Background
Introduced in 2009 at the world-famous Frankfurt Motor Show, the Audi S5 (referred to as the B8/8T internally) represents Audi’s high-performance variant of its A5 family of coupés and cabriolets.
Like the standard A5, the S5 was also available in coupé, cabriolet and ‘Sportback’ sedan variants, featuring more aggressive body lines, bumpers and styling compared to the A5, along with bigger brakes, larger alloy wheels as standard, and numerous standard-fit items such as heated sports seats which were optional on the A5.
As with all Audi S/RS models, the S5 featured ‘Quattro’ all-wheel-drive as standard, though there were different engines for the model range. The coupé featured a 4.2-litre FSI V8 engine until 2012, whilst the cabriolet and Sportback models were powered by a supercharged 3.0-litre TFSI V6.
Interestingly, despite the higher power levels, the coupé was only available with a six-speed Tiptronic transmission as the automatic option, whereas the cabriolet and Sportback were available with the arguably more desirable seven-speed ’S-Tronic’ dual-clutch transmission.
The first-generation S5 was produced between 2007 and 2012, when it was given a major facelift for the B8.5/8.5T model range, which soldiered on until 2017.







