The Audi RS3 is the only remaining production car with a five-cylinder engine, and the German carmaker is set to retire the 2.5l unit in 2027 when tougher emission regulations come into force in Europe. For its performance and unique sound, the in-line turbo unit won the International Engine of the Year award nine successive times and its demise will end a legacy that started in 1976 with the five-cylinder Audi 100.
The RS3 has been around for a few years and the last time we road tested one, in October 2022, we dubbed it a driver’s car par excellence. We got back behind the wheel of the compact performance Audi after it was recently updated with a restyle and a handling tweak.
As before, the car is available as a five-door Sportback and the four-door Sedan on test, and continues to pair the five-cylinder turbocharged engine with quattro all-wheel drive and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
What’s new is that the software has been revised to control the vehicle’s torque splitter, electronic stability control, wheel-selective torque control and the adaptive dampers of the RS sport suspension.
The update sharpens the RS3’s already exemplary handling and helps to decrease understeer at the limit while making it easier to induce oversteer. With its updated chassis, the RS3 achieved a new class lap record at the Nürburgring-Nordschleife with a time of 7:33.123 in the hands of Audi test driver Frank Stippler, more than seven seconds quicker than before.
What’s so rewarding about driving the RS3 in extremis is its resistance to understeer. The RS torque splitter uses an electronically controlled multiple disc clutch for a fully variable torque split between the rear wheels. What you get is an all-wheel drive car that sweeps through fast corners with a neutral nature and quick steering, with a playful side that allows controlled power slides when the RS Torque Rear mode is selected. In this mode, the torque splitter induces oversteer by transferring all the rearward drive torque to the wheel on the outside the curve.
The car’s standard 19” tyres display excellent grip, but even stickier Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R semi-slick tyres are optionally available.
There are various drive settings that morph the RS3 from a swift commuter to a track-ready sports car by changing the responses of the steering, gearshifts and torque splitter. This can be done with one touch via red buttons on the steering wheel.
In its racier modes the RS3 adopts a noticeably more intense sporting character and enhances the charismatic five-cylinder sound.
There has been no change to the engine in the RS3’s latest update, and outputs remain at 294kW of power and 500Nm of torque. With all-wheel drive traction, there is no wheelspin as the compact Audi surges off the line like it’s been stung by a bee, with Audi quoting a very brisk 3.8 second 0-100km/h time. The RS3 feels strong all the way through its rev range up to its governed 250km/h top speed, and swiftly dispatches overtaking moves.
The ride is firm, making the car feel uncomfortably harsh on bumpy roads and speed humps. The test car wasn’t equipped with optional Adaptive Chassis Control that allows the suspension to be softened, a feature that was fitted on the RS3 Sportback we tested a couple of years ago and made the ride more tolerable. It’s a R20,200 option worth considering to make the RS3 a more comfortable commuter.
The RS3’s facelift incorporates a new front design featuring revised Singleframe grille and a more aggressive front splitter, and new LED daytime running lights with a chequered flag pattern. At the rear is a new RS-specific diffuser with a red reflector line down the middle.
The RS3’s sporty cockpit has been refreshed with a new steering wheel flattened on the top and bottom, a smaller gearshifter, redesigned centre console, updated RS displays in the digital instrument panel and enhanced ambient lighting.
The car comes standard with front sport seats, but splashing out R40,500 gets you optional RS bucket seats with additional bolstering, as fitted to the test car.
As per German car tradition, many upmarket features are expensive options including the wireless phone charger (R6,000), nappa leather seats (R20,200) and enhanced climate control with heated seats (R13,000). The car can be further accessorised with performance-enhancing extras such as ceramic brakes (R95,000) and a top speed increased to 280km/h (R30,200).
That said, the RS3 comes standard with a reasonable booty of standard gizmos, including electrically adjustable front seats, parking camera, adaptive cruise control and panoramic sunroof.
With its length of 4,533mm, the RS3 offers respectable family space, with two tall adults able to fit comfortably in the back seat. The cargo bay has no spare wheel and is a useful 321l, expandable with the seats folded.
It’s this mix of pace and practicality that makes the RS3 Sedan so compelling, and as the last of Audi’s five-cylinder breed, it carries the allure of a future classic that may appreciate in value. Whatever the long-term investment prognosis, the R1.5m you’ll pay for a new Audi RS3 out of the box seems well justified for a car that delivers so much in terms of performance, passion and everyday usability.
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