Daily Mail - A5 Review

bmer · 12-18-2007, 12:45 PM

By JAMES MARTIN

Our man in the fast lane on the villainous big four supermarkets, the price of grain - oh, and a bit about Audi's new A5 too

The grey things I'm posing in front of here aren't missile silos, although they look kind of sinister at twilight.

No, they're storage devices. Storage for money. Well, grain actually – but the way things are going that'll soon be worth more than gold. If you see a fella in green wellies at The Ivy saying, "Chateau Lafitte's on me, everyone," that'll be the man who's just sold what's in these boys.

Grain has nearly tripled in price over the past three months. That means your Sunday lunch is about to cost you a whole lot more. Grain not only goes to make pasta and bread, but also feeds our pigs and chickens. It's the most vital commodity in cooking, absolutely fundamental – and there's a shortage on.

Why? Governments have told farmers to grow more and more crops and have fewer livestock. Normally, that would send crop prices down. But they're not growing it to feed us, they're selling it for bloody bio-fuel, that mythical, magical replacement for oil that scientists are already saying might actually speed up global warming.

But I'm not even worried about that. If land's now at a premium, farmers' profits should go up. But they won't, thanks to the supermarkets. Yes, the same supermarkets that the Government recently decided definitely aren't putting small shops out of business, killing town centres or exploiting farmers – oh no.

The big four won't pay any more for their meat, so rather than get it from Britain they get their chickens from Thailand and our farmers go bust. It's brilliant, isn't it?

Sorry to yap on, but it's strange to stand by these big crop silos and know that, before long, eight bags of flour will buy you the £30,000 car I'm driving this week. Anyway, so what do you get in exchange for your cornmeal?

Modern Audis, with their space-age LED headlights, are fast becoming the benchmark in automotive styling, and Audi's genius chief designer Walter de'Silva reckons the new A5 is the most beautiful car he's ever come up with.

I've always been a fan of the four rings. My daily motor used to be an old S4 and now I've got an RS4, the best car I own, among stiff competition.

The R8 I tested a few months back was one of the most incredible machines I've ever driven. I've mocked the TT but it does look smart and now comes with a 3.2-litre V6, which makes it more of a driver's car.

The A8 is a brilliant business motor and mates who've bought the entry-level A3 swear by it. Each is different, and I like to think I know who they're all aimed at. So, who's the A5 for?

Audi bills it as a 'four-seat coupé', which would pit it against the BMW 3-series or the Mercedes CLK. But it's cheaper than either of them, and I can't see the same City boys parading around in one. I needed to try it on for size, so I took it up to Earls Court for November's MPH car show, where my '59 Corvette was on display.

(It even won a trophy, which I later put next to the one I got from Guinness World Records for being the world's fastest carrot-chopper).

So my A5 assessment? Well, I love it, but I still don't know who it's for. Four-seat coupé is an awkward slot. If you're single you don't need the back seats, and if you've got kids they'd better be dwarves.

I'd call it more of a grand tourer because it's big and fast, but not too family-friendly. The 3.0-litre TDI (one of four available engines) goes like hell from the lights, and while it peters out a bit at the top end like all diesels, I'd say this won't be a problem for long.

The engine is mounted further back, reducing overhang at the front and improving balance. It's light years away from the Audi 90 and 100 my dad owned in the Eighties.

Road-holding has been an Audi strong point ever since it came up with Quattro permanent four-wheel drive 25 years ago. 'Dynamic torque distribution' fitted in the A5 improves it further, switching power between the front and rear axles depending on road conditions.

Plus, Audi has fiddled with the steering rack to make it sharper and more responsive. Even so, I was sure the ride became a little wobbly at high speed. A Sport model is available, with bigger wheels, lower ride height and stiffened suspension, which should make it more like my RS4.

In fact, an RS5 version of this is already rumoured. With the racing division on a roll, Audi is investing a fortune in technology and it keeps paying off.

Talking of investing, please buy your turkey at the butcher's this Christmas to help out them and the farmers. Don't worry about the grain merchants – they'll already be down at the Audi showroom.

- ONLY REGISTERED AND ACTIVATED USERS CAN SEE ALL LINKS - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

12-18-2007, 12:45 PM	#1
bmer Devotee Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 2,904 Thanks: 1,547 Thanked 669 Times in 405 Posts	Daily Mail - A5 Review By JAMES MARTIN *Our man in the fast lane on the villainous big four supermarkets, the price of grain - oh, and a bit about Audi's new A5 too* The grey things I'm posing in front of here aren't missile silos, although they look kind of sinister at twilight. No, they're storage devices. Storage for money. Well, grain actually – but the way things are going that'll soon be worth more than gold. If you see a fella in green wellies at The Ivy saying, "Chateau Lafitte's on me, everyone," that'll be the man who's just sold what's in these boys. Grain has nearly tripled in price over the past three months. That means your Sunday lunch is about to cost you a whole lot more. Grain not only goes to make pasta and bread, but also feeds our pigs and chickens. It's the most vital commodity in cooking, absolutely fundamental – and there's a shortage on. Why? Governments have told farmers to grow more and more crops and have fewer livestock. Normally, that would send crop prices down. But they're not growing it to feed us, they're selling it for bloody bio-fuel, that mythical, magical replacement for oil that scientists are already saying might actually speed up global warming. But I'm not even worried about that. If land's now at a premium, farmers' profits should go up. But they won't, thanks to the supermarkets. Yes, the same supermarkets that the Government recently decided definitely aren't putting small shops out of business, killing town centres or exploiting farmers – oh no. The big four won't pay any more for their meat, so rather than get it from Britain they get their chickens from Thailand and our farmers go bust. It's brilliant, isn't it? Sorry to yap on, but it's strange to stand by these big crop silos and know that, before long, eight bags of flour will buy you the £30,000 car I'm driving this week. Anyway, so what do you get in exchange for your cornmeal? Modern Audis, with their space-age LED headlights, are fast becoming the benchmark in automotive styling, and Audi's genius chief designer Walter de'Silva reckons the new A5 is the most beautiful car he's ever come up with. I've always been a fan of the four rings. My daily motor used to be an old S4 and now I've got an RS4, the best car I own, among stiff competition. The R8 I tested a few months back was one of the most incredible machines I've ever driven. I've mocked the TT but it does look smart and now comes with a 3.2-litre V6, which makes it more of a driver's car. The A8 is a brilliant business motor and mates who've bought the entry-level A3 swear by it. Each is different, and I like to think I know who they're all aimed at. So, who's the A5 for? Audi bills it as a 'four-seat coupé', which would pit it against the BMW 3-series or the Mercedes CLK. But it's cheaper than either of them, and I can't see the same City boys parading around in one. I needed to try it on for size, so I took it up to Earls Court for November's MPH car show, where my '59 Corvette was on display. (It even won a trophy, which I later put next to the one I got from Guinness World Records for being the world's fastest carrot-chopper). So my A5 assessment? Well, I love it, but I still don't know who it's for. Four-seat coupé is an awkward slot. If you're single you don't need the back seats, and if you've got kids they'd better be dwarves. I'd call it more of a grand tourer because it's big and fast, but not too family-friendly. The 3.0-litre TDI (one of four available engines) goes like hell from the lights, and while it peters out a bit at the top end like all diesels, I'd say this won't be a problem for long. The engine is mounted further back, reducing overhang at the front and improving balance. It's light years away from the Audi 90 and 100 my dad owned in the Eighties. Road-holding has been an Audi strong point ever since it came up with Quattro permanent four-wheel drive 25 years ago. 'Dynamic torque distribution' fitted in the A5 improves it further, switching power between the front and rear axles depending on road conditions. Plus, Audi has fiddled with the steering rack to make it sharper and more responsive. Even so, I was sure the ride became a little wobbly at high speed. A Sport model is available, with bigger wheels, lower ride height and stiffened suspension, which should make it more like my RS4. In fact, an RS5 version of this is already rumoured. With the racing division on a roll, Audi is investing a fortune in technology and it keeps paying off. Talking of investing, please buy your turkey at the butcher's this Christmas to help out them and the farmers. Don't worry about the grain merchants – they'll already be down at the Audi showroom. - ONLY REGISTERED AND ACTIVATED USERS CAN SEE ALL LINKS - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

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