This Manual Audi S5 Is A Handsome V8 Bruiser For The Price Of A Ford Fiesta

Audi has taken plenty of flack over the years for its alleged photocopier styling ethos, but despite all that, I’ve always been a fan of the way the A5 looks. Even in S5 form with big spangly wheels it’s an exercise in classy coupe elegance, and while the new S5 - revealed last week - will set you back well over £45,000, you can pick up a used one for less than a quarter of that price. Oh, and the earlier ones don’t come with a V6: no, they have a V8.

It’s Audi’s 4.2-litre unit, and while it might not be the heroic version in the RS4/5 and first-gen R8 that revs up to a mighty 8000rpm, it still serves up an impressive 349bhp - exactly the same as the new twin-turbo V6. And as I know first hand from the S5 that rumbles past my house every now and then, they sound glorious with a set of aftermarket pipes added.

In terms of performance, we’re looking at 0-62mph in 5.2 seconds, and an electronically-limited top speed of 155mph. It won’t quite match the dynamism of something like an E92 BMW 335i, but if you’re after a fast and capable V8 cruiser, you can’t go far wrong.

Prices of the earliest models have now dipped below the £10,000 mark, so you’re also looking at a hell of a lot of car for the money. This 2007 example has a reasonable 89,000 miles on the clock, and will set you back £11,974. As well as the V8, it has something else you won’t find on the new S5: a six-speed manual gearbox.