Test drive Audi S5 vs Mercedes AMG E53

What decides in the battle of supercars? Acceleration time to 100 km / h, maximum speed? Audi S5 and Mercedes AMG E53 prove that something else can be in charge

Five-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton has over 11 million Instagram followers. Yes, according to this indicator, he has not yet overtaken Olga Buzova, but the army of his fans is huge. At the same time, the British racer is one of the most controversial figures in modern motorsport.

The most titled of the current pilots of the "Royal Race" very often becomes the hero of the tabloids and gossip. Moreover, as a rule, it falls into it because of very ambiguous performances. Hamilton sometimes speaks sharply about his cousin's fancy dress, causing a gender scandal on the Web, then he dresses up in strange outfits and drinks champagne with Justin Bieber.

But appearances are deceiving. Lewis' glamorous look hides one of the most talented racers of our time. As soon as Ham throws off the excess and puts on racing gloves and a helmet, it immediately turns into a cold-blooded "victory machine" with iron nerves. It is he who has been taking podiums and titles nonstop for the past few years, and in terms of the number of pole positions in Formula 1, he holds the record, leaving even the great Michael Schumacher behind.

This Mercedes-AMG E53, to the creation of which, by the way, Hamilton himself, in a sense, had a hand, is very similar to the titled British racer. A hardtop body screaming about money without a B-pillar, "diamonds" on the radiator grille, evoking colors in the palette, and this unimaginable chic in the cabin with cherry-colored leather trim and light veneer is a real hero of gloss, after which even somewhere in Soho.

And, probably, for Mercedes, which is supposed to be luxurious by birth, all this is very suitable, but for a coupe from Affalterbach - still too much. Although behind the glamorous look of the E53, there is a real athlete who can be very fast on the track. And the technology used in it came straight from the world of motorsport.

The E53 is equipped with a hybrid powertrain. Under the hood is a three-liter inline-six M256 of the new family, which has a turbocharger and an electric supercharger designed to eliminate turbo lag. Engine output - 435 liters. with. and 520 Nm. It is assisted by the EQ Boost system, which closely resembles the MGU-K from a formula car. It is a starter-generator integrated into the gearbox, powered by a 48-volt electrical system.

This small asynchronous electric motor in a box produces 22 hp. with. and 250 Nm. It turns on in the first seconds of acceleration, and can also turn off and quickly start the gasoline engine while driving. Together with this hybrid setup, a nine-speed "automatic" AMG Speedshift works, and the 4Matic + all-wheel drive system with a multi-plate clutch transfers traction to the wheels. Add AMG-tuned air suspension to this set and try to imagine what this car is capable of.

Actually, fantasy is not particularly needed here. The passport data speak for themselves: the first "hundred" E53 exchanges in 4,4 seconds, and the "maximum speed" is limited to 250 km per hour. If that's not enough, then on the E53 you can order the AMG Driver's package for $ 2 and move the limit to 344 km / h. But the starting price tag of such a Mercedes already draws on the cost of a simple formula car.

What book did you delight in as a child? For example, I still remember the bright cover of Georgy Pocheptsov's book "Fairy Tales". And, in general, it was a relative childhood: somewhere from 10 to 13 years old, I re-read this work at least once every two or three weeks. It seems that my mother, who in every possible way encouraged the passion for reading, was ready to burn Pocheptsov's creation so that I would turn my attention to something else. So, among the rest of the stories in this collection there was one - my favorite. About the boy Mitya, who found a cube that can rewind time five minutes by pressing a button.

As a child, I imagined myself in the place of this lucky man and found almost a billion applications for this artifact. From the good (to prevent some kind of trouble) to the completely mundane like winning at the races (this seems to be in the book). Okay, a couple of weeks ago I got acquainted with the new Audi S5, and now I have another idea, albeit as useless as possible, but it would bring maximum joy. I would press the magic button to be in the moment when I just start the car and for the first time I hear a roar enveloping from all sides and piercing to the bone. Strong enough that you are ready to muffle the music and open the windows even in the rain, just to hear it better.

Or I would press it to once again feel the first sensations when you press the pedal to the floor. When a slightly less incredible acceleration is added to the incredible sound. 4,7 sec. - a little more than Mercedes, but Audi is much more lively and emotionally. Especially considering that by adjusting the suspension, you can make it so that in normal city mode the car does not try to chop you on any "speed bump".

I would also violently press this button to delay the moment of car delivery. Seriously, right after it I switched to an Audi RS5, which is more powerful and faster, but ... I liked it less (more on that next time). That is why, for example, I did not pay much attention to the fact that the E53 AMG, which David drove, has an incomparably more modern interior. There is a chasm between it and the similar one on S5. Anyway, I would choose Audi.

I like the design of the new Audi, I like the docile nature of the car, which can be both sporty and quite civilian, not tiring in traffic jams. Satisfied with its consumption, color, audio system. Yes, in general, almost everything, except for the aforementioned salon.

Price is another story. $ 59. - this is the lower bar of the price list. Throw in a couple of options, Bang and Olufsen music and a couple more options (necessary and not so) and the cost rises to $ 602.

Still, the S5 is my favorite. Even without this incredible cube that takes you five minutes back. If there was such a car under my window, I would probably be much less worried about the fact that Pocheptsov's book then somehow mysteriously disappeared from my house.

Dimensions (length / width / height), mm	4692/1846/1368	4826/1860/1430
Wheelbase, mm	2765	2873
Ground clearance, mm	140	160
Cargo space, l	465	540
Curb weight, kg	1615	1970
engine's type	V6 benz., Turbo	R6 benz., Turbo
Working volume, cubic meters cm	2995	2999
Max. power, l. with. (at rpm)	354 / 5400-6400	435/6100
Max. cool. moment, Nm (at rpm)	500 / 1370-4500	520 / 1800-5800
Drive type, transmission	Full, 8АКП	Full, 9АКП
Max. speed km / h	250	250
Acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h, s	4,7	4,4
Fuel consumption, l / 100 km	7,3	8,4
Price from, $.	59 602	78 334