BUY, LEASE OR FINANCE AN AUDI RS 3 FROM OSV - bit.ly/3MeYRAH
This third generation version of Audi's devastatingly quick RS 3 provides the entry point into the brand's formidable RS performance range and features the most powerful production five-cylinder engine in Ingolstadt's history. Plus there's more technology, smarter looks and a more sophisticated interior. The result is a compact performance car that once again claims class-leading status and aims once more to rewrite the shopping rocket rulebook.
TIMESTAMPS
00:00​​​​ Introduction
00:55 Background
04:06 Driving Experience
14:13 Design & Build
27:04 Market & Model Range
42:36 Cost of Ownership
49:21 Summary
Background
Did anyone ever imagine that one day, a model of this size would offer what would once have been seen as supercar-style power? In this third generation Audi RS 3, that's just what you get: four wheel drive, formidable pulling power and 400PS. This is the same output boasted by the last version of the previous generation model, but here, you can use that power even more effectively thanks to the introduction of a unique 'RS Torque Splitter' for enhanced cornering traction.
As before, the 2.5-litre five cylinder engine on offer here really sets this model apart in this segment. Like V8s for AMG or straight sixes in BMW M cars, a tuned five cylinder unit is part of the DNA of a division which was once called 'Quattro gmbh' but which is these days known as 'Audi Sport' - the Ingolstadt brand's performance division. That of course was the configuration used for the classic Quattro coupe that first established Audi's engineering credentials back in the Eighties. And the brand returned to it when at the beginning of the century's second decade, the time came to expand its RS performance model line-up with the original RS 3 of 2012, replaced by a second generation model in 2015 and this MK3 version in mid-2021.
Driving Experience
Interestingly, Audi has chosen not to engage in a power race with the fastest hot hatch in the segment, the Mercedes-AMG A45 S 4MATIC+, which offers 427PS. And it didn't really need to. Instead, this RS 3's 2.5-litre five cylinder 400PS turbo unit was tweaked to accelerate faster from low rev ranges and the result is that it can now propel this Audi to 62mph in just 3.8s and with the optional 'Dynamic Pack' fitted, the top speed is 180mph. For reference, the A45's figures are 3.9s and 168mph. This Audi may well be faster through the turns too, thanks to the addition of an 'RS Torque Splitter', which adds an electronically controlled multiple disc clutch to each of the drive shafts. This ensures that the right amount of torque is optimally distributed along the rear axle when cornering at speed. Plus the standard RS sports suspension features newly developed shock absorbers and a valve system both specific to the RS 3.
A seven-speed dual-clutch transmission puts the power of the five-cylinder engine to the road - with short shifting times and a sportier gear ratio spread. And for the first time, the exhaust system features a fully variable flap control system that supports intermediate positions, thus broadening the sound characteristics even further. It can be adjusted via the driving dynamics system 'Audi drive select'. In the Dynamic and RS Performance modes, the flaps open much earlier - and as a result, the emotional elements of the sound are even more pronounced. In addition, the unmistakable sound of the five-cylinder engine is further enhanced by the optional RS sports exhaust system.
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