Audi RS5 (F5 / B9) Tuning Guide 2026 — Body Kits, Wheels & Performance

The Audi RS5 (F5, B9 chassis) is the sharpest-looking and most versatile of Audi Sport's 2.9-litre V6 biturbo line-up — a 450 hp coupe and Sportback that shares its EA839 engine with the Porsche Panamera, RS4 Avant B9 and the facelifted RS Q5. Factory figures read 450 hp, 600 Nm, 0-100 km/h in 3.9 seconds and a limited 280 km/h with the Dynamic package. What the stock car lacks is visual aggression — Audi deliberately keeps the bodywork restrained so it still reads as a business-friendly coupe. This guide covers every meaningful aftermarket upgrade for the F5-generation RS5 — body kits, wheels, Stage 1/2 performance, interior, and a granular breakdown of what a full build actually costs from ABT, Mansory, MTM, APR and Audi Exclusive.

Platform Overview

The RS5 F5 launched in 2017 as the second-generation RS5, replacing the B8 V8-powered car. It rides on Volkswagen Group's MLB Evo longitudinal architecture — the same chassis that underpins the Audi A4/A5/S5/RS4 B9, the Audi Q5/SQ5 FY, the Porsche Macan 95B.2 and the lighter end of the Porsche Panamera line. Power comes from the 2.9 TFSI EA839 biturbo V6 (codename DECA) producing 450 hp and 600 Nm between 1,900 and 5,000 rpm. Transmission is the ZF 8HP 8-speed Tiptronic automatic (Audi no longer fits the S-tronic DCT to the RS5 — the ZF copes better with the 600 Nm torque plateau), quattro all-wheel drive with a mechanical sport differential at the rear axle is standard, and dynamic ride control with three-mode adaptive dampers is optional. The F5 body is offered as a two-door Coupe and a five-door Sportback (the Sportback is marketed as "Audi RS5 Sportback" and shares identical mechanicals with the Coupe). Audi introduced a mid-life facelift in 2020 (sometimes referred to as "B9.5") which brought a revised grille, new LED lamp signature, larger 10.1-inch MMI touch display and reprofiled front and rear bumpers — mechanical specification remained unchanged. Production runs from 2017 to present, built at Audi Neckarsulm alongside the RS6 and RS7.

Body Kits

The RS5 F5 is a rewarding car to tune visually because its stock proportions are already correct — long bonnet, short rear deck, wide hips over the rear axle. The aftermarket brief is to sharpen the aggression without breaking that silhouette, which narrows the credible tuner list to a handful of names.

ABT Sportsline — RS5-R

ABT's factory-backed RS5-R programme is the reference build for the F5 chassis. The aero package comprises a four-piece front lip spoiler in exposed carbon, vented carbon bonnet, carbon mirror caps, carbon side-skirt inserts, a widened rear-bumper insert with integrated carbon diffuser, and the signature ABT "R" boot spoiler. On the powertrain side, ABT fits a revised ECU, cooler-feed intake and a titanium cat-back exhaust to push the 2.9 TFSI from 450 hp to 530 hp and 680 Nm — enough to drop 0-100 to 3.6 seconds. The programme ships on 21-inch ABT Sport GR forged wheels and drops ride-height 25 mm via ABT-spec lowering modules. ABT limits production to 50 cars per model year and issues each with a numbered plaque and individual carbon ID card. Bodywork alone lands around £12,000 to £15,500 installed; full 530 hp turnkey programme runs £38,000 to £46,000 on top of a donor RS5.

Mansory — Full Carbon RS5

Mansory's RS5 programme is the widebody-and-forged-carbon alternative for clients who want the car to read as a bespoke build from 50 metres. The kit includes a full forged-carbon front bumper with integrated splitter and canards, widened front and rear fenders (+45 mm total width), a vented forged-carbon bonnet, side skirts with carbon blades, a boot-lid spoiler and a four-piece carbon rear diffuser housing quad 100 mm tailpipes. Mansory retrims the cabin in the client's chosen Nappa leather, Alcantara and forged carbon with contrast stitching. The engine package typically lifts power to 540 hp via a Mansory ECU and downpipes. Bodywork alone £25,000 to £40,000 installed; full turnkey Mansory RS5 £85,000 to £120,000 on top of the base car.

MTM (Motoren Technik Mayer)

MTM of Wettstetten is the credible engineering-led tuner for the RS5 F5 — their build is quieter on bodywork (a modest carbon front-lip, diffuser fins, a subtle lip spoiler) but decisive on drivetrain. The MTM RS5 Stage 2 programme fits an ECU flash, 200-cell sport catalysts, upgraded intercooler and a colder-air intake to deliver 520 hp and 680 Nm. Wheels are 20 or 21-inch MTM Bimoto forged in a bi-colour finish. Bodywork package ~£4,800; full Stage 2 powertrain £8,400 to £11,500 installed, with a dealer-revertible switchable map as standard.

Audi Exclusive & Audi Sport GmbH

Audi's in-house personalisation division has a wide catalogue for the RS5: the factory Carbon Exterior package (front lip, mirror caps, rear diffuser, window surrounds in exposed gloss carbon) runs £4,200 to £6,800, matrix LED headlamps with laser high-beam can be retrofitted on pre-facelift cars, bespoke Audi Exclusive paint adds £5,500 to £8,500, and extended Valcona leather to the dashboard and A-pillars runs £3,200 to £4,800. These options are cataloguable on the VIN and read to a second owner as factory work.

JMS Fahrzeugteile, Prior Design & Wheelsandmore

For owners after a specific visual language without the ABT or Mansory price: JMS Fahrzeugteile's Racelook Exclusive Line is a clean German-market lip-and-diffuser kit at £2,800 to £4,500; Prior Design's PDF5 widebody offers Mansory-style silhouette for half the money (£14,000 to £20,000 installed); Wheelsandmore's stage programme combines a light aero kit with forged wheels and a 510 hp ECU flash for £18,000 to £24,000 all-in.

Wheels

The RS5 F5 leaves the factory on 19-inch forged alloys (9J front and rear, ET26) with 265/35 R19 tyres; 20-inch is a factory option (9J ET26 with 275/30 R20). The visual sweet spot for the F5 silhouette is 20 or 21-inch. Anything larger than 21 inches looks distended on the RS5 and adds unsprung mass that corrupts the adaptive damping — the ABT RS5-R specifically caps at 21-inch for this reason. For a flush stance on the stock bodywork, run 9.5J ET30 front and 10.5J ET35 rear in 21-inch with 265/30 and 285/30 tyres respectively; this requires a 5 mm front spacer on some chassis and coding via VCDS/ODIS for the tyre-pressure monitor. On a Prior Design PDF5 or Mansory widebody, step to 10J ET25 front and 11J ET22 rear in 21-inch with 285/30 and 295/30 tyres. Forged wheels are essential — the RS5 is heavy over the front axle and cast wheels flex under hard cornering. Brands we ship repeatedly for this car: Vossen Forged (EVO-2R, S17-01, S21-01), HRE (P101SC, RS309M, S207), ADV.1 (ADV5.2 MV.2, ADV7.0 MV.2 SL), Rotiform (KPR, AeroDisc), OZ Racing (HLT Leggera), BBS (FI-R forged monoblock) and the ABT Sport GR one-piece forged from the RS5-R programme.

Performance

The 2.9 TFSI EA839 DECA responds very well to ECU work and bolt-on hardware, largely because Audi shares the block with the Porsche Panamera 4S where it makes 440 hp on a slightly different calibration — meaningful headroom is already baked into the engine internals.

Stage 1 — ECU flash only (98 RON / 93 octane required)

From stock 450 hp, a Stage 1 flash typically delivers 510 to 530 hp and 680 to 720 Nm. Tuners we trust for this calibration: APR (their Stage 1 ECU upgrade is the reference in North America), MTM (the dealer-revertible "Cayman flash"), ABT Sportsline (Power S flash), Unitronic, Stage 11 Performance and JHM. All of these are switchable via a handheld programmer so the car reverts to stock for dealer service visits — important for preserving the factory powertrain warranty during the first three years.

Stage 2 — Downpipes and intake (retains factory turbos)

Adding a full stainless downpipe set with 200-cell high-flow sport catalysts (Akrapovic, MTM, Wagner Tuning or ARM Motorsports), a colder-feed carbon intake (Eventuri, 034 Motorsport or APR Carbonio) and a Stage 2 recalibration pushes the 2.9 TFSI to 560 to 590 hp and 720 to 780 Nm. Catless downpipes add another 15 to 25 hp but are not MOT/TÜV compliant in most EU markets. Above Stage 2 the factory HPFP becomes a limit; upgraded pumps are available from Dorch Engineering and Integrated Engineering.

Stage 3 — Turbo upgrade

Pure Turbos, APR and MTM offer drop-in billet-wheel hybrid turbo conversions for the EA839. With supporting fuel-system work, the RS5 makes 640 to 700 hp reliably on pump fuel. Beyond 700 hp the factory connecting rods become the limit; forged H-beam rods are available from Integrated Engineering and Pauter.

Exhaust

Akrapovic's Evolution Line for the RS5 F5 is the factory-approved titanium system with carbon tailpipes and valve control integrated to Audi Drive Select — saves roughly 9 kg over the OEM cat-back and is delivered at ~£5,800. Capristo of Italy offers a titanium cat-back with three-stage remote-control valves at £4,800 to £6,200 and is the go-to choice for Sportback owners who want the loudest legal note. Cargraphic (Germany) supplies a full stainless or titanium system with GPF compliance for EU-registered cars from £3,800. MTM's stainless cat-back with ceramic coating is £2,800 and includes a switchable valve controller.

Suspension and brakes

KW Variant 3 three-way coilovers are the reference upgrade for F5 owners who want to sharpen the chassis without losing road comfort — £2,500 supplied, adjustable compression and rebound, and retain full compatibility with Audi Drive Select. For trackday-oriented builds, KW Clubsport two-way coilovers with top mounts run £3,400. Brake upgrades: owners typically retrofit the factory carbon-ceramic package (400 mm front, 330 mm rear) from the Audi parts catalogue — £9,500 to £12,000 supplied and fitted with coding — or step to an AP Racing, Brembo GT or Girodisc two-piece rotor kit for track use.

Interior

RS5 interior work is usually subtle — the factory Nappa with RS honeycomb stitching is already very strong. Popular upgrades: Alcantara headliner retrim (Vilner, Neidfaktor or Carlex Design, £1,600 to £2,200), forged-carbon inlays replacing factory aluminium (£1,200 to £1,800 supplied and fitted), Alcantara-wrapped RS steering wheel with 12 o'clock contrast stitch (£1,400 bespoke), illuminated RS-logo door sills, and an ambient-lighting retrofit extending the factory 30-colour system to the door pockets and footwells.

What Does It Cost? — Full RS5 F5 Build Breakdown

Clients consistently ask for a realistic, line-itemed total for a serious RS5 build. These are the numbers we quote weekly at Hodoor, sourced from invoices run through 2024 and 2025.

ABT Sportsline widebody and aero (supply only): £12,000 to £15,500 for the full RS5-R carbon package (front lip, bonnet, mirror caps, side skirts, diffuser, rear wing). The Mansory full carbon programme — bumpers, fenders, bonnet, skirts, diffuser, wing — runs £25,000 to £40,000 depending on carbon weave specification (gloss twill is base; forged carbon adds roughly 22 percent). Wheels: HRE P101SC or Vossen S17-01 forged in 21-inch with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S or Pirelli P Zero tyres, delivered and fitted, £6,000 to £9,000 depending on colour and finish — Brushed Clear is base, Brushed Bronze adds £400, polished lip adds £600, and a custom two-tone finish £1,000 to £1,400 on top. Stage 1 ECU flash plus intake and cat-back exhaust: £3,500 to £5,000 for a pro package — APR Stage 1 flash £900, Eventuri carbon intake £1,400, Capristo or Akrapovic cat-back £2,800 to £5,800, labour £400 to £700, post-install dyno £350. KW Variant 3 coilovers: £2,500 supply, fitting and corner-weighted alignment £500 to £700, so £3,000 to £3,200 installed. Professional paint match and full install labour: £3,000 to £5,000 for colour-matched bumpers, fenders and bonnet — budget £4,000 for OEM pearl paints (Nardo Grey, Daytona Grey) and £4,800 to £5,500 for Audi Exclusive three-layer tints. Carbon-ceramic brake pad replacement runs £1,600 per axle (pads only, fitted); Akrapovic Evolution carries a two-year manufacturer warranty against titanium weld failure. Total realistic "serious build" spend: £30,000 for a tasteful ABT-light programme; £55,000 to £75,000 for the full ABT RS5-R turnkey; £110,000+ for a full Mansory forged-carbon build with bespoke interior. Add £1,500 to £3,000 for ocean freight and import duties if shipping outside the EU.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will an ABT RS5-R or Stage 1 ECU flash void my Audi factory warranty?

ECU tuning (Stage 1 or above) explicitly voids the Audi powertrain and transmission warranty for the remaining term — this is stated in the Audi Sport warranty booklet issued with the car. Bolt-on bodywork (ABT, Mansory, Prior Design, JMS) does not affect the powertrain warranty under EU block-exemption rules, and Audi dealerships who are ABT-partnered will service ABT-kitted RS5s without issue. If you are inside the three-year factory warranty window, most of our clients run a dealer-revertible switchable flash from APR or MTM — the car reverts to stock for the service visit and re-applies the tune afterwards — or stay on the factory tune entirely and add bodywork only until the warranty expires.

Should I choose the RS5 Coupe or Sportback for a tuning project?

Mechanically the Coupe and Sportback are identical — same 2.9 TFSI, same 8HP transmission, same quattro with sport differential, same suspension. The Sportback is 35 kg heavier and marginally softer in damping. For a build, the Coupe is the better visual base — cleaner C-pillar, tighter rear overhang, better proportions for a widebody. The Sportback is the better daily driver if rear-passenger and luggage space matter. All body kits we list are available for both variants, but ABT's RS5-R is offered in Coupe-only specification for limited-edition cars.

Can I fit 22-inch wheels on the RS5 F5?

Physically yes with careful offset work and a mild fender roll, but we rarely recommend it. The RS5 is a relatively small coupe — 4,723 mm long — and 22-inch looks disproportionate against the wheelbase. 22-inch also adds roughly 11 kg of unsprung mass per corner versus 21-inch and the adaptive dampers cannot fully compensate on broken road surfaces. ABT caps the RS5-R at 21-inch specifically because 22-inch damages the car's balance. If 22-inch is essential to the brief, forge a dish wheel with deep concavity and pair with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S in 275/25 R22; expect to recalibrate the adaptive damper maps via VCDS to regain acceptable ride.

Do you ship RS5 F5 parts outside of Europe?

Yes. Our European warehouse ships ABT Sportsline, Mansory, MTM, Audi Exclusive, Akrapovic, Capristo, KW Suspension, Eventuri, Vossen, HRE, ADV.1 and BBS parts weekly to the US, Canada, UAE, KSA, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia and South Africa. Bodywork ships DDP (Delivered Duty Paid), wheels and exhaust ship DAP. A typical ABT RS5-R carbon body package to a UAE address runs ten to fourteen business days including paint and export documentation; a Mansory full carbon programme with bespoke interior trim is twelve to twenty weeks due to hand-layup carbon lead times. Email [email protected] with your VIN and delivery postcode for a line-item delivered quote.