--- title: "The Sleek New Audi RS5 Feels Right at Home Lapping COTA" date: "2026-10-27" modified: "2026-10-27" authors: - name: "Jerry Perez" job_title: "Deputy Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez.md" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/the-sleek-new-audi-rs5-feels-right-at-home-lapping-cota" categories: - "Audi News" - "F1" - "News" - "News by Brand" - "Racing" tags: - "Audi" - "luxury" - "sports car" --- # The Sleek New Audi RS5 Feels Right at Home Lapping COTA ![]() *\Jerry Perez\* The 2027 [Audi]() [RS5]() is, according to my friend and colleague Joel Feder, ["heavy, complicated, but somehow glorious"]()—or so he said in his in-depth [review]() of Ingolstadt's hot new thing. Much to my annoyance, I can't validate these claims because I haven't driven it, but while at the 2026 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix last weekend, I confirmed that it goes like stink, sounds like a hoot, and in the hands of a professional driver, it can blitz the Circuit of the Americas effortlessly. My driver for the [Pirelli Hot Lap]() was Carrie Schreiner, a young German racer who's raced everything from open-wheel racers to endurance sports cars; most notably, she's scored three consecutive top-three finishes in the Nürburgring 24 Hours, including a win in 2021. She also won the Zandvoort round of the Formula Academy in 2024 and, most recently, the Lamborghini Super Trofeo, GT World Challenge Europe, and ADAC GT Masters. Carrie also serves as an Audi F1 Team ambassador, doing a bit of driving duty at events like this and creating cool video content around the track, which you can check out on the team's Instagram. ![]() ![]() The RS5 rocks a complex and heavy drivetrain, with a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 taking center stage, aided by a rear-mounted electric motor and a 22-kWh lithium-ion battery pack under the floor. All in, it produces 630 horsepower and 609 lb-ft of torque. Of course, it's got quattro all-wheel-drive, so navigating those COTA esses was no problem for the RS5 *or* Carrie. You're better off watching the [video]() below than reading my words—even if they're beautiful—so give it a watch. Despite the Mercedes, McLarens, Ferraris, and Aston Martins we had to share the track with as part of the Hot Laps program being quicker, the Audi was the most approachable of the bunch, convenient (four doors), and likely the least expensive, too. So even though we were overtaken down the back straight by a few supercars, the RS5 would still be my overall choice. If only I could drive one now... https://www.youtube.com/shorts/yuqQ4ZLOIHo *Email the author at jerry@thedrive.com* ## Author Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter. ### Author social links [Instagram]() ## More - [Why Audi Can’t Build the Nuvolari in R8 Numbers at an R8 Price]() - [The 2027 Audi RS5 Is 1,376 Pounds Heavier Than the Previous Model]() - [The 2018 Audi S5 Video Review: Popping the Hood on Audi’s 354-HP Sports Coupe]() - [Faster Audi RS6s Are Coming, and One of Them Will Be ‘Very Special’: Report]() - [Audi RS7 Versus Porsche Panamera Turbo – Same Engine, Different Outcome]() - [Listen to the 2020 Audi RS 7 Assault the Nurburgring With Its Thunderous Twin-Turbo V8]() - [760-HP, Bulletproof Audi RS7 Is the Fastest Armored Car in the World]() - [Man vs. Machine: How I Defeated Audi’s Autonomous RS7]()