What's all this about?
Hot on the heels of the updated A3 hatchback is the new RS 3 model, which now professes to be even sportier than before. Claiming improved track performance, as well as a bolder new look, the fastest A3 model will return to the pinnacle of the A3 range, sitting above the S3 versions.
It looks… Snouty…
Audi prefers the term ‘sporty’, but there’s quite a lot of grille going on, isn’t there? It’s much broader than before, and it has new side intakes and apertures above the front splitter, which makes it a wonder there’s any bodywork on the nose at all. Apparently, it’s supposed to evoke memories of the madcap Pikes Peak Quattro of the late 1980s, but to us it just looks quite… bold. Let’s say bold.
Aside from the new grille, Audi has also given the car new lights with a choice of different daytime running ‘signatures’ that can be selected from the touchscreen. And at the rear, there are new side reflectors, a large diffuser and two oval tailpipe finishers in black frames, which apparently make them look bigger.
And there are RS-specific colours, seen in these images, called Kyalami Green and Kemora Gray, while there are new metallic paints available and you get a choice of matt or gloss finishes for the grille and diffuser. You also get 19-inch wheels, and you can choose whether you go for carbon and high-gloss exterior trim packages.
What about the inside?
Audi has made a few tweaks that are helpfully illuminated by the ambient lighting system. There’s a storage box in front of the flatter gear shifter and a centre console with cup holders. There’s something called planar lighting, too, with a light source in the door panels that illuminates lasered rhombus shapes of various sizes, creating a dynamic pattern when you lock or unlock the car. There’s anthracite paint on some of the interior features, too, which apparently “shimmers”.
Customers can also choose a design package in either red or green, adding some colour to the seat belts, seat bolsters and air vents, as well as adding some contrast stitching on the seats, steering wheel and doors.
As before, there’s a 12.3-inch Virtual Cockpit digital instrument display that’s joined by a central touchscreen, each with configurable graphics that allows drivers to see the information they want at any given time.
And the engine?
Just like its predecessor, the new RS 3 has a 2.5-litre, five-cylinder petrol engine under the bonnet, which is turbocharged to produce 400hp and 500Nm of torque. That’s plenty for what is essentially a Golf-sized hatchback, and it allows the RS 3 to get from 0-62mph in 3.8 seconds and on to a speed of 180mph.
Efficiency is not really the name of the game, so around 30mpg is about as good as you’ll get on the official economy test. And don’t ask about the emissions because you don’t want to know.
The one emission you can ask about is the sound, because Audi is offering a RS exhaust system with what it calls “variable flap control.” That means the car can change the sound of the engine to make it more aggressive in the sportier modes and quieter in its more subdued settings. Although everything’s relative, and Audi says the noise is “fuller-bodied” in every setting.
What about handling?
Well, Audi says (quite rightly) that it’s difficult to measure handling feel, but it points to a new lap record on the Nurburgring’s fearsome 21km Nordschleife circuit as proof that the new RS 3 is an improvement on its predecessor. In the hands of test driver Frank Stippler, it lapped the circuit in 7:33.123 minutes, making it the fastest compact car on the track.
That’s partly down to Stippler’s driving brilliance, and partly down to the RS 3’s chassis upgrades that help to set it apart from the S3. It has a torque splitter to divide the power between the rear wheels and adaptive dampers to control the wheels and body. Both are aided by a new computer algorithm that helps them react more rapidly.
And Audi has fitted brake torque vectoring, which uses the brakes to minutely adjust the car’s behaviour in turns for more precise cornering, and better traction on the exit of the corner. Both of which make it faster on a hot lap. What’s more, Audi has also fitted a new tyre for better comfort and higher lateral support, while semi-slick Pirelli tyres are offered as an option.
So how much does it cost?
That depends which RS 3 you want. Opt for the standard five-door hatchback (Sportback, in Audi parlance), and it’ll set you back £59,510, while the more upmarket Carbon Black version costs £64,160 and the range-topping Vorsprung comes in at £68,650. If you want the four-door Saloon body, you can add a further £1,000 to those prices.
James Fossdyke - 20 Aug 2024
