King of the Hot Hatches? 2015 Audi RS3 Sportback

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Graham

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On the RMS Blog: It’s a brave statement to open this article with but Audi have quite possibly gained that status in a very bold segment with many a debate to be had over who is king, however for most modern drivers when they hear the name Audi they will think one of the many things; Vorsprung Durch Technik, Reliable, Good Quality, High End, Expensive, Mundane, Last Forever, Family Car and of course the old Northern Ireland favourite; Diesel.

Now this is all pretty acceptable and answers that I would expect to hear from varying walks of life and from varying ages with differing needs from motoring, though when it comes to those with a bit of a passion for cars, and indeed a petrol head you will hear answers such as; GrpB Rallying, 24hr Racing, Touring Cars, Quattro, Fast, S and RS Models and these are the answers that first sprung to my mind.



When Audi UK confirmed that I was getting their latest RS3 Sportback for a week to review I must admit, I wasn’t totally sure what to expect from it as any RS (standing for RennSport which translates from German to English more or less as RacingSport) model I had driven before was the larger RS4 and RS6 which are huge in comparison, much heavier and have larger V6 or V8 engines with mental power as a rule of thumb.

This lack of knowing got me excited for it to arrive as I have heard great things of the RS3 from colleagues, with many stating that it was without a doubt the best car they have driven all year and thus the hype was built and expectations were high.



On arriving home last Monday afternoon I was greeted by a rather stunning rear end in front of me as I pulled into the drive with two very large oval exhaust pipes poking from the gloss black diffuser that contrasted the metallic white paint perfectly and as I raised my eyes a very meaningful roof spoiler stood out.

RS Audi’s usually have very meaningful expanded arches however the RS3 is quite sedate on its girth and this is something that I think helps it blend in rather than stand out like a streaker on sports day though on walking round the car I couldn’t help but notice the huge floating brake discs and red callipers which reminded me that this car means business.



The front end of the RS6 is rather aggressive looking and if in the rear view mirror perhaps a little menacing with its mass of gloss black grills aiding the cooling of its heart. (Read the Full Article Here)



Read the Entire Article Here
 

Neil_M

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Great article and photos Graham.

Totally agree with what you have said. Especially regarding the type of car it is.

Either-way it offers serious real world pace, in a premium package, the engine massively adds to the appeal.
 

Boabybooster

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Doesn't really look special enough to me, just looks like a diesel A3. They could have put better alloys on as well I think. If you're spending that sort of money you want the the sort of car that makes you turn round and look at it when you're walking away from it, and I don't think you would with this car. Needs more pomp and ceremony in the styling department.




My own opinion of course. Flame suit on.
 
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richie_mck

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I'm sure it's a fantastic car in terms of technology and how quick it gets down the road; but I can't get over how dull it looks. Personally I think it's trumped by the Golf R, BMW 135i and Mercedes A45 AMG
 

Gambit

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I'm sure it's a fantastic car in terms of technology and how quick it gets down the road; but I can't get over how dull it looks. Personally I think it's trumped by the Golf R, BMW 135i and Mercedes A45 AMG

id agree on this, everything else bar the looks is immense.

are they really hot hatches though with the associated price tags? if so what are S3's and GTI's now?
 

Graham

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Great article and photos Graham.

Totally agree with what you have said. Especially regarding the type of car it is.

Either-way it offers serious real world pace, in a premium package, the engine massively adds to the appeal.

Thanks, really enjoyed having this one.

When was it ever that sunny at Whiterock this year!

A few weeks ago, thankfully

Doesn't really look special enough to me, just looks like a diesel A3. They could have put better alloys on as well I think. If you're spending that sort of money you want the the sort of car that makes you turn round and look at it when you're walking away from it, and I don't think you would with this car. Needs more pomp and ceremony in the styling department.




My own opinion of course. Flame suit on.

We like a goo healthy debate and all valid points that many will agree with.

Needs rs4 type flared arches and wheels changed for sure.

Yeah, I think I touched on the lack of big arches that we all expect from the RS models

id agree on this, everything else bar the looks is immense.

are they really hot hatches though with the associated price tags? if so what are S3's and GTI's now?

GTi's and S3's are now dwarfed with the new breed of hatch back cars sadly !
 

Brennan

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I quite like it although the arch's could be a little be wider seeing as its an RS model.

Waiting on @Brennan seeing this and messing his cack's and telling everyone that BMW and Mercedes can't get close to it because Audi.
Not quite lol, I wouldn't be a huge fan of the rs3
 

zafturbo

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Their pricing does make it hard to justify the RS3 @ £40k +.
I would never have that sort of money for a car but in two years I will see what price they are.40k would buy you one hell of a car,rs4 rs6 Porsche take your pick .
 

Stebo

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Needs to be either a nice discrete rocket, or else look like a race-car. This is kinda somewhere in between.

I imagine its the perfect car for NI style roads all the same
 

Con S3

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I'm glad they rectified one of the two main issues I had with the previous RS3 model, and that is the introduction of the two Oval pipes at the back, which is quintessentially RS, but why did they not flare the arches as well, which is so important in differentiating it from other models in the range?? I find it hugely frustrating that Audi have not addressed this aesthetic issue given the feedback from the previous model.
 

O.C.D

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Not sure I'd categorise it as a hot hatch with the likes of a GTI or Fiesta ST. With that much power and performance it'd fall under a super hatch or something like that.
Sounds fantastic but looks a bit boring and too similar to an S-Line.
I think they call them an "all rounder" now but deffo not a hot hatch. IMO of course.
 
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