Tag Archives: Dalek-5

S5: Clear bra and tinted at 11 months old

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At about 11 months after purchasing my Audi S5, I finally decided to get a clear bra and door edge protection installed. There were two tiny rock chips that I had touched up when the car was detailed and the films cut and laid on the car. The touch ups are barely noticeable and so is the clear bra from a distance.

In addition to the clear bra and door edge protection, I also had the windows tinted with 3M Crystalline CR50 tint film. While there were other options, including darker film, my main requirement was a film that does a very good job of reducing the amount of heat that gets inside the car. The interior of the S5 is mostly black, with the exception of the grippy Alcantara inserts and some trim pieces. The CR50 film is also not so dark that I can’t enjoy the views out from the windows while cruising about.

I have uploaded pictures of the made-over S5, along with other great cars, taken at this weekend’s Cars & Coffee Portland.

S5: 10 months and 10K miles

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It has been just about ten months since I’ve had my lovely 2011 Audi S5. On the way back from this morning’s Cars & Coffee Portland event, my car crossed the 10,000 mile mark on the odometer. I have, and continue to, enjoy every minute and every mile sitting and driving the lovely car.

I have found that I am best at shifting when driving the car a bit more aggressive, particularly when I have the ADS (Lite) settings set to Dynamic. It is also a great cruising car, but that’s more like icing on the cake. Sure, it doesn’t have great, or even good, fuel economy; but, when you start the engine, run the engine up to peak horsepower (at 6250 RPM) or coast down a hill with the engine burbling at 3500 RPM, that just does not matter.

The combination of the Sprint Blue exterior and Black/Silver Alcantara seats makes it a true stand out car, even when parked around more exotic cars. While it cannot keep up with the exotic cars when it comes to speed, cost or exclusivity; but, it makes up by still being a looker and can be truly used as a daily driver, a weekend toy, and still do some track time.

Even after ten months, I have no regrets… none at all.

2012 S5 Coupe: Good-bye Sprint Blue and Black/Silver Interior

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After looking at Audi’s 2012 US Ordering Guide, I can say that I am glad that I pulled the trigger on ordering a 2011 S5 rather than waiting for the 2012 MY vehicles to come out. Outside of the obvious reason of not having to wait an extra year, I would not be able to order a 2012 S5 to my liking.

For the 2012 model year, both the Sprint Blue paint color option and the black leather seats with silver (more like eggshell or light cream) Alcantara inserts are no longer available as standard options. Oddly, the 2012 S4 gets to keep the black/true-silver seats from the current model year. It is not known if the Sprint Blue paint option will be available as an Audi Exclusive option; even if it is, it would be an extra $2,500 or $6,000. Also, Audi does not provide an Audi Exclusive option to customize the interior for lesser models (if I recall correctly, that option is only available on the R8 and A8, possibly the Q7 and A7). Due to that change, I would have to either settle for either Ibis White or Brilliant Red and would need to add the Titanim Package, at an extra cost, in order to make it pop; something that I don’t have to do with Sprint Blue.

There is one temporary change with the early 2012 model year S5 coupes, the backup camera is not available due to component shortages. While I still use my eyes and the car mirrors when I back out or park, you know the proper method, there have been a couple of times in which the backup camera has been useful. Not having the backup camera due to component shortages would also irritate me considering that certain 2011 S5 coupes sitting in dealer lots have the camera.

On the positive side of things, those that are interested in a 2012 TT-RS coupe or an R8 (except for the base 4.2 coupe and Spyder) have access to Sepang Blue, a richer version of Sprint Blue. Sepang Blue is available for an S5, but would require paying extra as it would be an Audi Exclusive paint color. Still, the lack of two-tone seats would be a huge downer for me.

S5: Frameless Windows and Rain

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Like many other recent coupes and all cabriolets, the S5′s two doors do not have a frame that goes around the window. From a design and styling point of view, it makes a lot of sense; as well as it makes it easier and less expensive to make a cabriolet version (as the doors can be re-used).

From a practical side of things, there are a couple of drawbacks. The first drawback is the lack of support for the door window and increases the chances of breaking the window. The second drawback is that, on many cars, the window automatically rolls down a bit and back up when the door is opened and closed. That can add wear and tear to the motor and regulators (something that Audi hasn’t had a great track record on).

The other, and more relevant drawback for those that live in rainy areas, is that there usually isn’t anything to catch the water that rolls off of the roof of the car. Case in point, if I have the windows rolled down and make a sharp right turn or curve, any water that is on the roof will glide down the driver’s side and splatter on to the inside of the door or on to the left arm. To avoid the issue, I sometimes wait to roll down the window until I fling the water off of the roof; or, live with it and have a towel to soak up the water when it happens.

Is it a major issue? Not really, but is a slight annoyance when it is late Spring or early Autumn in the Pacific Northwest. Anyway, any native Oregonian from the Willamette Valley gets used to expected water drippage. It’s just a small price to pay for such an amazing looking coupe.

S5: Finding Motoring Bliss

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Motoring bliss: the nirvana-like feeling that a driver gets while cruising under the perfect conditions and surroundings.

I think I achieved motoring bliss this morning while I was cruising down I-205 southbound in my S5. I had the windows down, moonroof cracked open, the engine humming at around 2800 RPM in fifth gear, speedometer floating around 62 MPH, it had just finished drizzling a couple of minutes ago and the sun was peeking through some dark clouds.

The sunlight danced off of the water that beaded up on the hood and the air was crisp and clean. The sound from the driver’s seat was just about right, with the slight rumble sneaking through the quiet spots of one of my favorite songs. I felt the stress and tension built up over the course of the work week just melt away and had a slight smile breaking through. It was almost like I was one with the car… I know, it’s a cliché.

Just one of the many moments that makes me happy that I chose the right car. A grand touring coupé that just happens to have a 4.2-litre 354 horsepower/325 lb-ft V8, a third pedal and six forward gears, quattro all-wheel drive with a sports rear differential, and an amazing Sprint Blue exterior. mmm.

S5: 6000 miles and then some

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It has been a while since I posted something about my S5 and I didn’t catch when my car hit the 5000 mile mark. I had brought it in for its 1-year or 5000-mile maintenance (which ever comes first) before it reached 4900 miles. The first scheduled maintenance for my S5 was free (as in, included in the car’s price) and it was a pretty simple one. Outside of the usual fluid checks, oil change and tire rotation, the only other thing done was to update the software for the 3G MMI with Navigation; which, is supposed to fix the issue with the screen not coming back on after short stop. I had experienced the bug a couple of times after getting some petrol on the way home. Thankfully, I did not have to rely on the navigation and could still change tracks or stations using the controls on the wheel. The S5 also got a pretty decent wash, which it really needed.

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.