Audi’s RS 3 remains a hot hatch legend
This latest installment of this cult classic that’s just hit Aussie roads delivers a supercar-rivalling experience for a fraction of the price.
Can a hatchback really be worth $120,000?
Audi’s RS 3 answers that question with the emphatic, triumphant blast from an engine with the voice of a supercar and pedigree to match.
Seriously, it sounds like a Lamborghini crossbred with a 1980s rally car, warbling with a mix of funky bass, operatic vibrato and soaring stadium rock - like a reanimated Pavarotti as front man for the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
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The turbocharged 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine at the heart of Audi’s pocket rocket is one of the great engines on sale today. I rate it up there with the flat six of Porsche’s 911, Ferrari’s screaming V12, Mercedes-AMG’s thumping V8 and the sledgehammer boost of BMW’s M4 CS.
DISCOUNT LAMBO
Think of it like a discount Lambo, one that’s easier to live with than two-door exotics.
This Audi costs less than half as much as those cars, but twice as much as the basic A3 hatchback that shares its bones.
So you could argue that it represents decent value.
The list of hardware is impressive – you get 19-inch alloys with fat sports tyres, oversized brakes and adaptive suspension tuned to elicit sharper responses than its predecessor.
There’s a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, all-wheel-drive, a torque vectoring rear diff (with drift mode, naturally), and more than enough tech to keep you busy.
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Drivers sit on well-bolstered seats while taking hold of a gorgeous squared off steering wheel trimmed in perforated leather or microfibre, looking forward to a digital dash and head-up display.
Passengers are pampered with three-zone climate control, a 15-speaker Sonos stereo, and a central touchscreen with connected services that will find you a fuel station or parking space.
It’s a lovely interior that benefits from well-considered upgrades.
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We’ll see all of those toys – and better – in ears to come.
A VERY HOT HATCH
But we may never see a better engine under the bonnet of a hot hatch.
The boosted motor is good for 294kW and 500Nm, enough to hit 100km/h in 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 250km/h.
The numbers really don’t tell the story.
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This is a stirring, soulful motor.
In the same way that V8s have a special rumble and effortless shove, the Audi’s melodious engine is a magical thing that will put a smile on your face while squeezing you into the seat.
We won’t see it for long.
Increasingly strict noise and emissions regulations make it hard to keep such a wild engine in production.
The latest models are quieter than early examples, but still sound magnificent to our ears. And there are myriad aftermarket solutions that can release more of its voice.
In any case, there’s more to the Audi than its motor.
A clever approach to chassis engineering helps the car feel surprisingly nimble. It starts with fat front tyres that are wider than those at the rear, encouraging the front axle to bite into the road and the rears to relinquish grip first, helping the car rotate toward the apex when you aim it at a bend.
Torque-vectoring sends more power to the outside wheels, which helps the car swing around like a kid with one hand clamped to a clothesline.
And oversized brakes do a great job of keeping it all under control.
Folks who want the ultimate in stopping power can spend $10,800 to swap the steel front discs for the sort of carbon-ceramic items you find on a Ferrari.
Other options include matt paint ($11,500), carbon exterior package ($7400), RS interior styling package ($2150) and cross-spoke alloys ($1200) that add more than $30,000 to a car that already costs $104,800 plus on-road costs (about $120,000 drive-away).
Then you would have to reconsider the question of finances and ask yourself if a hatchback really could be worth $150,000.
And the answer would still be yes.
Originally published as Audi’s RS 3 remains a hot hatch legend
