YOU just have to fire up an super-sleek Audi RS 5 and you immediately know you're sitting in something very special.

Just push the start button and the gorgeous roar that eminates from the highly-tuned 4.2-litre V8 engine tells you that what you are cocooned in is nothing short of a true supercar that has the looks to compliment the snap, crackle and pop that blasts from the large oval exhaust pipes.

Yes, this without doubt had to be Audi at its very best. On the outside, the sleek coupé-styled body looked great from any angle, all thanks to the RS 5's aggressive, sporty stance, while on the inside you'd find Audi's trademark high-end craftmanship shining through all around the cabin.

From the outside, the car's athletic, muscular design made it abundantly clear that the RS 5 came with huge performance credentials.

From the single frame grille painted in high-gloss anthracite, to the exterior mirror housing and highlight trim in matt aluminium, wherever you looked the RS 5 delivered the road presence expected from a model with a long sporting heritage that's now pushing on for the two decade mark.

To emphasise the RS 5's sporting credentials over its sibling A5, its body was widened and to add to its road presence. It also received the added benefit of flared wheel arches and side sill trims.

On the inside, the RS 5's soft Nappa leather sports seats offered optimum comfort for all on board, while a three-spoke, flat-bottomed perforated leather-clad multifunction steering wheel enabled the driver to get to grips with the aggressive nature of the machine.

The cabin put many a competitor to shame, thanks to its high levels of refinement, attention to detail and fabulous finish. And, just as you would expect from Audi, the instruments were also beautifully designed, while being clear and easy on the eye.

In the centre of the instrument panel sat the driver's information system, a large colour digital display unit which provided a raft of information.

But forget about all the fancy gismos which Audi subtly added throughout the car, the RS 5 was a machine that just screamed to be taken out and driven hard.

With a 0-62mph sprint time of 4.5 seconds and a limited top speed of 155mph, it was very easy fall in love with this machine.

Acceleration via the seven-speed S-tronic automatic transmission was blisteringly fast yet beautifully smooth, thanks to the delivery of power from the 4.2-litre V8 petrol-driven engine.

With what was then the latest in Audi's quattro four-wheel-drive system, the car's road-holding abilities were second to none and even the tightest of twisty B-roads could be attacked at pace as the car was more than happy to demonstrate its limpet-like grip on the black stuff.

Yet, for those who wished to use the car as a long-distance grand tourer, even the boot was of a generous size, with a capacity of 455 litres which could be increased to 829 litres when the rear seats were folded flat.

However, with a 2014 price tag just short of £60,000, the Limited Edition RS 5 was way out of reach for most, and that was such a shame, for this was one machine that really did put the fun, fun, fun factor back into motoring.

Expect to pay between £34,310 and £41,425 for a 2014, 64-plate LE version with around 30,000 miles on the clock, still something of a bargain considering today's new showroom price.

Move on a year and one with around 20,000 miles will set you back anything from £38,435 to £46,000.