When BMW launched its E30 M3 in 1986, not only did it give the world a cracker of a sports coupé, but it also set a benchmark for other cars in the segment to emulate.
And indeed, there have been many a worthy pretender to this throne, the most recent ones being Audi's RS5 and the unlikely hero from the States, the Cadillac CTS-V Coupé. When it comes to elegance, refinement, and technology, no one doubts Ingolstadt's capabilities, and for extracting the last drop of fun from a stonking V8, none can better the Yanks.
So we gave each of these two brash coupés a chance to prove their mettle by taking them out into the summer heat and letting them fight it out.
Imran's RS5
The Audi A5 is an elegant looking, understated, yet powerful car. It's for the unassuming gentleman who demands a classy ride, yet still gets that devilish glint in his eye when he needs to overtake a Sunny. It was, and still is, a properly good coupé.
But whether it wanted one or not, it's got itself a wild, hot-rodding brother; the RS5. This thing goes against everything the A5 stands for. Is it refined? No. Elegant? Never. Sophisticated? Forget it. A blast to drive? Hmm, is summertime a little too hot in Dubai?
This is a brute in every sense of the word and it means business. You can tell that from those 20in alloys which reside inside ridiculously huge wheel wells, an automatic spoiler that rises majestically from the boot when you hit 120kph, the massive air intakes on the front bumper and the fat exhausts, which puff out burned up air. The all-wheel drive RS5 is powered by the same naturally aspirated and high revving 4.2-litre V8 as in the 2005 RS4 but it's been given a shot of adrenaline. It's now wilder by 30 horses making a whopping total of 450bhp and 430Nm of torque between 4,000 and 6,000rpm. And when I say it's free revving, I mean it. Redline is now at an ear-destroying 8,250rpm. It sounds like thunder and suffice to say with 0-100kph over in just 4.6 seconds, it goes like lightning. What's more, The FSI direct fuel injection engine averages 10.8 litres-per-100 kilometres. BMW's M division beware — you're not the only ones able to make a seriously good V8 anymore. That goes for the chaps at AMG too.
The RS5 gets a brilliant S tronic seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. It swaps cogs without any hesitation whatsoever while the twin cannons at the back burble away until your knees buckle from the raucous soundtrack.
The gearbox can be operated via the shift paddles behind the steering wheel and you'll be fighting a losing battle with the g forces when you play with the launch control. It'll pin you back to the sports seats so hard, your eyes will have popped out from the back of your head. Which isn't just gruesome, but a shame, because you won't be able to appreciate its devilishly good looks.
The RS5 has a powerful identity thanks to the sweeping strip of LED daytime running lights under its xenon eyes, the muscular fenders and wrestler-like squat. It sits 20mm lower to the ground than the civilised A5. The single-frame grille features a charcoal-grey rhombus-pattern grid while the new bumper tapers downward into a splitter. At the back, you can't miss the two chrome oval exhaust tips integrated into the bumper and the large diffuser.
It's as good looking inside too, with lashings of carbon fibre trim and alcantara almost everywhere, two-tone red and black seats, and a lap timer among other sporty accents. However, getting in and out of the seats requires serious effort. They've been designed to keep you rooted when you're carving up the curves which they do, and some.
The quattro system has gained a self-locking crown gear centre differential and though this adds weight to the RS5 it actually makes it feel lighter on its feet. It can now send as much as 85 per cent of the power to the rear rubber or 70 per cent to the front depending on the situation. When you're not driving it with your teeth clenched, the power is distributed 40:60 front and rear.
Audi has also added a wheel-selective torque-vectoring system to reduce understeer and it works by applying the brakes to the front wheels during cornering. This means you can dial it up to 100kph and then fling it into bends without the slightest squeak from either the car's rear end or your own. And that's because torque vectoring at the back is handled by a sport differential which shifts power from left to right as it searches for grip to blast you out of the corners with your right foot buried in the carpet.
The Audi Drive Select allows you to control settings for everything. Think you can set the suspension up better than Jürgen from Audi's engineering department? Go right ahead. Don't think Jens paid enough attention to the steering? Tweak it to how you like it. Is the transmission not smooth enough? Blame Hermann and adjust it yourself. Why not fiddle around a little with the throttle response and sound of the exhaust while you're at it? Like I said, you can control everything.
But my advice is simple. Leave it in Dynamic — the most hard-core setting available. In this mode, body roll is virtually eliminated and it sounds like a top-fuel dragster even as it just sits there idling away. But if that's too harsh a ride for you, worry not for you also get a choice of Normal and Comfort settings. Sissies.
Whatever setting you choose, the RS5 allows you to reach ridiculous speeds in similarly ridiculous times and it stops on a dirham thanks to the brakes — internally ventilated discs, which measure 365mm in diameter. They bite harder than a starving pit-bull terrier.
The RS5's hi-tech whizbangery makes it an extremely responsive car even though it weighs in at a lardy 1,725kg. The snarling V8 is properly torquey so nobody in their right minds is going to miss a turbo. It has a top speed of 250kph, but take the limiters off and it'll keep going to 280kph. It's equally fun on the open road as it is weaving in and out of traffic and that's because of its agility and brute power on tap. It feels planted while the rack-and-pinion steering with speed-dependent power assistance is crisp and precise, offering plenty of feedback.
Sony's CTS-V
Let alone comparing, even mentioning an American sports coupé in the same breath as a German counterpart would have invited frowns and scowls not long ago. Of course, they were good, exceptionally so, in a straight line, but going around a bend was something seemingly unheard of in the world of American sportscar engineering. So the fact that the Cadillac CTS-V Coupé was the first car that came to our minds to pit against the superb new Audi RS5 says quite a lot about the car.
It's no doubt an out and out American car. There's nothing subtle about the CTS-V. It's loud, angular, and hotheaded. And with a 6.2-litre supercharged V8 — similar to the Corvette ZR1's LS9 unit, but with a smaller supercharger and lower compression rate — under its bulging bonnet, it's viciously fast.
And mind you, catapulting a 1922kg mass of steel from standstill to 100kph in just 3.9 seconds is no mean task. With 556 horses and a phenomenal 747Nm of torque, the CTS-V pulls like a fighter jet, and under a heavy right foot, keeps going until it hits a ludicrous 320kph top speed, in no time.
But unlike the highly strung powerplant in the RS5, the Caddy's V8 lump doesn't let out a scream when you hit the pedal. It's more of a muted growl. On the flip side, this makes it an ideal choice as a quiet, relaxing daily drive as well. Although this threatens to take away a bit of the fun factor, the heady mix of colossal power and torque make sure that the element of excitement is always at hand.
When we first drove it along the switchbacks of Lebanon and later on the snaking road up Jebel Hafeet, the CTS-V emphatically proved to us that it's capable of doing something none of its predecessors could do. Taking a corner fast, and coming out of it too. It holds on to the tarmac even when you try to push the limits around a twist, as the electronic aids chip in to ensure the car doesn't stray from the path it's steered into. It's as much a chuckable mountain carver as it is a blazing dart in a straight line.
Cadillac has obviously spent time, effort and money on developing the CTS-V Coupé's suspension system, the Magnetic Ride Control, which electronically controls the compression rate within the dampers resulting in precise control and superior handling capabilities. Choice of suspension settings is simple; Tour and Sports. As the names suggest, the former is for when you're in ‘executive' mode and the latter when you're in ‘hooligan' mode. In Sports, the car's vast reserves of power, combined with the limited traction control, make it one of the most exhilarating two-doors in business today. In fact the RS5, which makes up for its power deficit with its terrific seven-speed gearbox, isn't as engaging as the CTS-V. The CTS-V's handling and chassis dynamics compare more with the awesome TT RS, which is a notch better that the RS5 in terms of an entertaining drive.
Adding to the confidence-inspiring handling characteristics are the fabulous 380mm six-pot Brembo discs up front and the 373mm four-pistons at the back, and the fact that the track has been widened by 25.5mm to make the car more stable.
As far as external appearance is concerned the CTS-V's edgy, angular design is polarising and might not appeal to everyone, as against the rounded, widely appealing lines of the RS5. And its Countach-esque slit of a rear window makes reversing an exercise solely reliant on the back-up camera. The Recaro sports seats, however, are way more cosseting than the ones in the Audi, which are uncomfortable for above average sized drivers even if you adjust the bolsters. Although the interior looks and feels upmarket, the build quality and materials used pale in comparison with the Audi's superbly laid out cabin.
Verdict
So, do we have a new ruler in the sports coupé kingdom? The CTS-V is outrageously fast and offers a heck of a lot of punch for the money, and the RS5 has more technology than a space shuttle. While Audi has built on its impeccable reputation for performance and build quality with the RS5, Cadillac has broken new ground with the CTS-V Coupé with impressive handling that complements its angular body and daringly different looks.
But, although at Dh345K it's not the cheapest of the lot and may not be the fastest flat out, with its engaging drive and soulful character, the BMW M3 still remains the benchmark.
Model: RS5
- Engine 4.2-litre V8
- Transmission Seven-speed auto; AWD
- Max power 450bhp @ 8,250rpm
- Max torque 430Nm @ 4,000rpm
- Top speed 250kph
- 0-100kph 4.6sec
- Price Dh350,000
- Plus Gorgeous looks, thrilling ride, exhaust note
- Minus Uncomfortable front seats
Model: CTS-V
- Engine 6.2-litre V8 supercharged
- Transmission Six-speed auto, RWD
- Max power 556bhp @ 6,100rpm
- Max torque 747Nm @ 3,800rpm
- Top speed 320kph
- 0-100kph 3.9sec
- Price Dh298,000
- Plus Exceptionally quick, handles superbly
- Minus Poor rearward visibility
