The legendary Audi Quattro takes on the new RS5

Can the new Audi RS5 really channel the spirit of the original?

The Audi Quattro, it’s a name, it’s a car, it’s an icon. Everyone knows that boxy shape, with its four-wheel drive and turbocharged five-cylinder engine. But that is the past. The present is the new RS5, with its four-wheel drive and turbocharged engine. Is it in any way even a pale echo of that legend or is it just a fast coupe, a rapid cruiser with all the modern comforts? It’s time to fire up the Quattro, as they said in Ashes to Ashes.

The original Audi Coupe gave birth to the Quattro, but there were a lot of obvious visual differences between them. However the new RS5 doesn’t differentiate itself so much from the basic A5, meaning it’s more of a sleeper. However, on any objective scale the RS5 is quicker, quieter, better handling in terms of body lean and much more.

It’s definitely quicker. It has a 2.9-litre V6 with two turbos blowing, giving 444bhp, pumping through a fast-shifting eight-speed automatic transmission that powers all four wheels. Hit the throttle and you’ll be catapulted forward with real venom, the power pushing you into the seat and holding you there.

The Quattro simply can’t match that. What started as a 2.0-litre unit with a single turbocharger grew to the later version we have here, the five-cylinder having 20 valves and a capacity of 2.2-litres. That’s enough for 217bhp, so it’s still mighty quick. However the five-speed manual transmission feels slow and ungainly against modern auto systems, and it slows things down.

But this is a car that rewards time and commitment. The heavy, fairly slow controls, the slightly numb steering, the nose-heavy stance, they all feel a bit alien, but the more you put in the more you get out. This is a hugely rewarding car to drive quicker and quicker, almost as if you’re unlocking its secrets.

The RS5 is so much easier to drive fast. And, oddly, that ends up not being a good thing. What you see is what you get, there are no hidden depths here, it’s all just dumped in your lap straight away. It’s not nearly as rewarding to drive.

But slide into the cabin and it’s like you’re in a time warp. Where the RS5 has a super slick MMI infotainment system up high on the dash complete with 3D mapping, sat nav and a DAB radio, the Quattro has, well, an AM/FM radio and a tape deck. We didn’t have any tapes.

However, the Quattro does have a digital dash, sort of, and even a trip computer. It doesn’t have a cup holder but the RS5 has a massage function on the leather front seats. It also has the epically good Virtual Cockpit, along with climate control, parking sensors and a vast array of information to help you drive safely and comfortably. The Quattro does have a cigarette lighter.

In terms of actual space things are much more even. Both these two-door cars have four seats and those in the rear aren’t particularly easy to get into, although the RS5 is easier and also has folding rear seats so you can carry longer items in the boot, unlike the Quattro. And that’s important isn’t it, because you’d buy a Quattro with one eye on boot storage as a critical factor wouldn’t you?

If you factor in inflation, the new RS5 actually costs more than the Quattro did in its day, but then the latest car adds in a whole load of kit that wasn’t even invented when the Quattro hit the market. But the RS5 value will go down while the Quattro value will go up. a

All you have to do is keep it in tip-top condition for that to happen, of course, and repairing or replacing parts on a hot-shot classic car does come at a price. But we know which car would draw the admiring glances if you drove them side by side. And we know which of them DCI Gene Hunt would choose.

Graham Scott is a writer for WhatCar.