NEW AGE RAGE
RS3 COMES IN A NEW SUIT WITH MORE POWER, PROVING ITS THE PERFECT DAILY DRIVEN RACE CAR
These days, compacts are constantly evolving and are getting faster and faster. A few years back, Mercedes-AMG’s A45 ruled the roost with its 265kw turbocharged 2-litre, but it didn’t take Audi long to counter with its 270kw RS3. Fast forward a few years after some jostling for bragging rights in the category; it seems Audi has nailed it down with its latest RS3, far ahead of the 280kw A45 and CLA45 as well as the 272kw BMW M2.
While the RS3 is available in sportback and sedan, the hot M2 is only available in coupe form. And even though the M2 trumps them all in the torque stakes thanks to its 3-litre motor, on the blacktop where it matters, is where the RS3 shows a clean pair of heels to all takers. The little compact is even quicker than the mighty C63 and M3/M4!
It’s powered by a 2.5-litre turbocharged 5 cylinder motor that produces 294kw from 5850rpm all the way to 7000rpm, with peak torque of 480nm available from as low as 1700rpm all the way to 5850rpm. The motor is mated to a slick 7-speed S-tronic automatic transmission driving all four wheels through a Haldex based Quattro system. The RS3 is also fairly light, weighing in at a whisker under 1.5 tons, endowing with a power-to-mass ratio of an incredible 199kw/ton!
On a cold winter’s morning out at Gerotek, Mark Jones from Performance Motoring Media, put the RS3 Sedan up against the clock and revealed its truly breathtaking performance. Shod with factory 19” Pirelli P-Zero tyres, the RS3 Sedan was unleashed at the Pretoria based test facility.
The benchmark 0-100kph sprint was dispatched in a mere 3.83 seconds, with it blitzing past the ¼ mile marker in 12 seconds at the speed of 191.02kph. Then, 6.84 seconds later it passes the 800m mark travelling at 232.76kph. It’s unrelenting as it completes the 1km sprint just 21.95 seconds from standstill, with it moving at a warp speed-like 245.12kph! In gear acceleration is equally impressive, with it surging from 60-100kph in 3rd gear in just 2.61 seconds, and from 80-120kph in 4th in just 3.45 seconds. It managed to run from 100kph to the double ton in 3rd gear in only 9.45 seconds. The RS3 ran hard to an electronically limited top speed of 261.18kph at just 5600rpm in 6th. With plenty of rpm left, it’s fair to say the RS3 is capable of much much more in terms of top speed.
There isn’t a huge compromise at the pumps either. Audi claim fuel economy of 8.3L/100kms, but expect that to hit 11s if driven hard. This translates to just under 500kms on a full tank (55 litres) of 95 unleaded.
But this performance doesn’t come cheap. The RS3 Sedan is priced from R925 500. However, in the grander scheme of things, it can be looked at as a performance bargain, when you consider just how practical it is, and the fact that it can totally be used as a daily with zero compromise. It also comes with a 5 year / 100 000km maintenance plan from Audi South Africa. Which begs the question, is this the perfect sport compact available today?
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