audi A5 and S5. They look a lot like the old ones, but just a tiny bit better. In other words, the redesigned coupes received the same treatment as their four-door counterparts, the A4 and S4. While the German press materials mention both gas and diesel engines, we expect the A5 to carry on in the US with petrol power only. Like the current A5, a 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder will serve as the base engine, but will probably get a similar power bump as the A4 – Audi hasn't released official figures yet. The four-door had its base output bumped from 220 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque to 252 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque. The S5 is a more interesting proposition than the S4. Where the old S5's 3.0-liter, supercharged V6 produced 333 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque, the new, turbocharged, 3.0-liter six-cylinder pumps out 354 ponies, according to the global press materials. That figure, fans of the old 4.2-liter V8-powered S5 will note, is identical to the original S5 that came out for model-year 2008. Torque figures aren't available yet, but we'd bet on at least a small increase in torque. Still, the increase in power is good for a 4.7-second run to 62 miles per hour, a 0.2-second improvement over the current car's 0-60 time. Audi claims it will offer the A5 with both six-speed manuals and seven-speed dual-clutch transmissions, but we wouldn't be so sure about that stick here in the US. The only available gearbox on the A4 is a seven-speed S-Tronic – coupes are inherently more sporting than sedans, but we aren't sure that's justification for Audi to offer a manual-trans A5 here in the US. Audi only mentions an eight-speed automatic for the S5. So no, the German press materials aren't a good indicator of the US-market A5. What we can rely on, of course, are the official images. The original A5/S5 was a handsome car, but Audi's designers have done a swell job styling the 2017 model. It looks good, and is somehow even more refined than last year's car. Audi's new corporate grille works well on a coupe body, although the powerful creases in the hood might be a little too powerful. The tail is lovely, like a prettier A3. The bodies are better looking, but they're also lighter and more aerodynamic, too. The A5's coefficient of drag is down to a slippery 0.25, while Audi's engineers lipo'd 132 pounds of fat.