I’m blasting down a mountain pass, on the way back to Fancourt from a brief, refreshing stop at a stunning venue just outside of Oudtshoorn. The FSI V8 is singing, the clear blue skies above us rolling away the miles at an indecently rapid rate, and my passenger has settled into only occasionally drawing tense breath between gritted teeth.

Oh boy, am I glad I made this one.

Almost didn’t, you see, thanks to Eskom’s idea of consistency and transparency. After more than a week, during which they’d warned pretty much daily of potential load-shedding without the dreaded event actually occurring, I was feeling pretty confident that the early-morning drive to the airport for this flight would be a breeze. Of course, Tuesday 1 April arrives, and although it’s only 6.20am when I come through, the traffic lights just in front of the East Rand Mall have inconveniently been load-shedded, and I get to OR Tambo a few minutes late...

Anyway, frantic phonecalls to Audi’s superb PR team have me booked on the same flight tomorrow, Wednesday, so all is well.

You see, this launch is one of those that I’ve been looking forward to. Audi’s all-new A5 coupe, and its more potent S-badged sibling, looks promising in pictures, but I’ve learned that the only way to really be sure, is to see the vehicle in the metal.

So can Audi’s new coupe really be as fine as it first appears?

When we’re introduced to the car in the parking lot of Fancourt, some of the hardened motoring hacks even exclaim: "Wow" — and not out of pure politeness either. It really is quite the looker, and looks good both in the more vanilla A5 and the more hardcore S5 variants.

Audi SA is launching with just the two models for the moment, both of which are underpinned by the Quattro drivetrain tuned a la RS4, which is to say, specifically for sportier customers. Us, basically. The A5 derivative is powered by the same new, 3.2-litre 195kW V6 that I enjoyed so much in the new A4 last month, and the S5 of course features the 4.2-litre FSI V8 from the S4 (not the RS4), which translates into 260kW and 440Nm.

Doesn’t sound like all that much for a modern sports coupe, no, but an RS5 version will follow at some point. What’s more, this sultry coupe is surprisingly lightweight thanks to the clever use of aluminium in key areas, tipping the scales at less than 1500kg, so performance will be brisk. In fact, Audi claim respective 0-100 dashes of 6.2 and 5.1 for these V6 and V8-engined vehicles.

Looks, looks, looks

It’s a strong start, whichever way you look at it. This car speaks volumes about Audi’s new design language, as echoed in the new A4 but it comes through much stronger here. The shifting of that front axle forward 153mm gives this coupe a long wheelbase as well as short, slashed overhangs. Good for the aesthetics (especially of a sporty coupe like this one), and possibly even better for the dynamics, making for a perfectly balanced weight distribution rather than Audi’s of yesterday, which all suffered from excessive nose-heaviness, especially with the sportiest (hence largest) motors installed.

The axle has also been lifted 30mm, which is a purely aesthetic touch as it allows for the fitment of larger alloys — items which the Audi team well know the importance of. Just have a look at those gorgeous 20-inchers that come as standard equipment on the range-topping Q7!

That hip-line which chief stylist Walter de Silva famously dubbed the "Tornado line" is an undulating, flowing affair in this car. This liquid look is then given a distinctly sporty taste by the kicked-up character line which rises dramatically from just behind the front wheel-arch to the subtly blistered rear arches, giving the impression of strong motion even when the car is standing still.

At the front, you have a familiar Audi-family grille and those distinctive, LED DRL headlamps. A deep front spoiler accentuates the stance, and further enhances the menacing width of the car as a whole, although we’d love to see a Sportline kit that replaces those bulbous front foglamps with more discreet units, giving more area for aggressive venting instead.

It’s also clear from the front just how sportily proportioned the car is, the width and low roofline tell this tale superbly. S5 models gain an aluminium-look grille surround complete with vertical ally-look slatting, as well as a similarly-hued blade along the lip of the splitter, which is echoed on the diffuser at the rear. Ally-look side-mirrors complete the more hardcore image, which is further massaged by larger wheels with sportier rubber in place.

The rear aspect, always a tricky one particularly with coupes, lacks some clear Audi distinction but is purposeful and maintains the beefy impression of width carried through the entire vehicle.

As a whole, it is an absolutely gorgeous shape. De Silva himself says of this design: "In my mind this is most certainly the most beautiful car I’ve ever penned!" He could well be right, which is saying a lot considering he’s the man responsible for various knee-trembling modern Alfas, the Audi R8, TT, Nuvolari concept (on which the A5 is partially based) and even VW’s gorgeous new Scirocco unveiled at Geneva this year.

Twisting and turning

Both derivatives appear to be pretty aggressively priced, ranged up against their direct competition. The 3.2-litre Quattro-driven V6 will set you back a shade under R450K, the V8-engined S5 R550K. Sure, it’s a lot of money, but it’s spot-on considering the current line-up of competitors. It packs a larger motor and more power, as well as AWD road-holding and that sublime shell, than the 335i Coupe M-Sport version, for instance, which costs just a thousand Rand less.

Our route schedule for the launch sees me driving out of George towards Oudtshoorn via a 260-km route which includes several of the region’s more famous mountain passes on our way, in the A5. Anyone who read my recent report on the new A4 with this same motor and powertrain will know exactly what I’m about to say, as it’s the identical Audi dynamic chassis platform beneath this more shapely skin.

In short, then, it’s superb. The engine is more muted in the A5 however, perhaps reflecting superior levels of sound-deadening due to higher-quality materials, which is a bit of a shame, but it still pulls lustily and we easily creep past the 250km/h markings on the long straight towards Uniondale.

On tighter sections of tarmac, it’s even more exceptional however. The changes wrought to this chassis are expertly judged and precisely what we enthusiasts were baying for! This A5 feels taut and poised like few Audis before have ever been, with turn-in which seems hardwired into your cerebellum and a malleable, adjustable attitude through the bend.

Of course power only really elicits understeer, but when you feel the dreaded scrub set in it is possible to stay on the juice a little longer and the Quattro will juggle power to neutralise this, to a certain extent. For real tail-swinging antics though, you have to provoke it by trail-braking far too late into the bend, and when it does step out it’s the easiest thing in the world to catch – just point where you want the nose to go and get on the loud pedal. Of course, with ESP still engaged, none of this fun would even be happening...

The A5 also marries superb body control with a comfortable, supple ride which suits the GT nature of the car to a Tee. Firm enough when pushing to the limits through bends without unexpected, balance-wrecking pitching occurring, but compliant enough to absorb mid-corner bumps with aplomb and make for a cosseting environment for lengthier sojourns.

Into the S5 at our brief stopover at the gorgeous Feather Palace just outside of Oudtshoorn, and the burbling V8 instantly appeals, although again the superb sound-deadening built into this shell mutes the motor's note almost too effectively for us petrolheads. It’s not a ferocious motor like the RS4 unit derived from the same mechanical basics, but it provides more than adequate urge, although possessed of a slightly oversensitive throttle which makes modulating the thrust on tap in traffic-limited conditions a bit tricky.

When the road opens up, however, the motor sings with verve for the 7000rpm redline, and is astonishingly smooth with consistent power practically throughout the rev range. Both the suspension and the Active steering setup are sharpened-up in this S-line model, in line with the higher performance and more aggressive looks of the thing, and it is as a result a bit more punishing over rougher tarmac. Body control is again exemplary, although you can feel the extra weight of the V8 out front, and this does very marginally blunt the electric turn-in which characterises the regular A5.

Make no mistake, it’s still a sharp, enjoyable tool, but the fact that you arrive at corners faster and then have a microsecond more delay before the front end keys into the tarmac dents the confidence somewhat. Still, stay committed, and the sportier suspension means you can pull higher cornering Gs through the bends before understeer sets in, while that delightful, adjustable balance of the new platform remains a defining sensation.

I haven’t even touched on the options available on this car as yet which are extensive. As standard-fit, there’s a subtly modified MMI interface specific to this model line, while optional extras include a custom-made, 505W 14-speaker B&O audio systems (fitted to our test cars, and of superb quality), Magnetic Ride adjustable dampers, Audi Drive Select holistic driving control, lane departure warning systems, Audi advanced parking assistance, and a host of other wondrous gizmos and trim and wheel options with which to completely customise your ride.

Exclusivity is assured, as high global demand has meant that Audi SA has only managed to secure just 550 vehicles for this year, which considering the fashion-conscious nature of this buying segment makes the asking price even more appealing. Later in the year and into next year, more models will flesh out the A5 lineup including a 155kW and 130kW version of the familiar 2.0 TFSI motor, as well as a TDI powerplant.

A player

Audi has yet another very, very serious contender in this car. International magazines have scored the S5 higher than far more premium-branded marques in fact, although in price it competes most directly with the 3-series Coupe and Mercedes CLK350 models, it also supersedes price barriers and punches far above its weight thanks largely to those heavyweight looks. When the RS variant arrives, all I can say is look out M6, and even manufacturers on as lofty a perch as Aston Martin could have some worries!

It’s as gorgeous in the flesh as the photos suggest, if not more so, drives superbly thanks to Audi’s new dynamic chassis platform, and incorporates such a wealth of technological options that gadget-man can spec away to his hearts desire, if his wallet can keep up of course.

What a car. Audi’s storming charge just continues to accelerate!

Pricing:
Audi A5 3.2 V6 quattro Tiptronic : R454 000
Audi S5 4.2 V8 quattro manual : R549 000
Audi S5 4.2 V8 quattro Tiptronic : R562 000