It took nearly two years for Audi to cut down the roof of the A5 Coupe and make it a convertible, and finally did it and introduced the rag-top version in 2009.
The German carmaker didn’t have such a big experience or tradition in building open-top vehicles. Apart from the 80 Convertible, the TT Roadster, and the A4 Cabriolet, there was no other convertible in its lineup for the last three decades. It didn’t know exactly how the car would handle against the more experienced Mercedes-Benz or the BMW, who offered the CLK Cabriolet and the 3-series convertible, respectively.

It featured the same body lines as its coupe version, and the main difficulty was to create a vehicle that had to look good with the top up or down. Walter da Silva managed the design department and succeeded in accomplishing that. The roof was electrically operated and could completely disappear behind the rear seats. A glass-rear window with defroster was installed in the back.

The interior featured bucket seats at the front and a two-seat profiled bench in the rear. Depending on the trim level and the options, the A5 Cabriolet sported leather seats and aluminum trims on the dashboard and door panels. Its high center console had a storage compartment and a pair of cupholders.

Under the hood, Audi offered a wide choice of diesel and gasoline powerplants. For selected engines only, Audi installed an all-wheel-drive system.