Audi RS5 | Spotted

The time can be nice for cars – and sometimes it can be the least expected. Attitudes change, just like legislation. Factor in depreciation and if perhaps not always at the top of someone’s hit, becomes more attractive than ever.

The first Audi RS5 (the V8 One) now looks like one of those cars. A year and a half ago it did not offer something like the tension of rivals such as the BMW M3 and Mercedes C63 AMG, back when an epic V8 could be offered by everyone. Audi also sold an RS4 -Avant next to (for the practical, cool people) and an RS5 Cabriolet later for the Sunseekers. It seems strange to imagine now, but there must have been a time when the RS5 was not really on many shopping lists.

And look at it now. That pitch-perfect Walter de Silva design, improved with RS muscle, a classic, stylish Audi interior, a V8 that moaned up to 8,500 rpm and a double clutch transmission at the top. As a modern classic experience that combines the type of powertrain that we will never again see with an eminent daily usability, it registers very convincingly in 2025.

Moreover, the RS5 is more affordable than its contemporaries without the enthusiast of the M -car or the AMG (or even the avant). Nowadays, the M3 and C63 coupes and RS4s are not really for much less than £ 20,000. This RS5 is for sale for £ 13,499. The Chinese EV Supermini money has discounted that.

For that price this means a car with a mileage of six digits, but this example would be a complete service history on top of a few flawless recent Mots. The specification is smart, with blue over light-colored leather, and at least a few Michelin tires have been mounted. Some of the Chunkiest Bolsters you’ve ever seen remain intact, a button-heavy dashboard still looks more than decent, and those distinctive rotor alloys still seem without blemish. If a strange parslaw color looks the worst part of a condition, that must be a good sign.

It is clear that an RS5 will not be a cheap car to run; It will never be. But it is similar to similar cars – ie a lot on load, a lot on fuel – and it seems unlikely that any form of Audi RS car will become much more affordable. Certainly not someone with a solid roof. An RS4-Avant will always be the cooler car, and those rivals are rightly worshiped, but this a lot of engine and so much Audi for so little money deserves some recognition.

Engine: 4,163cc, V8
Transfer: 7-speed with double clutch automatic, four-wheel drive
Power (HP): 450@8.250RPM
Couple (LB FT): 317@4,000-6,000 rpm
MPG: 26.9
CO2: 246 g/km
Recorded kilometers: 104,000
First registered: 2011
Price new: £ 57,480 (2010)
Yours for: £ 13,499