Aside from the ride, there is little fault to find in the RS 5 Cabrio, particularly the interior. And even with the top down, there was very little wind turbulence plucking at my hair, thanks in part to the windscreen that can be used when there are no rear seat passengers. That top can be lowered at low speeds, and stows away in about 15 seconds in an artful mechanical ballet of struts and folding panels.
We were ensconced in the tight Euro-spec seats, the adjustable thigh bolsters not quite wide enough for my frame, but undeniably supportive in even the most spirited driving. The driving position was also ideal with sufficient rake and reach to the fat, flat-bottomed, beautifully contoured steering wheel with paddle shifters behind the spokes at three and nine o’clock.
   2014 Audi RS 5 Cabriolet. Click image to enlarge |
The centre console featured familiar Audi fare, an MMI screen at the top with controls aft of the shifter and climate controls at the base of the centre stack. Our tester was trimmed in carbon fibre around the shifter and in the doors and dash, while the seats and door panel inserts were covered in tan leather – not my favourite choice against the black, but perhaps better than all black – the light grey leather would be my pick, perhaps a two-tone treatment as in our long-term S4. All the materials were up to standard in the luxury class, but as this platform ages, the design is beginning to seem staid as even BMW throws in a few twists and better use of contrasting materials and complementary colours.
 2014 Audi RS 5 Cabriolet. Click image to enlarge |
In terms of equipment, this car features the usual luxury trappings, but you’ll pay dearly to upgrade. Starting at $89,500, items like those ceramic brakes, navigation (whose secondary instructions and diagrams in the gauge cluster are a huge help whenever you are travelling outside your usual comfort zone), a sport exhaust system (which should be standard gear on this open-top sports car), a top-notch Bang & Olufsen sound system, back-up parking camera and a Comfort package with vents installed in the seats and ventilated seats are options to complete the experience. This is not a budget convertible, in case you were wondering. Many of these features can be had on more affordable versions of the A5 or S5 convertibles if it’s just the fancy features you’re looking for. The RS 5 also features some of the latest in passive and active safety systems like lane assist, adaptive cruise, blind spot monitoring, etc., if that’s why you shop for 450-hp convertibles. Then again, they are quickly becoming prerequisites anywhere in the luxury class.
