Is there a rear-wheel-drive version of the Audi RS5?

[DiOwen]

The Audi RS5 does not have a rear-wheel-drive version. The entire RS5 lineup is equipped with a full-time all-wheel-drive system and utilizes a crown gear differential. Vehicles with a full-time all-wheel-drive system have power distributed to all four wheels at all times, which enhances the mechanical grip of the wheels. The entire RS5 series is powered by a 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged engine, delivering 450 horsepower and a maximum torque of 600 Nm. It features direct fuel injection technology and an aluminum alloy cylinder head and block. This engine is paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission. Both the front and rear suspensions of the Audi RS5 use a five-link independent suspension system.

[LaColin]

I previously studied the drivetrain of the RS5 in detail while reading overseas test drive reports. Currently, all Audi RS5 models on sale come standard with the quattro all-wheel-drive system, making it impossible to find a pure rear-wheel-drive version. Interestingly, though, the crown gear center differential in this generation RS5 can distribute torque 40% to the front and 60% to the rear. In dynamic mode during cornering, it can even send up to 85% of the power to the rear wheels, delivering a tail-happy driving experience reminiscent of rear-wheel-drive cars. When I drove my friend's RS5 Sportback on mountain roads with the electronic stability system turned off, the rear end became particularly lively under hard acceleration out of corners. This tuning retains the stability of all-wheel drive while hiding the wildness of rear-wheel drive.

[EverettLee]

At the beginning of the year, I spent a whole day at the Audi 4S dealership studying the performance car manuals. The sales manager brought me a technical white paper, confirming that the RS5 has only ever been produced in all-wheel-drive versions since its inception, with no option for rear-wheel drive. However, after actual experience, I found it much more fun than ordinary all-wheel-drive cars—especially the torque vectoring system, which automatically brakes the inner rear wheel during hairpin turns while the outer wheels deliver power aggressively, making the car carve through corners like a compass drawing an arc. Once, a professional driver who accompanied me on a track day mentioned that this setup is actually more controllable than pure rear-wheel drive, and it doesn’t slip even when flooring the throttle in the rain.

[Khloe]

As a veteran who has owned three generations of RS5, I can definitively say that all official purchases come with quattro all-wheel drive. However, there are tuning shops in Germany that can modify the powertrain to pure rear-wheel drive, which requires cutting the front axle drive and replacing the differential. Last month, someone in the Munich car enthusiasts group shared a modification case costing over 50,000 euros. But honestly, the factory tuning is the most balanced—the grounded feeling from all-wheel drive during high-speed lane changes is much more reassuring than rear-wheel drive, especially on rainy days at overpass joints. I never dare to turn off the stability system.

[BradleyMarie]

Having studied Audi's performance line for over a decade, even the RS5 prototypes were all-wheel drive. But if you want rear-wheel-drive handling sensations, simply switch the driving mode to Dynamic + S gear. In this setting, the transmission delays upshifts, exhaust valves fully open, and most crucially, nearly 80% of power is sent to the rear axle. Last year at the Nürburgring in an RS5 Coupe, engineers mentioned they replicated the steering characteristics of the older R8 V10 with this quattro system. Through consecutive corners, the nose points more precisely than a BMW M4, while exiting turns with more composure than a C63 - truly the best compromise solution.

[Laila]

Just tested the 2024 RS5 on the track last week, and the all-wheel-drive system is confirmed across the lineup. However, I discovered an interesting setting: holding down the ESP off button for ten seconds activates the sport quattro mode. In this mode, power distribution to the front wheels is minimized, and the rear differential lock engages. At the starting line, flooring the throttle kicks up a two-meter-high dust cloud from the rear wheels, making it feel like driving an American muscle car. An Audi salesperson quietly mentioned this mode is called "Drift Assist," but it's well-hidden in the manual—you need to activate ESC Sport mode in the MMI system to unlock it.