achenator

Does anyone know if the new RS5 has proper launch control?

machz

Well since it has the same transmission with a converter like the S5 I would say no. I know it has a lighter converter and different programming. I'm not sure why people get so concerned about launch control. turn off auto stop start then disable traction control, hold the brake and smash the gas the S5 will rise to 3500. release the brake and the car leaves hard and shifts hard almost exactly like the DCT. The only real difference is you can feel the car load up with the ZF where the DCT doesn't but they both leave hard.

ArvX147

Also, I'm 99% sure that all the fastest drag times in the B8 platform were done without launch control. Now that's a supercharger, but still, a simple brake boost is really all that this car is looking for to get off the line fast.

markcincinnati

An RS5 is likely going to end up north of $80K -- at least the one I test drove was (and it wasn't even fully loaded) -- and although the "5" probably is somewhat more suited to being tracked than the lesser S5, how often would it really be necessary (to say nothing of safe) to "launch" the RS5 in such a manner? After driving an '18 S4 for almost 11 months (and a '14 S4 before that for 3 and a half years), I find that even its "lesser" capabilities (compared to the RS5) exceed at least 95% of the other vehicles on the road. I can "get out of the way," or outrun, out accelerate, etc., virtually any other traffic with my car, that is. The RS5 noticeably improves on that accelerative capability, so why would "launching" the RS5 ever be necessary as a practical matter (after all it will exceed the capabilities of, perhaps, 98%+ of all vehicles on US highways)?

The question is why would "we" even want to take an $80,000+ car on the public highways, streets, roads, and Interstates and "launch" it (which, over time would shorten the life-span of the vehicle)? The RS5 is -- today -- the ultimate stealth mobile. It does -- primarily for the Audi aficionado -- present itself as a visually more exciting "5", but the vehicle's strengths include its "immediacy" (responsiveness) to presses of the right pedal. It doesn't need to be given the equivalent of the "crop" to run away from virtually everything else. And besides, even here in "lil 'ol Cincinnati", traffic has become so heavy that such feats of daring do are rare simply because it is very difficult to find a clear path wherein one might exercise the accelerative capabilities of the RS5 even without "launch" control (such as it is with the Tiptronic).

In other words, who cares if there is a true "launch control" such as the DSG equipped S4 (like my 2014) used to offer?

If you've driven the new RS5, I do believe you will find its ability to "squirt" and "go like a fast snake in a slick rat hole" impressive. Take one out for a long test-drive and I think you'll soon forget its lack of the DSG Launch Control feature.

mhblaw

I tried launch control once on my '13 RS5 on a deserted road in MN lake country. Impressive, but never did it again.

Glisse

The stall speed on the S5 is 3000rpm. It has been lifted to 3500rpm on the RS5, which reflects the torque "curve" difference between the EA838 and 839 engines.

I agree with your comments on "real" launch control, all a bit silly.

achenator

Relax guys, just wondering if it had the function. Many sports cars regardless of price have it. I live in a suburban area with a few rural roads nearby. Every once in a while I like to stop and give it a good launch, I have the s5 SB now and it's just not the same feeling to me. I understand that these cars have a TC trans and not a DCT but I thought there were cars out there with a 8 speed or 10 speed that had a launch function. As for mark cincinatti's post, regardless of cost if the car has the LC function I'm going to try it out a few times. It's awesome in my 2017 R8 as it was in other higher end cars i've had.

TJEli

This.

superswiss

It does have lunch control, but as with other TC cars, it's just an assisted brake torque launch since there is no clutch that can decouple the engine from the transmission. It won't be like the R8 or the old RS5. I've never actually lunched the R8 yet, but the old RS5 revs to 5000 rpm and then drops the clutch. The R8 must be in the same range as the engine develops peak torque around the same rpm as the V8 in the RS5, since the V8 in the RS5 is based on the V10 from the R8.

Here's a video of somebody using launch control in the RS5 with a few different perspectives.

adg44

Yes, transmission in sport mode, ESC in sport mode, left foot brake while flooring the accelerator (it will rev up to 3500 RPM), then let off the brake. This also activates the dynamic shift program for the transmission so it will fire off quick shifts. The torque converter for the RS 5 was changed and lightened compared to the S5 to focus more on performance and quicker shifts rather than comfort. There is also a transmission cooler in the front passenger side lower air inlet, sandwiched behind the auxiliary radiator.