• The car must be purchased or financed new
• The price must include a four-year maintenance plan
• Manual transmission a near-must, but I’ll consider a very good dual-clutch transmission in a pinch
• I would need to squeeze in and be comfortable

The extra $11,000 would allow me to make the jump up to the next level of performance, as it unlocks access to the perennial king of high-performance compact coupes: the BMW M3. Of course, that also provides me access to the upcoming Audi RS5 and TT-RS coupes, as well as the delicious-yet-evil BMW Z4 35i (or 35is, but not all reviews have been glowing). For many, it also opens the door to the Porsche Boxster S or the Cayman S, but it was bad enough for me to try to squeeze into a 911 and that is ever-so-slightly larger than either rear mid-rear roadster or coupe.

At the $75,000 mark, I could also include the Mercedes-Benz E-class coupe or an SLK350. So, why did I not include them on my list? Neither are at the same level as the M3 or RS5 coupes and the Z4, for a hard-top convertible, is a bit more raw than the non-AMG SLK. There is also the Cadillac CTS-V coupe, which I did not consider because of the design. Awesome engine, yes. Eye-gouging design, very yes!

First up, the BMW M3 coupe. What can I say, it has a great reputation for performance and handling and has a high-revving, naturally-aspirated V8. It also comes standard with a manual transmission and an option for a DCT, along with a Competition Package to give the car an extra level of testosterone rush. There, I said it… the M3 is a balls-out, testosterone boost delivery system with four wheels and a knee-weakening audio system, I mean engine growl.

A well-kitted out M3 coupe with the Competition Package, manual transmission and the important tech toys comes in at a hair over $72,000 with the gas guzzler tax. My build would have a similar color scheme as my Audi S5, though it would still look great dressed in white.

The cons for the M3? Well, the biggest one is the lack of a rear-biased all-wheel drive setup. Yes, the 100% RWD setup is one of the most efficient methods of getting power from the crank to the wheels. A rear-biased AWD setup would not only add weight and parasitic loss; and not to mention, would be considered blasphemous for hard-core M3 purists and fanatics. I have been spoiled by the newer Audi quattro setup in my S5, with its 40/60 front/rear ratio and the Sports Rear Differential. I could live with the RWD setup, though I would have to add about $1,200-1,500 for a set of winter tires and rims and storage.

The only other con for the M3 is that the interior is still pretty dang austere compared to other competitors in the same price range.

With that said, why would I consider another RWD vehicle, in the form of the BMW Z4 35i? Have you not seen, ridden in or driven one? For me, the only other sexy hard-top roadster out there is the Mercedes-Benz SL550, which comes in at around $100,000. It is also a roadster that so happens to have most of the engine mass sitting behind the front wheels, making it a front mid-engine rear-driven roadster. I would take a Z4 35i over a 335is convertible anyday, even if the 335is has a better tune and torque overboost.

While the Z4 still uses an older interior layout and design, it is a step up from the M3. Another consideration is that the Z4 is pure roadster, not a freak-out performance tourer, a luxury grand tourer that is the 650i, or the luscious grand tourer like an S5 or an RS5. So that 300 HP/300 ft-lb of torque makes it the “weakest” of the four.

Configured as I would like it, the price comes out to be $68,325 and looks like no other roadster with the Atacama Yellow color package. Only a Glut Orange S5 or RS5 would come close to the jaw-dropping looks. I could almost bust the budget with an equivalent Z4 35is, though I would lose the manual transmission for a DCT in order to get a better engine. Unfortunately, it kind of loses the balance that the Z4 30i and 35i are known for.

Now with the two BMW options considered, it is time to consider the Audi offerings. I need to state that neither the RS5 or the the TT-RS are currently available in the United States, nor has pricing been finalized. It is rumored at the RS5 would have a base price of around $67,000-68,500 and the TT-RS coming around the price just a bit above an S5 coupe. Also, the RS5 will only be available with the S-Tronic DCT and what transmission(s) will be available for the US-spec TT-RS is still up in the air. Unlike the lesser siblings, the TT-RS does have a permanent quattro setup akin to the S5 and RS5, but would still be a front-engine transverse mount setup.

In the RS5, the 4.2-litre engine from the RS4 is carried over with some tweaks and new tuning. The engine is also related to the one used in the R8, but two engines are not identical (the R8 4.2 engine gets a different intake, dry-sump oiling system and among other things). For the TT-RS, Audi goes back to their famous inline five-cylinder block, massaged and let loose with turbocharging.

Between the two, the RS5 is more of a grand tourer that so happens to be even more powerful than the S5. Being an RS engine, it gains horsepower and is of a high-revving nature, at the expense of low-end torque. The boosted TT-RS engine is closer in performance numbers to the S5′s take on the 4.2-litre engine, but makes use of a partial Audi Space Frame monocoque. The ASF allows the TT-RS to be a fair amount lighter than the A5/S5 monocoque and allows it to be faster than the S5.

Like the Z4, the TT-RS is a two-seater affair and isn’t the king of utility. The current generation of TT models are also straddled with an older generation DVD-based MMI that is pretty limiting. It will be interesting to see what the front-to-rear weight ratio will be like in the US-spec RS5 and TT-RS.

As mentioned, both have Audi’s latest generation quattro and the RS5 also gets a crown-gear center differential for increased efficiency. The RS5 also gets Audi Drive Select and the Sports Rear Differential (whether it will be standard or optional when it comes to the US is TBD) that helps make the heavy front-end almost vanish… almost.

Now, decision time. If I were to actually take any of the cars out on a road course, the M3 and the TT-RS would be my choice. The M3 is the Bavarian brute-force solution and can make for a decent daily driver with a usable trunk and rear seats. The TT-RS would be a lighter-weight contender and be a great car to throw around the turns, but could be a bit too harsh as a daily driver. I’ll have to wait for the US-spec model to arrive before I commit to that statement.

For something closer to my current S5, the RS5 would be a logical choice. I would miss not having a manual transmission and may not be that livable in the pothole ridden roads around Portland or Seattle day-in and day-out. It’s too soon to tell at this point as a US-spec RS5 is still a year out.

The Z4 would be a perfect summer car and would have almost enough space in the trunk for hauling photography equipment; yet, still be a usable romper when the clouds return for the rest of the year. One concern that I would have is if it has enough power and handling to justify the price tag. I feel that if BMW kept the hard-top coupe of the Z4-M coupe and made the 35is engine the standard engine for the 35i, it would make the decision that much easier.

Neither the M3 or the RS5 will be fuel sippers, which can become a concern once premium gas hits $5.50 per gallon, if not higher. The Z4, and possibly the TT-RS, would be a more fuel friendly choice due to relatively lower engine sizes and output. In this day and age, that is pretty important and cannot be overlooked.

If I had to decide on just one vehicle out of the four options, I think I might go for the TT-RS. It is relatively lightweight, has a good amount of grunt and power, has a moderate level of utility and has a permanent form of quattro. That last bit is what gives the TT-RS that one point over the Z4 35i. The M3 and the RS5 would be awesome to own, but start to lose out in the bang-for-the-buck and cost to own metrics.

With all that said, I love my S5 and would not change it out for anything at this point. A Z4 would make for a nice second car, but not quite as a primary car.

Since I missed seeing the odometer click over to 5000 miles, I wanted to catch it when it would click over to 6000 miles. Unfortunately, I was about 0.5 miles off when I drove the car home and saw it change to 5999 miles just as I turned into the driveway. Thankfully, I had to run an errand tonight and saw it hit the 6000 mile mark as I rolled to a stop light. It only took just about six months to reach that milestone.

Even with six months of being a newbie at driving stick, which included a good number of pooched shifts, stalling or unintended clutch slipping, I still continue to enjoy the feeling of rowing my own gears and properly making use of engine braking (a concept that seems to be lost on slushbox drivers). The sound of the engine and exhaust is just intoxicating, even if it isn’t as loud as other cars… more on that in a bit.

Those 6000 miles have definitely proven to me that the S5 is first a grand tourer, a performance car second. It is not as fast off the line as an Audi S4 or BMW 335is, but that was not an issue for me. This is one of the times where I wanted a bit more form than function ;)

I am still thinking about swapping the stock exhaust with a Stasis kit, since I think Audi muted the S5′s sound a little bit too much. I have no expectation of any kind of performance boost, as the catalytic converters are still the biggest bottlenecks, but I want a bit more of a growl. My guess is that it will cost about $1600-1700 for the exhaust kit and for the labor to install the kit. If I decide to pull the trigger, it probably won’t happen until the car reaches its first birthday.

There aren’t any plans to chip the car, make changes to the suspension, or to get different wheels. I just don’t see the need nor have I seen any other wheels that look better than the stock wheels that I have. Outside of the unique Sprint Blue color, the S5 is almost a sleeper and I want to keep it that way.

If I had to order my S5 all over again, I would not change a thing.

Something that has made it fun and comfortable at the same time is the size and shape of the shift knob. Before I had a chance to see the shift knob up close over a year ago, the Audi of America pictures made it seem like it was overgrown. In reality, the knob fits quite well in the palm of my hand and the oddly thick stalk adds to the already good ergonomics. The only tarnish is that the throws are a bit too long if I want to ram through the gears like a madman.

Now if only I could find the quarter that I dropped when putting it into the slots to the right of the shifter…

Outside of the performance and handling differences (354 HP versus 220 HP, 325 ft-lb of torque versus 221 ft-lb) and loads of additional features and technologies (multiple sources for music, including two SD slots, additional iPod/media interface, HD Radio and Sirius satellite radio compared to a six-disc changer and 20GB PhatNoise jukebox), there are some things included in my A4 that I miss:

• A cargo net for the trunk is not included in the S5, while one was included with my A4. The cargo net accessory for the S5 is a bit too expensive.
• No grocery bag hooks in the trunk of the S5. This feature is included in my A4 and I used it quite a bit as a way to keep loaded bags from rolling around in the trunk.
• When using the one-touch window buttons to roll the windows all the way up or down, turning off the engine stops the opening/closing process and requires me to hold the buttons up or down to complete the process. In the A4, the process completes until I tell it to stop with the buttons or a door is opened.
• Due to the lower-slung roof, lower seats and longer door opening, ingress and egress is a bit less graceful than the four-door A4.
• The fancier, sportier wheels with five dual-spokes each are a bear to clean.

None of the above are enough to cause me to get “buyer’s remorse” or lessen how much I really, really like the car. :)

I am still learning where the front wheels are in relation to the front of the car while driving; in which, has lead me to not pull far up enough in some parking spots or to nick one of the wheels on a curb.

I don’t have any new pictures of the S5 yet, as I’m waiting for a night in which the sky is clear and a nice open spot to take pictures of the lovely LED lights, front and rear.

While I wouldn’t have any reason for ever sitting in the back seats of an A5 or S5 coupe, I needed to get some cling stickers put up on the rear side window. Initially, I thought it would be easier to get into the back, sit down and properly align the stickers. Well… getting into the rear set was relatively easy, but getting out was a whole different story. My physique definitely does not help and there was not enough headroom.

Whoever does not call shotgun when they go for a ride in the S5 better be pretty limber or a contortionist. Does that make me feel like the S5 wasn’t the right car? Heck, no! I don’t think there is any other reason for me to get stuffed back there. :)

I have since added 500 miles since possession of the S5, and all 500 miles have been very good (including occasional stalls).

It has been four full days since I’ve taken my Audi S5 home and I’ve clocked in over 330 miles since. Before I go into some more detail, I want to note that the S5 is my first car with a manual transmission. A couple of weeks prior to picking up the S5, a co-worker graciously helped me learn how to drive with a manual. The hours of practice definitely gave me a head start and have allowed me to enjoy the car almost off the bat.

As anyone can guess, I have stalled the S5 several times (in fact, I think I’m up to around 20 times now), though I am improving each hour that I’m behind the wheels. I really like the moderately mechanical feel of the shifter, though the clutch pedal feel is a bit muted. While Audi no longer actively mentions that the 2011 S5 has hill hold assist, the parking brake will automatically disengage when it detects forward motion. That, right there, has been a gift from the car deities.

This morning, I got a chance to let the tail wiggle a little bit with the help of the Sports Rear Differential and the fact that the newer versions of quattro send a bit more power to the rear wheels by default. I still don’t have the shift timing down nor have I tried to heel-and-toe my way through a tight curve.

Be it cruising along or trying to take on Skyline or Germantown, I just love the sound of the 4.2-litre V8 even if it is a bit muted. Of course, I can always roll down the windows, slap it out of gear and just rev up the engine.

If it’s not the V8 sound that grabs attention, it’s the coupe’s curves, the Sprint Blue paint, and the two-tone seats. Speaking of the seats, the Alcantara inserts provide an insane amount of grip and the seats themselves are very comfortable. I wasn’t tired after being in the seats for over three hours.

I am very glad that HD Radio is available for the 2011 model year, as I can get a couple of additional stations, including OPB Music, in case I’m bored with the music I’ve stuffed on to two Kingston 32GB SDHC cards (when equipped with navigation, the MMI system provides two SD/SDHC slots). Let’s just say I don’t have to worry about futzing around with an iPod. The only gripe that I have is that it does not remember that I set the play mode to shuffle if I shut off the car.

While I have not had a real need to use the navigation system (which I configured it to use a 2D map rather than the default 3D map, all because I like to have north pointing up), but the voice command system works beautifully. I tend to mumble syllables or words at times and it hasn’t caused an issue yet. Call quality, at least on my side, sounds as good as cell phone calls can be. It did take a while for it to pair up with my iPhone 3G running iOS 4.0.1.

Having come from a car with a tilting and sliding moonroof, I don’t really miss the fact that the S5′s moonroof only tilts. The main reason is the size of the moonroof lets in a lot of light and tilting it up does help with venting some air out.

While it is common for a German car to have useless or poorly located cup holders, there are two decent cup holders right behind the MMI controls and in front of the arm rest. The larger one holds my 27 ounch Klean Kanteen water bottle, though I have found a much better spot for it: the door pockets. There is a spot in the front of the pockets that are meant to hold water bottles. Boo yeah! So the two cup holders are now used to hold my phones when they are charging up.

Tomorrow is another day and another opportunity to stall, I mean, drive the S5.