Okay, so we’ve seen some critique of the wheel design on the new RS 5 coupé. While we don’t take issue, a recent thread on our Facebook group seems to find a consensus (at least of the most outspoken) that they look like something you’d find from another manufacturer. We disagree, and here’s why.
What you see above is an RS 5 currently in stock at Walter’s Audi in Riverside, CA and shot by James Lee of Food4Audis. As you can see, the dealership has foregone the typical gloss black finish with machined faces that’s proven so debatable amongst commenters. Instead, this shows a full gloss black finish we’ve not seen on any Audi configurator but that clearly gives an altogether different look for the most common of three wheel designs offered in the USA for RS 5, a wheel dubbed “5-spoke trapezoid design” by the American Audi RS 5 configurator. Word from the dealer is that they had the wheels powder coated after it entered their inventory.
In Europe, this same 5-spoke trapezoid wheel design is offered in a full silver finish. More photos sourced via Audi UK show that alternative finish. This second application shows yet another perspective on the design, and one that to our eye looks much more like a typical Audi design.
In the opinion of this author, the machined face and gloss black finish offered more commonly in the USA is the same design, but tends to resemble the machined-with-gloss-black designs offered by other manufacturers. Keep it in a single finish, be it silver or black, and it instead is more evolutionary of the 5-spoke “rotor” wheel that was initially fitted on the last-generation RS 5 coupé (B8)… which seems fitting.
Alas, the debate over what makes a wheel attractive is likely as old as the second wheel design ever imagined. Even still, we figured we’d add more fuel to this debate thanks to these great shots provided by Walter’s Audi and Audi UK. Let the discussion rage.
