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I had the privilege of running around VIR for a couple of days at the end of November. If you haven't driven it (I realize that some major portion of this board is British) it's worth trying - it's one of the epic courses of North America.

Here's the obligatory up-on-three-wheels shot... this corner is taken at the top of third gear.

Some MUCH better shots by Sideline Sports:

Full album:

http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i15/viergang/s5vir/

 

[raykwok]

ooo you own the green car

 

[Blacky3.2]

Nice. I'm sure some of the members will bag on your color choice again. I dig it. Reminds me of the old Porsche green. I would like to see it dropped a little lower with some deep dish, black with chrome lip, wheels.

 

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It *is* the old Porsche green -- color code 137 from 1973 -- sharp eyes!

I'd planned to put BBS CHes on it, black with stainless lip, but I spent the money on Borbet LS winter wheels instead. Might just end up painting the stock 19" wheels black and machining the outer edge for a similar effect.

This car is my wife's daily driver for all four seasons, so I think it will stay pretty much entirely stock. Having driven the S5 at VIR and Infineon I'm actually totally pleased with the spring and roll rates. They could be a little more aggressive but it wouldn't gain much in the way of lap time while sacrificing all the long-haul freeway comfort of what is really a big, heavy cruiser of a car.

On the back straight of the VIR full course, the S5 nipped right up to 142mph with ease, almost 11 miles per hour faster than my 2006 Phaeton V8 could manage and well past the 115-120 possible in my PTE-class race car. The brakes smoked out pretty easily but again, it's not really designed for the track.

The additional power you get with an S5 over something like a 350Z was readily apparent in most of the course. It even managed to pull past a well-prepared E46 M3 in a straight line; peak power was no doubt similar but there's more "area under the curve" in the V8.

I also learned that if you take Bluetooth calls while you're on track, the other party will have trouble understanding you through your helmet.

 

[TXcarguy]

I also learned that if you take Bluetooth calls while you're on track, the other party will have trouble understanding you through your helmet.

LOL! Nice!

BTW, I'm curious... how many times has your wife (or you) encountered people taking pictures of the car? I would imagine quite a few times with that very unique and LOUD color. Even with my subdued silver, I've had 3 occasions where "the paparazzi" snapped pics of my car while I was driving (and one of them was driving and turning a corner while he snapped a photo with his camera phone ).

 

[bandar1113]

I'd planned to put BBS CHes on it, black with stainless lip, but I spent the money on Borbet LS winter wheels instead. Might just end up painting the stock 19" wheels black and machining the outer edge for a similar effect.

+1 on BBS black w/ stainless lip. That would look wicked!

 

[[email protected]]

LOL! Nice!

BTW, I'm curious... how many times has your wife (or you) encountered people taking pictures of the car? I would imagine quite a few times with that very unique and LOUD color. .

All the time. Our VIR trip was part of a general Thanksgiving trip through the South totaling about 1300 miles, and I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that I saw twenty people take a cameraphone photo of it. Just as common was the kid in the STi who comes running up through traffic and then smokes his brakes right next to the car.

Driving the car through downtown Asheville over the course of a few days, I was surprised how many hippies and bike-riding alternative people just LOVED the S5 and went out of their way to tell me so. I won't say it doesn't photograph well, because I'm very pleased with the Sideline photos, but I've shown the car now to quite a few people who didn't like the look of it on the Internet but change their mind upon seeing it in the metal... particularly since the seats look orange in photos but are definitely not orange in real life!

Not so much a fan of the green S5: all the Bimmers, Nissans, et al who have to move over for it on-track

 

[tarsands]

Hmm, craving a Margerita. Nice !

 

[Andy T]

I have to say..... I wouldn't have bought a car in that colour myself..... not because I dont like the colour but probably cause I haven't got the balls to do it....

In the same way I wouldn't by a car with the light/powder blue used in the gulf racing colours (with or without the stripes !) or a bright orange.... but all these colours including the green are awesome colours on the right cars !!

but I applaud you for doing so...