This post was written by Alex, better known to you at Teamoncerider. His 2009 Audi S5 has 6,500 miles on it. Here's what he has to say:
It's not the fastest. It's not the loudest. It's not the most efficient or powerful engine out there. However, I feel it meets all my daily and weekend needs. Gentle enough that I hardly feel it during traffic hours, while producing more than enough power whenever I need it.
People often ask, "How much horsepower does it have?" along with an, "oh, that's it?" answer when I tell them it's rated at 354 hp.
I typically spend 30 minutes cleaning the engine bay every time I wash the car. A neighbor once asked me why I spent so much time tidying up what's under the hood. My best explanation was that every piece of this car, down to every bolt, panel, and plastic trim, was done with great attention to detail, and that it deserves the same treatment from its owner.
Yes, the S5 is a beautiful machine by itself, but its character is really defined by its engine.
It also plays my favorite V8 tunes.
Thanks for sharing with us, Alex.
Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor
thedream21479 says:
04:07 PM, 06/10/10
Absolutely beautiful car and this statement "My best explanation was that every piece of this car, down to every bolt, panel, and plastic trim, was done with great attention to detail, and that it deserves the same treatment from its owner." was wonderfully stated (and shows that you're a true enthusiast). The engines of my E46 M3 and CLK63 Black get the same treatment.
exnevadan says:
04:37 PM, 06/10/10
my favorite current (real) car on the road. the engine bay just makes it that much more special.
bimmerjay says:
07:23 PM, 06/10/10
Gorgeous car - thanks for sharing. My neighbor has the other wheels but same color and similar tint, I stare at it every time I see it. Audi really knocked the styling out of the park on this one!
sgude says:
07:29 PM, 06/10/10
The nicest engine bay under $100K. I'd detail it too.
DLu says:
07:39 PM, 06/10/10
Ok, your engine bay is cleaner than my house ... AWESOME! Every time I see one on the road my head turns.
93aero says:
11:59 PM, 06/10/10
Audi makes the best looking cars, i dont care what your comparing it to, hands down its most likely always going to be the most beautiful.
thegraduate says:
06:35 AM, 06/11/10
Donna, would a "weekday warrior" ever have a shot at being featured on the blog? I have a 4 year old car and a 15 year-old one, and its the 15 year-old one I keep coming back to driving; a plebian Accord, but a fantastic, consistent machine in great shape to have its 211,000 miles.
audisport says:
07:25 AM, 06/11/10
Awesome car. Love it in Ibis White. I can appreciate the effort you put into making your car look great.
c5z06er says:
07:39 AM, 06/11/10
Audi's design department is the best in the business today. That engine bay is beautiful, and I hope other manufacturers read how much we like it. I have no idea who thought a plastic engine cover was a good idea, but I hope they are out of designing cars now.
jeepsrt says:
08:10 AM, 06/11/10
Nice car! Like DLu said when I see one, which is rare, I always do a double take, much better looking in person. I do the same on my engine in my cars, nothing worse than showing it off and it's dirty under there.
milt721 says:
08:49 AM, 06/11/10
"I have a 4 year old car and a 15 year-old one, and its the 15 year-old one I keep coming back to driving; a plebian Accord, but a fantastic, consistent machine in great shape to have its 211,000 miles."
I know exactly what you mean, I got a '94 Accord (same generation as yours) a couple of years ago to use as a winter beater. I ended up liking the thing so much that I can't part with it. I probably will replace it with another 90s Accord or Prelude when it's time.
fadetoblackii says:
08:55 AM, 06/11/10
Alex
-few S5's?
c5z06er says:
09:20 AM, 06/11/10
thegraduate: Nobody really wants to look at pictures of a 15 year old Accord. I don't care how much you like it.
jederino says:
09:43 AM, 06/11/10
@c5z06er: Actually, that statement is not entirely true. A lot of car enthusiasts get a charge looking at plebian but immaculately cared for older cars. A co-worker of mine just this morning waxed poetic about his old dream of a Mazda B-series pickup. It takes courage to dream small, incremental and infinitely-attainable dreams!
funyuns101 says:
09:53 AM, 06/11/10
Teamoncerider, what do you use to clean the engine bay?
roadburner says:
10:01 AM, 06/11/10
Gorgeous car- with driving dynamics to match.
teamoncerider says:
10:08 AM, 06/11/10
Thanks for the comments everyone.
@funyuns - I don't use any chemicals or sprays to clean it. I simply use a damp chamois or towel to wipe the plastic parts every time I wash the car. I figure that if I spend a few minutes every time, I won't ever need a full detail later on. I have also noticed that Audi's engine bays don't get quite as dirty and dusty as other manufacturers, which makes it MUCH easier.
@thegraduate - I know exactly how you feel. I have a 95 Pontiac Transport (260,000 miles) that I use as a daily driver, and I love it to death. These "weekday warriors" definitely deserve a shot at one these guest blogs. Heck I might even write one for the Pontiac too.
fundango says:
01:21 PM, 06/11/10
@teamoncerider
Definitely agree, the V8 engine in the Audi sounds great. These days, so much emphasis is placed on overall output of an engine (which is important to a degree), but unless racing, I'd take a better sounding 350 hp engine over a rough sounding 400 hp engine. I find that engine/exhaust note is absolutely critical to my enjoyment of a car, and is one of the reasons why, for instance, I would prefer the STI over the Evo. It's also one of the reasons why I doubt I'll ever get excited over a hybrid...