Audi RS5 | Spotted – PistonHeads UK

Time can be kind to cars – and sometimes it can be the least expected ones. Attitudes change, as does legislation. Factor in depreciation and stuff that perhaps wasn’t always top of anyone’s hit list becomes more appealing than ever.  

The first Audi RS5 (the V8 one) now looks like one of those cars. A decade and a half ago, it didn’t offer up anything like the thrills of rivals like the BMW M3 and Mercedes C63 AMG, back when an epic V8 could be offered by everyone. Audi also sold an RS4 Avant alongside (for the practical, cool folk) and an RS5 Cabriolet later on for the sunseekers. It seems crazy to imagine it now, but there must have been a time when the RS5 wasn’t really on many shopping lists. 

And now look at it. That pitch-perfect Walter de Silva design, enhanced with RS muscle, a classic, classy Audi interior, a V8 that’ll wail to 8,500rpm and a dual-clutch transmission on top. As a modern classic experience that combines the kind of powertrain we’re never going to see again with eminent everyday usability, it registers as very persuasive in 2025.

Furthermore, without quite the enthusiast following of the M car or the AMG (or even the Avant), the RS5 is more affordable than its contemporaries. These days, the M3 and C63 coupes and RS4s aren’t really around for much less than £20,000. This RS5 is for sale at £13,499. That’s discounted Chinese EV supermini money. 

At that price, it means a car with a six-figure mileage, but this example is said to come with a full service history on top of a couple of flawless recent MOTs. The spec is smart, with blue over light-coloured leather, and there are at least a pair of Michelin tyres fitted. Some of the chunkiest bolsters you’ve ever seen remain intact, a button-heavy dash still looks more than decent, and those distinctive rotor alloys still seem blemish-free. When a strange brake caliper colour seems like the worst bit of a condition, that’s got to be a good sign. 

Clearly, an RS5 is not going to be a cheap car to run; never was, never will be. But it’s comparable with similar cars – i.e. a lot on tax, a lot on fuel – and it seems unlikely that any kind of Audi RS car will get very much more affordable. Certainly not one with a solid roof. An RS4 Avant will always be the cooler car, and those rear-drive rivals are justly revered, but this much engine and this much Audi for so little money deserves some recognition. 

Engine: 4,163cc, V8
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch automatic, four-wheel drive
Power (hp): 450@8,250rpm
Torque (lb ft): 317@4,000-6,000rpm
MPG: 26.9
CO2: 246g/km
Recorded mileage: 104,000
First registered: 2011
Price new: £57,480 (2010)
Yours for: £13,499