Image: Peet Mocke
Image: Peet Mocke
Image: Peet Mocke
Image: Peet Mocke
Image: Peet Mocke
Driving ImpressionsBy: Siyavuya Mbaduli
The King of the Mountain race may have died 15 years ago, but in our minds, it was game on in the Audi RS3. Glancing up into the rear-view mirror is the gaping square grilles of the BMW M240i and even further behind, the narrow slits of the Ford Mustang California Special gave a chase. In front is a 27-turn ribbon of asphalt that makes up one of the Cape’s most engaging drives.
Image: Peet Mocke
The rest of the CAR Performance Shootout convoy was parked at the last lookout point and with a clear stretch ahead, we let it rip. Tucked between the bolsters of the RS Sports seat and hands gripping the Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel, there was little more to do except activate the RS mode of the drivetrain management system and squash the throttle against the floor. It was so tempting to let the RS3 inline five cylinder turbo-petrol shout its off-beat war cry all the way to 7 000 r/min, but the maximum 294 kW was already reached at 5 600 r/min, the ideal time to pull back the paddle on the right. The 500 N.m on tap between 2 500 and 5 600 r/min is a testament to this, and you need all of that to keep in front of the Munich mauler and Detroit muscle in pursuit.
Image: Peet Mocke
The noise alone is spine-tingling, akin to the howls of the Group B Sport Quattro S1 icon of the ‘80s, and enough to drown out the engines behind. Powerplant aside, the RS3’s real party trick is the torque splitting system on the rear axle that endows the Quattro all-wheel-drive system with a newfound kick from the rear end. You brake for the first set of tight turns quite early, backing up the duo behind so you can witness the qualities of the system that has replaced Audi’s traditional rear differential.
Image: Peet Mocke
Quattro systems used to push the nose slightly wide, but in this car, the sensation is one of an almost perfect balance between the pulling of the front wheels and pushing of the rears. Such poise instils immediate confidence, even on a short, but demanding blast up Gydo and is complemented by impressive damping that soaks up the surface imperfections without bouncing the car off its intended line. The Audi RS3 also had its fair share of admirers among members of the public who lined some of the roads we were on. This is because of the aggressive styling, all vents and bulges, retina-searing Kyalami Green paintwork, and sharp angles and gloss black expanses of the facia and infotainment screens. The “green goblin” was by far the most gawked at on this year’s Performance Shootout.
Keyword: CPS 2023: Audi RS3 Sedan quattro – 5-cylinder infamy!