Audi’s supercar hunting hatchback is back and this time Audi is turning up the heat. To be fair the RS3 has never really been a slouch but this version has a few more tricks up its sleeve. I will get to the nitty-gritty soon but first, let’s talk about the looks. Now I know that looks are subjective, but I will find it difficult to find someone who doesn’t think this car looks good. Sitting lower and wider than the base A3’s as well as the S3 it looks more aggressive. The front is dominated by the new honeycomb effect grill with plenty of functional vents. The RS3 comes standard with LED headlights and taillights. If you upgrade to the LED Matrix versions they have some cool animations like displaying the RS3 logo on startup.
There are even functional vents behind the front wheels which smooth the airflow down the sides for less drag. I like what Audi has done here it’s not just an S3 with more power and 4 wheel drive. Most of the exterior changes also serve a purpose which is quite rare these days with all the fake vents and exhausts most cars have. Overall the design is aggressively purposeful and there is no mistaking it for a run of the mill A3.
What lurks beneath.
Underneath that staunch exterior lies a familiar heart, that glorious 2.5l five-pot remains and with its guttural thrum. I am so glad Audi continues to use the engine as the market is flooded with 2.0l four-cylinder turbos which are powerful but just boring. In terms of outputs the overall power figure of 294kw remains the same however Audi has squeezed a little more torque from the unit. I personally feel it didn’t need any more power. The power is sent to all 4 wheels by Audi’s trick Quattro system. The Quattro system has been heavily modified for the new RS3 by including a “Drift mode”. I found the old RS3 tended to push on in the corners as is comment with most Quattro fitted Audi’s.
The engineers have solved this by adding a extra clutch to the rear axle. The second clutch allows power to be sent to each rear wheel independently of each other. The system is known as the RS Torque Splitter. With 500nm sent through a 7 speed dual clutch and affore mentioned Quattro system allow the new RS3 to hit the 100kmh mark from a standstill in a mere 3.8 seconds. The top speed is an optional 290km/h. To put the performance into perspective this RS3 can out accelerate and almost match the top speed of a 1st gen Audi R8.
Leashed.
Bringing this ferosius pace under control is a new braking system. As standard the steel brakes are larger than before but the RS3 now has the option of rather large carbon ceramic disks measuring 380mm upfront. The disks are gripped by six piston calipers. The RS3 rides standard on 19″ wheels and Audi will even give you the option of fitting Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R tyres for those that would like to track day the car.
Interior
Audi has not lefed the interior untouched and has included some lovely RS specific features adorning the space. RS sports seats with RS embossing and contrast stitching as standard. Optional Nappa leather is available. The RS-specific blinking shift indicator in manual transmission mode changes the rpm display from green to yellow to red, blinking in a manner identical to that used in motorsports, to indicate the ideal time to change gears. The 10.1-inch touch display includes what is referred to as the “RS Monitor,” which displays the coolant, engine, and transmission oil temperatures as well as tire pressures. Also available for the first time for the Audi RS3 is a head-up display that projects relevant information onto the windshield in the driver’s direct line of sight in addition to the shift light indicator.
The Audi RS 3 Sportback and RS 3 Sedan will be available to order in Europe starting in mid‑July 2021. The new RS3 models will be launched in the fall of this year. The base price for the RS3 Sportback is set at 60,000 euros, while the RS3 Sedan is listed at 62,000 euros.
