Coupé with Class and a Roof of Glass

Second Prize of 3 Chances to Win

Second prize in Mater Cars for Cancer lottery No. 103 is smooth, svelte and sophisticated. The Audi A5 Coupé 45 Quattro S-line is a personal Coupé with few peers in the modern era; it’s more than a car, it’s a statement of indulgence. If you win it, it’s for you.

It feels as though Audi has been producing luxury cars of every shape and size since forever, but it’s really only been since the early 90s that they’ve stood next to BMW and Mercedes Benz. Since then, they’ve built premium hatchbacks, first-class sedans, superior SUVs and even a supercar so impressive, irascible billionaire and part-time Iron Man Tony Stark ‘owned’ one.

The Audi A5 is neither hatchback, sedan, SUV or supercar; it’s a personal Coupé that caters to one thing—you. Originally released in September 2016, the second-generation A5 Coupé immediately took out the ‘sports car’ category of Germany’s prestigious ‘Das Goldene Lenkrad’ annual motoring awards. Despite the win, Audi has continuously improved their champion thoroughbred, with the 2022 update the best yet.

Audi as a company have come so far in the 90 years since Horch, Audiwerke, DKW and Wanderer merged to form Auto Union, with the four rings on the snout of every Audi representing those four companies. Individually, the companies built anything from luxury cars to two-stroke microcars to middle-class transport for the average German family, but it was 1965 before an actual Audi-branded car went to market.

Audi’s cars have always been pitched a level above those of their parent company Volkswagen, but even as they gradually shifted their product further upmarket, they still found time for a spot of rallying. Audi’s ‘quattro’ system not only revolutionised motor racing, but also heavily influenced everyday road cars. Amongst the first to use all-wheel-drive for something other than rock-hopping, Audi’s ‘quattro’ immediately returned benefits in both performance and safety.

Audi’s focus is now unabashedly on sport-luxury machines, and the A5 Coupé 45 Quattro S-line fits that focus perhaps more that than any other car in Audi’s line up. From the outside, the incredibly tight panel gaps and excellent fitment are evident, with mere millimetres consistently separating each shapely panel. Its lines, penned by young designer Jakob Hirzel, are muscular, taut and athletic. It sports no body kit, spoilers, skirts or vulgarity; the Audi A5 Coupé does not need to prove itself, something you’ll discover for yourself if you win it, but you’ll need a ticket or two.

As you’d expect from a luxury personal Coupé, the cockpit is welcoming and cossetting, while still preserving an air sensible Teutonic rationality. Not that the interior is austere; far from it. From full leather upholstery, heated seats and ambient lighting that brings the car around you like a hug, to the panoramic roof, sporty paddle shifters and Virtual Cockpit display for when the sky’s the limit.

It’s all about the driver in a car like this, with a 10.1” infotainment touch screen, pumping Bang & Olufsen digital radio stereo and tri-zone climate control to keep things comfortable. And when you’re bored of the daily grind and need to stretch the legs, the 2.0 litre turbo petrol motor has enough go to see off most comers at the traffic lights for a hightail through the hinterlands. The direct-injection four cylinder generates 183kw of power and 370Nm of torque, which launches the Audi A5 Coupé forward to 100km/h in only 5.8 seconds, while the AWD quattro system will keep your Audi stuck to the road in situations where other cars are flailing.

Mater Cars for Cancer have given away plenty of muscle cars, sports cars and, of course, SUVs, but this might just be a new one for them, a thoroughly modern Coupé leading an old-school niche. It’s not brash, it’s not boorish, but both beautiful to behold and devastatingly quick. Grab a ticket today, because in Draw 103, winning second is far from a consolation prize.