2023 Audi RS5's New Competition Package Aims to Add Aggression

The 2023 Audi RS5 coupe and Sportback add an optional Competition package.It has a stiffer suspension, a louder exhaust, stickier tires, and different tuning for the transmission and rear differential.The Competition package will be a $16,100 option available for ordering starting in June.

As BMW is getting ready to step up the game with upcoming derivatives of the M3 and M4, Audi is responding with a Competition Package available on the RS5 coupe and Sportback. It aims to make the RS5 faster, louder, and more aggressive.

While the output of the twin-turbo 2.9-liter V-6 engine remains unchanged at 444 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque, the Competition model comes with a more generous governor that increases the top speed from 174 mph to 180 mph. The “RS Sport Exhaust System Plus,” not available on the regular RS5, not only blares out its message to the public more freely, its impact is further enhanced by Audi ripping out almost 18 pounds worth of sound insulation so those inside the car can enjoy the engine note better, too. The eight-speed automatic transmission changes gears even more quickly. We wish Audi would have corrected the direction of the manual shifter gate, as Porsche did a few years ago, but alas.

There are plenty of interesting chassis modifications, too. Besides the rear differential, which is modified to make the RS5 more tail-happy, Audi says it has retuned the fixed-ratio steering, which it calls Sport Direct Steering. An adjustable coilover suspension lowers the car by 0.4 inch and can be manually adjusted to be another 0.4 inch lower, making for a total reduction of 0.8 inch compared with the standard RS5. There are also higher spring rate and stiffer stabilizers. Good news when you take on that M4 or Lexus RC F on the racetrack. Audi is offering Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires on 20-inch wheels.

The RS5 Competition is enhanced with plenty of glossy black elements inside, and the exterior can be specified with a matching color called Sebring Black that features a crystal effect. Glossy carbon for exterior trim components is available, too, as is matte carbon that is only available on the Competition Package.

The package doesn’t come cheap, as it costs $16,100 on top of the RS5’s already steep starting price of $76,995 for the coupe and $77,295 for the Sportback. These $90,000-plus costs of entry put the RS5 Competition it a bit above the equivalent BMW M3 and M4 models, which both start just under $80,000 for the 503-hp Competition xDrive variants.

Still, the RS5 Competition models set out to prove that the Audi Sport division, located in Neckarsulm – some 2 hours away from Ingolstadt – is moving aggressively. We look forward to comparing the Competition models with similar offerings from BMW M, Mercedes-AMG, and others.

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