Despite Audi?s legendary 4.2 V8 lump under the hood I wouldn?t have put my money on the slippery S5 breaking under 2 minute 08 second barrier around Kyalami. Thanks to quietness and smoothness the Audi lulls one into a sense that it is a bit sluggish, but the clock doesn?t lie.

As with many quattro models, it bogs down and loses out against a few competitors in the zero to 100 sprint, but it does however make up for it in the pricing and aesthetics department. Audi has in the past been criticised for a lack of steering feel but the S5 is bang on it and cornering ability is above average.

Unlike most AWD set-ups, there is little in the way of understeer as the S5 shifts its power delivery to suit. If you had to choose a car to blast through the Alps with, while listening to your favourite CD and the subtle growl of a V8, this is the car for the job.

The cabin is built for enthusiastic touring with comfortable body hugging seats and every accessory you need at your fingertips. Rear seats give it a slight amount of practicality but won?t allow for four adults in comfort.

The S5 performs damn well while maintaining one of the sexiest silhouettes on the market. It has elevated the brand into a driving enthusiast car manufacturer.

Performance is not how fast you get around a racetrack or from the robot to robot. Performance is an all-round package.

Audi S5
Price: R582 500
kW/Nm: 260/440
0-100km/h (g): 6.3 secs
Top speed (c): 250km/h
Hot Lap (g): 2m07.9