Living with the 2021 Audi RS3

• Introduction: Standing Out
• Month 2: No Rohrl Model
• Month 3: La Dolce Vita
• Month 4: Quarter Pounder
• Month 5: Until Next Timer

UPDATE, August 5, 2022: New 2023 RS3 driven in Australia

The new-generation RS3 is finally in Australia. You can read our review here, and watch Inwood's track and road drive in the video below.

The story to here

Introduction: Rev-enant

Audi’s smallest RS returns and enters our garage

Perhaps I’m uncompassionate or cold-hearted, but I’ve never really understood the sobbing groupies and wailing fans when a band announces they are breaking up.

At least, that was the case until earlier this year when French electronic legends Daft Punk dropped the bomb with the announcement no one saw coming and, after nearly three decades, the enigmatic duo would go their own curious, anonymous, robotic ways.

As far as bands and musical ventures go, this feeling of emptiness was very new to me, and yet its deep uncomfortable ache seemed familiar. Some hours later and after countless replays of Daft Punk classics like a heartbroken schoolgirl, I finally remembered.

The last time I felt like this was when Audi discontinued the RS3.

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Amid the chaos of switching over to the new Worldwide Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) in 2018, the German manufacturer halted production of its A3 flagship with no guarantee it would return in the present third-generation.

With the fourth-gen A3 now out and about in Europe and other parts of the world, it seemed increasingly likely we would have to wait until the yet-to-be-confirmed all-new RS3 appears in local showrooms for a taste of the magical five-cylinder and quattro combination.

But again, with widespread downsizing and hybridisation in response to strict emissions regulations, there is no such thing as a guaranteed engine and transmission combination in today’s automotive landscape.

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"This 294kW machine is a very welcome visitor to the long-term test garage"

So when I heard that the Neckarsulm production line would once again start pumping out the current-generation version I finally understood how people felt when Axl, Slash and Duff buried the hatchet in 2016 and reformed iconic band Guns N’ Roses.

From 2020, the most muscular version of Audi’s small hatchback and sedan returned to local dealerships. Pause for applause.
With the next incarnation of the Audi A3 imminent however, the freshly returned RS3 is very much having its swansong. But its momentary resurrection offers an important opportunity to evaluate what the hi-po hatch does well and, more importantly, what its successor could do even better.

That’s why I have taken (okay, snatched) the keys to an Ara Blue example with light grey leather upholstery until mid-winter. I love the colour. Ara was initially an Exclusive colour by Audi for the R8 V10 plus and, for a while at least, was initially seen only on the supercar.

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I’m happy to report the fudamentals remain excellent. What’s changed? A top-spec Bang and Olufsen sound system, that leather, wireless device charging and adaptive dampers are all now standard fare – along with a $2200 price increase to $83,800 for the Sportback. You can still also get the sedan equivalent for $86,500.

Oh and if you were thinking of dropping a frankly absurd amount of cash on the optional carbon ceramic brake package, then Audi has done you a favour and discontinued it. Trust me, if you drive this 1500kg hot hatch hard enough to need space-age anchors then I suspect slowing down really will be the least of your worries.

But there’s one update that I’ll be keeping a particular eye on – or should that be ear?

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To sneak through the more stringent WLTP emissions standards, the RS3 now has a particulate filter plumbed into its exhaust and, while the sophisticated device is doubtless great news for the environment, they have a tendency to strip aural character from the exhaust as efficiently as they scrub particles.

If the rally style pops and cracks on overrun that the pre-WLTP version offered have gone, then a little of the RS3’s soul will go with it.

The next few months will not be a frivolous folly and a personal indulgence in a car that I like very much, but one that fails to capture a significant audience.

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Unlike some other high-performance halo variants, the RS3 is not a micro-volume seller that acts more as a hero for the rest of the range. On the contrary, with a quarter of all 2018 A3 sales accounted for by the range-topper, it’s happy to earn its keep.

It’s not clear how long you’ll have a chance to grab your own example of the RS3 or when its replacement will arrive in all-new guise but, like bumping into an old friend you thought was long gone, this potent machine is a very welcome visitor to the long-term test garage.

The revenant Audi RS3 is not significantly harder, better, faster or stronger but, for both pragmatic and shamelessly nostalgic reasons, I’m still delighted to get behind the wheel… one more time. - DG

Things we love

• Return of old fav
• Straight-line pace
• Plush cabin

Not so much

• Sound reduction?
• Last of its kind?
• It's not mine

Back to top ^

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Update One: No Rohrl Model

Baby RS is still a brute, but needs a little more brat

I am blessed with really lovely next-door neighbours. They bring in my bins if I am away, look after parcels if they look nickable and even occasionally pass an espresso martini over the wall between our balconies – five stars. And if they are ever popping out they will let me know – not with a quiet knock on the door or message, no, their method is far more MOTOR than that.

If Eugene is leaving I can tell because the exhaust note of his 350kW Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII sounds like the 3pm freight train has derailed. If Suzie is going out, the note from her BMW M140i fitted with an Akrapovic exhaust actually makes the front door rattle. Other neighbours with young children and plates that fall off shelves undoubtedly hate it, but I think It’s absolutely brilliant.

So imagine how excited I was to potentially return the favour with the updated RS3 now in my garage for a few months. Not only did the pre-update model have a wonderful cat-lighting idle exhaust note when cold, it even spat a few cracks and pops with an accompanying and wholly gratuitous rev up.

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Devastatingly though, it wasn’t to be. As part of the emissions-satisfying update, Audi has plumbed a particulate filter into its exhaust and the air-quality-boosting device has removed charisma from the report as efficiently as it scrubs tiny pieces of carbon.

Gone are the antisocial pops and cracks on overrun and downshifts, while the overall volume has been turned down from Johnny Rotten to Jack Johnson.

Out on the road, thankfully it’s not all bad news. There’s still the unmistakable, wonderfully weird note that sets this car apart from almost anything else, and the 2.5-litre turbocharged five-cylinder still manages enough volume to be enjoyable inside the car and out. In this current automotive climate, unique is becoming increasingly rare.

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And the RS3 is not all bark (okay, a small woof) and no bite because the engine that produces that pleasant note is an absolute masterpiece. There’s a little lag under full acceleration from both the turbo and seven-speed DCT, but that only adds to the drama when it finally musters the full 294kW and 480Nm and dumps it all in your lap.

I’m delighted that not only is the RS3 still blindingly fast, it also has the same unstickable manner of delivering power to the road. Pick a line through a corner, stomp the throttle and the quattro system simply finds a way to deal with the increasing mountain of torque and maintain your course without troubling you for steering correction or a great deal in the way of throttle modulation. It’s effortless pace without lacking any of the character.

But if this delicious recipe of power and grip was a cake then it would be like finding a pubic hair in the icing when it comes to the Audi’s limits of adhesion.

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Of course, exploring the ragged edge on a public road would be hugely irresponsible and would most likely end badly but a recent encounter with a wet skidpan allowed the RS3’s stoicism to be convincingly obliterated.

When the Pirelli P Zero rubber runs out of ideas, the RS3 becomes a whole world of disappointing understeer. An enthusiastic armful of Scandi will start to unsettle the tail but, regardless of the driving mode and ESC setting (Sport or ‘off’), the stability systems will surreptitiously step in, pinch a rear brake and all the fun is over before it even starts.

Repeated attempts resulted in the same outcome. This is perhaps the most un-Audi Sport thing the RS3 does. For a car that wears the coveted RS badge, not allowing you to completely cancel all stability interventions is frustrating.

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Any heroic oversteer catches or embarrassing spins won’t be all your own work – although you might be glad of the latter.

Even with the stability control switched to what the Audi claims is ‘off’ there is still a little electronic wizard watching the levels of wheel spin and attitude, waiting to shut things down if the tail end can be convinced to do something lively.

So, dear Audi, if you’re listening, I’ve only been in the RS3 for a few weeks but I already have a couple of things I would like put on the wish list for the fourth-generation A3’s RS transformation. Please and thank you in advance.

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While many other manufacturers are programming ‘Drift’ and ‘Race’ driving modes into their hottest models, the RS3 is showing its age with Dynamic as the most reckless. So how about Mouton (Michèle) and Röhrl (Walter) modes for the new version along with an exhaust that makes dogs howl?

When I bring home an example of the new Audi RS3 I’d like my neighbours to know about it. - DG

Things we love:

1. Huge power
2. Practicality
3. Handsome looks

Things we rue:

1. Muted exhaust
2. Lying ESC
3. Unshakeable tail

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Update Two: La Dolce Vita

Does Dan's RS3 live up to some slightly rose-tinted expectations?

For many years of my childhood I was annoyed by my parent’s abject aversion to theme parks and each time we headed off on a family holiday it was never to go and visit Mickey or spend 10 days lost in an intestinal plastic maze of water slides. Instead, we would usually arrive at a semi-derelict farmhouse in northern Italy and spend two weeks cruising white beaches and hilltop villages away from the hordes and traditional tourist traps.

It took me until my 20s to admit it, but it was heaven. Mum and Dad had a knack of finding incredibly special places full of adventure and intrigue and my brother and I would spend all day in rivers, ruined castles and vineyards eating like the locals and slowly turning brown.

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Years later, however, I retraced the hire-car tracks back to one of these secret spots and it was disappointing. Through the eyes of an adult and without my older brother to blow stuff up with cheap fireworks, the magic had faded. The beach was still perfect, and the sun still beamed the rays of Mediterranean warmth but something was absent. That’s kind of how I’m feeling about the RS3.

In my first full month with the Audi I wasted no time throwing the baby of the RS range straight into some frontline performance tests and wasted even less time berating its understeery chassis, lying ESC and muted exhaust note.

But now I’m thinking it might not have been the small changes Audi has made to the model that are to blame – maybe it’s me that has grown up or moved on? In the ensuing years since I first fell in love with the RS3, Mercedes-AMG has introduced its astonishing new A45 S, the Volkswagen Golf R got its claws into me and I also spent as much time as I could in the now discontinued BMW M140i.

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That’s a serious amount of pedigree performance hatchback for the revenant Audi to compete with. But even the most unforgettable of my family holidays ended in a rainy Heathrow long-term car park.

That’s why the last four weeks have been all about acknowledging that, despite its intent, a hot hatch will not spend all its time on a skidpan or attempting to snap the needle-stop at the redline. That stuff is for heydays and high days and sooner or later the holiday is over.

One of the reasons hyper hatches like the RS3 appeal to a relatively broad audience is their supercar-embarrassing performance is built on the bones of a sensible small German runabout, and if you wanted to be unfairly simplistic, the 294kW all-wheel drive RS3 rolls on the same platform as an entry level Golf Mk7.

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And while that might sound like I’m throwing dirt on the Audi’s credentials, it’s actually a compliment when it comes to practicalities. The second row of seating easily accommodates two adults or three at a push, the RS3’s external dimensions are a breeze to live with even in the city and its 19-inch wheels are even shod in a special P Zero that makes it almost impossible to kerb a rim. As for the boot? The rear differential does rob a little space but the 280-litre compartment is still a useful shape and expands through the folding rear seats to 1120 litres.

Its ride is on the firm side and, even with the drive mode selection in Comfort, the stiffness would probably be a bit much for someone who doesn’t read MOTOR or who has never chopped a coil off their suspension with an angle grinder.

Generally speaking though, the Audi RS3 has been performing daily duties without complaint and it’s easy to forget it has that incendiary five-cylinder turbo engine poised under the bonnet bolted to the automotive equivalent of Araldite for a transmission system. Especially as its handsome but understated exterior continues the ruse and belies the performance levels right up until the moment you choose to destroy something with a V8 and rear-wheel drive.

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I would love nothing more than to cut a lap of my favourite driving roads every day in the RS3 but that’s an impossible treat for almost all mortal motoring beings. Instead, I’m enjoying its only slightly compromised day-to-day attributes and planning the next long weekend away like a reunion with a long-lost holiday romance.… - DG

Things we love:

1. Sleeper looks
2. Practicality
3. Surprising pace

Things we rue:

1. Jarring ride
2. Smallish boot
3. Reduced sound

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Update Three: Quarter Pounder

Dan throws a final challenge at the RS3 with a trip to the drag strip

There is a part of my brain that has evolved specifically for driving the Audi RS3 and, no matter what the other lobes are preoccupied with, is continually thinking about my driver’s licence and the importance of its existence in my life.

Under normal day-to-day driving the little bundle of synapses does nothing more than quietly fizzing away with a background level of electrical activity. That is until my ears send it the unmistakable sound of a turbocharged 2.5-litre five-cylinder at the redline, followed by the DCT dumping the clutch on second.

At this point the specialised ganglia calculates that the Audi is rapidly on its way to a police impound and immediately relaxes the calf muscle in my right leg. It’s this brilliant human adaptation that has allowed me to retain the permission to drive on public roads despite being the custodian of the RS3 for four months now.

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Resisting the Audi’s huge surge of acceleration and weirdly wonderful five-cylinder report is extraordinarily difficult, especially on this quest to familiarise myself with the swansong RS3’s true personality and various facets.

Over the weeks since taking the keys I have been throwing different driving duties and scenarios at the hyperactive hatchback, from the prosaic to the prodigious. Challenges the smallest RS aced include the day-to-day practical tasks as well as back-road blasting, while it performed less strongly at the fringes of its ability. But another unique opportunity recently presented itself and I simply couldn’t resist throwing a new task at the Ara Blue bombshell.

You may be familiar with the drag-race videos we’ve been publishing each week on MOTOR's YouTube channel in which we take a selection of high-performance cars to a drag strip and, well, you can probably work out the rest. Finally, here was a chance to unleash the full five-cylinder fury well beyond the 110km/h national fun cage legally and safely, and the experience has reaffirmed my love for the smallest RS Audi.

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Track conditions were not ideal somewhere outside Axedale in central Victoria with showers and a very cool start to the day, but things did improve and I found a take-off slot in the afternoon for a few skirmishes into the speed stratosphere. The RS3 is bloody quick.

That might sound like stating the absolutely obvious but I mean it’s fast in a way that transcends the hot hatch realm. While the performance of many tuned small hatchbacks drops away a little after the 0-100km/h benchmark, the RS3 has the pace of larger high-performance cars and amazingly long legs.

Its launch control is simple to execute and devastatingly effective with the quattro system sniffing out grip in each corner even though the start line surface was chilly and unconditioned. After a momentary pause post brake release, the Audi bursts from its starting blocks like it’s leaving an aircraft carrier.

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Almost 300kW is enough to just break traction over odd slippery spots but otherwise the grip is enormous and acceleration from standstill is eye widening. But it’s as the speedo winds on to beyond 120km/h that the RS3 really impresses with unrelenting progress.

Adding to the physical drama, the glorious exhaust note is even more delightful when you get a chance to listen to not just one cog swap, but a whole series at full noise. Other engines that were having a good holler that day took the form of a straight-six, flat-six and a V8, all of which bragged bigger capacities but somehow, the Audi’s noise was the most manic and intoxicating to echo from the walls.

However, the drag strip is not just about the subjective delight of sound, but hard facts and figures. Not only did the little RS manage a best 0-100km/h time of 4.2 seconds (just a tenth off the claimed best) it did the 400-metre dash in 12.4 seconds and crossed the line at 184km/h. Those are some big achievements for a little car.

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It’s also worth noting that repeated runs resulted in nothing other than impressively strong and consistent passes. No warnings flashed up, no error messages displayed and the dual-clutch/quattro union was brilliantly stoic. The same certainly cannot be said for other launch control systems which need to bow-out for a breather after only a handful of attempts – including another present on this particular day.

My time with the Audi RS3 is coming to a close and this particular day is going to make it even harder to hand back the key. - DG

Things we love:

1. Consistent Pace
2. Acceleration
3. Stability at speed

Things we rue:

1. Time's nearly up
2. Speed limits
3. Ride quality

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Update Four: Until Next Time

Everything flies when you’re having fun... in an RS3

After five months with the Audi RS3 I have become accustomed to its effortless power and the ease in which 294kW makes everything fly by, but it turns out, in addition to scenery and kilometres, the rule also applies to time. That’s why the key has been wrestled from my hand and my tenure as custodian of the baby of the RennSport family has come to an end.

But as I stare in reflection at an A3 Sportback-shaped hole in the garage I really only have positive memories of the Ara Blue bolt of lightning. Yes there was the time it refused to oblige me with a power slide on a skid pan and made me feel like an embarrassed parent on school sports day. And, while its new particulate filter has robbed the previous properly antisocial soundtrack from its exhaust, what’s left is still pretty good..

Beyond that, the RS3 has proven to be an incredibly strong all-rounder performing day-to-day duties without complaint or compromise, but it’ll just as readily tear off its corporate attire to reveal a cape and spend all day torturing B-roads with abilities that defy the small hatchback segment.

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In fact, there’s very little about the RS3 that reveals its age. Its looks (if arguably a little understated for a full-fat RS) are still chiselled and handsome, performance in a straight line is almost unrivalled in the segment, and its stoic manner of going fast around bends is impressive by today’s standards.

Dated infotainment and somewhat conservative driving modes aside, I’d like to say that there’s virtually nothing about the current RS3 that needs updating or superseding, but I won’t. Coincidentally, the same week I gave back the RS3, Audi chose to release a tantalising glimpse at the forthcoming new model and the best idea yet of what we can expect from the 2022 version.

Obviously the engineers have been reading my updates in these pages because virtually every criticism has been addressed and improved. Firstly, the RS3 will finally get a drift mode and a track-focused option far more mischievous than the current Dynamic setting. Two new drive modes named RS Performance and RS Torque Steer will allow the Audi to match the sideways theatrics of hyper hatches such as the Ford Focus RS and Mercedes-AMG A45 S.

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Not only will the option allow the stability control to be switched off completely, a new RS Torque Splitter differential arrangement can direct 100 per cent of power to the rear axle, rather than the maximum 50 per cent limit by the existing Haldex all-paw set up.

And while there’s no extra power (yet), the gorgeous five-cylinder turbo petrol engine is retained for another generation of RS3 aural excitement (the kind no other brand can boast) along with a little 20Nm torque boost sweetener.

In addition to that, the optional carbon ceramic brakes that were deleted from the current version will make a comeback as an option, top speed will be increased to a massive 290km/h and the zero to 100km/h acceleration will drop to a seriously rapid 3.8 seconds.

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What isn’t yet known is whether the clever engineers have found a way to resurrect the missing pops and cracks from the exhaust on overrun. Audi, if you are listening, installing a speaker at the tailpipes like the SQ5 TDI is NOT the solution.

In the face of such strong hyper-hatch competition, Audi will also need to have sharpened the handling and steering, while maintaining the classic quattro levels of grip if it is to deliver a comprehensively evolved RS3. I simply cannot wait for an opportunity to find out.

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The months since I picked up the RS3 last autumn have gone by in a flash but, unfortunately, time can’t fly fast enough for the arrival of the next-generation RS3, and a replacement for the 8V model won’t arrive until next year.

But over many weeks with the outgoing version and the most recent morsels of information heralding its replacement’s arrival now flowing in, I’m preparing to fall for the new version just as I did the first time around and I’m confident it’ll be well worth the wait. - DG

Things we like:

1. Age-defying
2. Performance
3. Multi-skilled

Things we rue:

1. Unkillable ESC
2. Muted sound
3. Giving it back

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