Audi RS3: Audi goes to town on its RS3 quiver killer, and it’s ready to scare supercars
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Audi RS3: Audi goes to town on its RS3 quiver killer, and it’s ready to scare supercars

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By GoAuto - 23 July 2021

BY CALLUM HUNTER

AUDI is back to have another crack at ruling the hot-and-hyper hatch market with its new RS3, a car that embodies all of the key elements of the original quattro Group B rally monster: all-wheel-drive, compact dimensions and big power from a snarling five-cylinder engine.

Under the bonnet of this compact little car – it’s around the size of a Ford Focus – lurks a turbocharged 2.5-litre five-cylinder petrol engine developing 294kW of power and 500Nm of torque.

Combine all that firepower with a rear-biased all-wheel-drive system and the compact dimensions and you’re left with a genuine pocket rocket that will comfortably show up many of the world’s most exotic sports cars.

The new Audi RS3 is aggro by name, look and nature.

Zero-100km/h is dispatched in a claimed 3.8 seconds with gear changes fired off by a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that’ll keep the RS3 on the boil all the way up to an ultimate top speed of 290km/h.

The supercar-scaring v-max won’t be available as standard though; the out-of-the-box top speed is electronically pegged at 250km/h – you’ll need to opt for the RS Dynamic package and ceramic brake option if flirting with the triple-tonne is your thing.

Alternatively, a 280km/h speed-limiter will be optionally available.

This small car is capable of up to 290km/h.

The almost ludicrous performance is not so subtly hinted at by the lairy RS body kit, black intake and vent mesh, gaping grille, lowered suspension, 33mm-wider tracks, increased negative wheel camber, purposeful-looking LED headlights and aggressively styled 19-inch alloy wheels.

Behind those black alloys reside either black or red six-piston brake callipers that act on steel discs measuring 375x36mm up front and 310x22mm at the rear.

Opting for the ceramic brake pack not only upgrades the front disc material, but also ups the size to 380x38mm, resulting in more power and better cooling abilities.

Ceramic brakes and semi-slick tyres will be available for even more track-minded performance.

The ceramic stoppers also come with grey, blue or red callipers.

Agility is perhaps the quintessential element of a decent hot hatch, and hyper hatches are meant to take every aspect of practical performance to the next level or beyond.

In conjunction with the ever-evolving quattro all-paw system, Audi has fitted the new RS3 with a new-age ‘torque splitter’ which completely does away with the previous model’s rear differential.

Armed with a new ‘torque splitter’ and drift mode, the RS3 is going A45 S hunting.

Instead, the new system features an electronically-controlled multiple-disc clutch on each drive shaft, both of which have an independent control unit.

Using information provided by the various driver aids, sensors and driver input, the system determines how much of the torque is sent to the outside wheel, reportedly resulting in improved steering precision, less understeer and more corner-exit grip.

“During more dynamic driving, the torque splitter increases the drive torque to the respective outer rear wheel with the higher wheel load, which significantly reduces the tendency to understeer,” Audi said in a statement.

Sexy sedan or hot hatchback, the choice is yours.

“The new technology also makes controlled drifts on closed-off tracks possible.”

Taking a leaf out of Mercedes-AMG’s book, engineers have fitted the new RS3 with a dedicated drift mode, officially known as ‘RS Torque Rear’ – one of three new bespoke RS driving modes.

The others consist of ‘RS Individual’ (for drivers to configure and store their preferred set-up) and ‘RS Performance’ (all-out performance and maximum grip are the name of the game).

All the usual Audi and RS trinkets are present.

As usual for a modern car with sporting pretentions, the usual stack of comfort, auto, dynamic and efficiency drive modes are included as well.

Given it’s the baby of the RS bunch, the RS3 won’t come as standard with adaptive dampers however they will be available as an option, as will a set of Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R performance semi-slick tyres for those who want to extract every ounce of performance from their cars.

While the local pricing and specification details won’t be revealed until closer to the Aussie launch next year, Audi has teased some of the key global equipment highlights including a flat-bottom RS Sport steering wheel, 12.3-inch Audi virtual cockpit plus, manual-shift light, a 10.1-inch ‘RS Monitor’ touch display, carbon-fibre instrument panel and RS sport seats.

The TT RS may be on the way out, but the RS3 twins are here to prove compact Audi performance is sticking around.

With both the hatch and sedan body styles returning, Audi Sport managing director Sebastian Grams said the new RS3 twins “represent the entry point into” the “RS world” and would deliver “the ultimate in outstanding performance in the compact segment”.

“With the third generation of the Audi RS3 Sportback and the second generation of the Audi RS3 Sedan, we now offer premium sports cars that are suitable for everyday use and equally thrilling to drive on public roads and racetracks,” he said.

Some may be lamenting the imminent death of the TT RS – and the rest of the TT range – but never fear, the RS3 is almost here.

Protect your Audi. Call Shannons Insurance on 13 46 46 to get a quote today.