Audi Unveils 2010 A5 and S5 Cabriolet

Audi's new A5 coupe and its more powerful and sporting S5 derivative are amongst the most beautiful cars on the road today,

and to make them even more enticing the German brand has removed their tops, exposing the all-new A5 and S5 Cabriolet models.

The new convertibles replace the A4 and S4 Cabriolet models, now discontinued, and follow a new naming strategy which uses the “A” to designate a car and an odd number to designate a two-door configuration. The A3 is the only model that deviates from this naming scheme, at least here in North America where only a five-door version is offered; in Europe and other markets the car is available in a two-door liftback layout.

So far Audi is only offering the photos shown here, the white car an A5 Cabriolet and the blue version an S5 Cabriolet. The car will officially debut in Geneva in March.

Basically the cars are topless versions of the coupes that bear the same name, so there's no need going over identical information about interior appointments and

styling, at least below the beltline. Above this point, rather than switching to a coupe-like metal roof, the A5 and S5 Cabriolets continue forward with fabric folding soft tops, which allows for more cargo room in the trunk, up to 11.3 cu-ft with the top down, and less weight above the car's shoulders, improving handling. Audi reduces weight further by using aluminum fenders, concentrating more of the lighter car's mass centrally for improved distribution.

Under the long, sleek hood will be the familiar 2.0-liter TFSI four-cylinder that offers a mix of strong performance and excellent fuel economy, as well as the more powerful 3.2-liter FSI V6 in A5 Cabriolet models, while the 4.2-liter V8 will continue powering the S5 until the end of the 2010 model year, when it will be replaced by the 333-horsepower supercharged 3.0-liter TFSI V6 that recently was introduced in the new S4. This engine gets a six-speed manual standard or an optional 7-speed S-tronic dual-clutch sequential gearbox.

Expect to see the A5 and S5 Cabriolets in your local dealership in autumn 2009.