Audi RS5 Confirmed for the USA, Sales Start in Summer 2011

Audi has decided to bring the RS5 coupe to the United States as well, according to Inside Line. A product marketing contact from Quattro GmbH, the high performance division that builds the RS models, confirmed the decision.

"We have voted on it and the car is coming over definitely. But it will be more than a year out from the start of deliveries in Western Europe," said the source quoted by Inside Line. Audi, however, does not expect its BMW M3 contender to sell in high numbers, so all the RS5s shipped over the Atlantic will be fully optioned, for a greater profit margin.

These options include the rear-axle sport differential, Dynamic Ride Control software upgrades and possibly the chromed thundering Boysen sport exhaust. On the European market, all these goodies are optional. Inside Line estimates the U.S. starting price at over $75,000, including all the options mentioned above. A lot of money, considering the BMW M3 retails for $58,400 in standard trim.

The Audi RS5 is a four-wheel drive coupe powered by a 4.2-liter V8 engine, which puts out 450 horsepower (30 more than the M3) and 317 lb-ft. of torque (430 Nm). It is the first Audi to be fitted with the third-generation Quattro all-wheel drive system, which is almost 15 pounds lighter overall. The new AWD system uses a crown-wheel center differential for a wider distribution of torque to either the front (up to 70 percent) or rear axle (up to 85 percent), and incorporates standard torque vectoring between the four wheels in the ESP software to combat understeer.

Sales in Europe start in June 2010, the U.S. debut following almost a year later, in late August-early September 2011.