What Is It?
The Audi RS3 is a small car known for being very fast. The refreshed RS3 recently set a lap record of 7 minutes and 33.123 seconds at Nurburgring. This makes the RS3 5 seconds faster than the BMW M2. The improvements that made this possible were not about making the car more powerful, but rather making small changes to how it’s set up.
Is It A Looker Or Not?
The design of the 2025 Audi RS3 is updated with several stylistic changes. The headlights, now sleeker, integrate into the Audi design language, while the signature honeycomb grille is replaced by a larger, diamond-patterned one. The rear features an enlarged diffuser for a more aggressive look, and the fake grille treatment is limited to the rear reflectors.
Package
The car is powered by a 2.5 Litre 5-cylinder engine that produces 400hp and 500Nm of torque. According to Frank Stippler, the chassis has been fine-tuned for cornering. The RS3 has fully variable torque distribution, brake torque vectoring, and an RS Sport Suspension with optional adaptive dampers and ceramic brakes. It can go from 0-100 in less than 3.5 seconds. The Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R tires contributed to this performance. The BMW M2 used Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires and completed the lap in 7 Minutes and 38 seconds.
Interior
The RS3’s interior is good, but it uses lower-quality materials due to being based on the entry-level A3 sedan. This was a cost-cutting measure by Audi to ensure profitability. Initially, the round steering wheel designed for lane keep assist and adaptive cruise control was controversial, with many people rejecting the safety features to get a flat-bottomed steering wheel. However, the new standard squared-off steering wheel has changed this. The video shows that Audi has returned to using round digital dials, which is visually appealing. Given its high cost in international markets, around Rs. 78 Lakhs, we expect the RS3 to have the latest and greatest technology.
Tunability
The Audi 2.5-liter 5-cylinder engine has gained a reputation for being highly tunable. Companies like APR and Eurocode have managed to achieve 800hp with this engine. It’s interesting to note that despite the transverse layout, which is not common in most cars, this engine has shown impressive performance. One of the main reasons people choose to modify this engine is because it took Audi many years to bring it to a respectable level. What’s particularly fascinating about owning or building an Audi 5-cylinder engine is its historical association with the famed Group B era of rallying. This adds a unique historical significance to its performance capabilities.
Conclusion
We’re looking forward to the upcoming competition in the compact car class when the M2 Competition launches in 2025! It’s likely to set a new track record. It’s interesting to see a car designed for everyday use and performance outperform a dedicated sports car, even if the sports car isn’t at its highest performance level. Yet.
