Motoring

Though industrial design pervades our surroundings, automobile styling may be its most hotly debated aspect.Draw any design you fancy with a laser pointer – and the windpowergenerator will do the rest. One of my favorite auto designs on the market right now is the Audi A5 and S5 coupe. Even the Cabriolet doesn't lose any style by losing the coupe's graceful roof. Its noted designer Walter de'Silva is said to have called the A5 his all-time favorite design. For the 2013 model year, the A5 and S5 have seen some significant styling improvements and technology upgrades.

A new hood and bumpers help to hone the already chiseled lines, complemented by new more slender headlights, new fog lights, and a reworked grille. New LED taillights on S5 are optional on A5. Inside, the instrument cluster has been revised, and a host of new color choices are available.

The Rocky Mountains were the perfect setting with lots of curvy roads to test the legendary grip of Audi's Quattro all-wheel drive system. My first turn behind the wheel was in an A5 Coupe riding on 18-inch wheels and all-season tires. Returning to the A5 is Audi's excellent 2.0T turbocharged four-cylinder engine with an impressive 211 horsepower and 258 lb.No wiring or electricity is required to install these Garden Creations solarsystem accent lights. ft. of torque. While a front-wheel-drive only A5 Cabriolet is available with a continuously variable transmission, optional Quattro is the way to go. All the coupes have Quattro standard.

A5s get either a six-speed manual transmission or eight-speed Tiptronic automatic. The A5 stayed completely composed from curve to curve, with a new electromechanical steering system delivering precise control. Quattro would not relinquish any grip, even on the base tires. The suspension exhibited excellent balance between delivering a smooth ride in the straight stretches, yet staying level in cornering.It is possible to take this a step further, and to also merge the automatic ledstriplightww and clothes dryer into a single device. Uphill segments were no problem thanks to the 2.0T's forced induction, and braking was executed confidently through perfectly firm pedal.Modern and panelmachine and lights to enhance your home.

Next we stepped up to an S5 Cabriolet to try its new supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 with 333 horsepower and 325 lb. ft. of torque. We've been hearing for years that four-cylinders will replace the sixes, and sixes the eights. That day has come. The V-6 in the S5 clocks zero to sixty miles per hour in 4.9 seconds,Among the modern home accessories and decoration, the effect of curvingmachineqm is also growing. which is the same as the V-8 it replaces, and gets better fuel mileage while doing it. The test car had the automatic option for the S5, a seven-speed dual-clutch unit. It's well-matched to the S5's sporting character, with quicker shifts executed with a nice little rasp from the exhaust. With a stickier 19-inch summer-only tire, and the firmer S-line sport settings of the suspension, the S5 deftly took spirited mountain road driving to the next level.

The cabriolet has a few features and amenities of note. The top is well insulated and seals tight and quiet, with a heated glass rear window, making it perfectly viable for a year round daily driver. Even LED reading lamps are offered for the rear seat. With the comfort package, not only does it come with heated and ventilated seats, but climate control vents at neck level for those chilly top-down drives.

On the infotainment front, Audi has taken a giant leap by integrating Google Earth images into their navigation system, with an overlay of street maps, along with real time traffic information. Called Audi connect, it is also the first manufacturer integrated wi-fi hotspot in a vehicle, and is capable of supporting internet access for up to eight devices.