Hankook announced the company will supply original fitment UHP tires, the Hankook Ventus S1 evo², for the Audi RS 5 coupe in 19- and 20-inch sizes. Hankook premiered as original equipment manufacturer for an RS model in 2016, fitting the high-performance two-seater Audi Sport TT RS with S1 evo² tires on 19-inch wheels.

The RS 5 Coupé is the first Audi RS model to use the carmakers new design philosophy, which is exclusively reserved for this line. It includes a newly developed V6 bi-turbo engine combining an apparent contradiction: performance with efficiency. These characteristics are precisely what make the Audi RS 5 Coupé so unique – despite its high level of sportiness, it always remains suitable for everyday use.

This premise applies for the tires, too. According to Hankook, care had to be taken during development to ensure that the focus on sportiness was not achieved at the expense of comfort, and that good grip did not lead to a compromise on durability.

This is all achieved by the Hankook Ventus S1 evo², which is fitted in sizes 265/35 R 19 98 Y XL (standard) and 275/30 R 20 97Y XL (optional) as OE tires all round and equipped with the company’s new “sound absorber®” technology.

With each RS model, Audi Sport GmbH ensures that not only roadworthiness is guaranteed, but that sportiness is not only in the name either. In terms of the tire approval procedure, this means that the road tires have to survive ten laps of the iconic “Nordschleife” track at the German Nürburgring circuit in such a way that they can then drive just as safely back into the city for a shopping trip.

Here, Hankook’s flagship tire was able to demonstrate not only its sportiness, but its durability and reliability as well. The innovative DTM inspired 3-layer block design, with its special staircase arrangement of the outer rib blocks, thus ensures an evenly gripping contact area even as tire wear progresses, thereby guaranteeing very good traction performance throughout the entire lifetime of the tire.

Short braking distances and an above-average performance in the wet ensure that drivers can completely rely on their tires at all times. The sophisticated technology of the Ventus S1 evo² with its multiple tread radius and rayon carcass provides maximum tread contact, even if evasive action should suddenly become necessary in city traffic on wet roads or if hard braking is required on the motorway. The advanced styrene-polymer-silica mixture used for the tread compound comes into play here, optimizing wet grip significantly, according to the company.

Driving comfort in particular is further enhanced by Hankook’s own “sound absorber” technology. This technology is already being used for the tires on the current Audi Q7 and SQ7, and significantly reduces cavity noise. This reduction of that noise typical of sporty, low aspect ratio tires at higher speeds was a pivotal aspect and a focal point of the development work to provide a top performing yet pleasant driving experience. The Hankook engineers adapted the company’s own silent tire technology “sound absorber” to date used on powerful large SUVs, and now to their passenger car flagship model, the Ventus S1 evo². With this, Audi has chosen a tire that combines sporty and dynamic driving with a high level of comfort.