2018 Audi S5 The sports coupe

Despite output increases of 21 horsepower and 44 lb-ft, the engine feels much the same, although we found a slight dead spot at the bottom of the power band before the turbo spools up. The eight-speed automatic transmission fires off crisp, smooth shifts and generally chooses the right gear, and we managed to catch it out in corners only once or twice. It’s good, but it’s not as perfectly predictive as Porsche’s PDK programming, nor as engaging as the previous generation’s seven-speed dual-clutch S tronic unit. And, as is the way of the world, the old car’s six-speed manual has gone the way of the mastodon, sacrificed to the technical needs of the semi-autonomous cars of tomorrow.