RE: Driven: Audi RS3 Sportback

[Dagnut]

Munich said:

Why would it be cheaper for BMW to engineer a FWD platform than a RWD? If anything it could be more expensive due to their lack of relative expertise in this field. Improved margins comes from economies of scale through high volume (which is the success of the VAG) but unless BMW can combine everything with Mini there is no guarantee a FWD platform is cheaper, or more profitable..

They will just use the mini platform, simple as that

[CampDavid]

bigburd said:

Want one, but £40K + options

£40K with £5k options then would be waiting for my build date...

If dealers would accept a discount...however every dealer seems to have the same statement "we have sold at least 3/4/5/6/7" delete as appropriate. Northampton Audi allegedly had someone put a deposit on one in 2004 !!?!?!?

Only thing I have been offered is a deal on finance - what that means I do not know

If you sign up on finance they'll give you a discount on the price. This may actually be worth doing. If the finance has a very low repayment fee then you can sign up onto the finance, get money off then pay the finance off after the first month, making the car a bit cheaper.

Seriously though, £45,000. That's over £10,000 more than a 135i M Sport and you have to wait for it. It's actually closer in price to the M3 saloon at that level than the 135i as well, both of which are in serious "lets have a deal" range with dealers (an M3 saloon can be found on the net at £48900, brand new, factory order, I have little doubt that you could beat that within an hour of phoning around)

I will concede that if I could only have one car this would, at no stage, ever be really stumped. Trackdays, shopping, taking stuff to the tip, skiiing etc, etc it would suck up but still, it's so much cash for a 5 pot hatchback

[Ali_T]

J4CKO said:

Sold all 500, thats good going, suspect a lot will have gone to speculators

Was wondering the same. Remember how many Focus RS500s appeared for £5-10k over list just after they started being delivered? And how few of them actually sold at that price?

[anonymous-user]

would have been extra special with a detuned V8 engine up front..

The RS label is becoming more diluted..Should have stuck with the s3 and called it this the S3 plus...

[SpeedEight]

black pipebandit said:

would have been extra special with a detuned V8 engine up front..

The RS label is becoming more diluted..Should have stuck with the s3 and called it this the S3 plus...

Why? One up with a splash of fuel and this thing will no doubt hit 60 in 4 seconds. That's as fast or faster than the RS4. I'm not knocking the RS4 (great car!) but the RS3 will do 31mpg on the combined cycle. I don't see the point of a big V8 in this model when the 2.5 5-cylinder is a peach of an engine.

[iain1970]

MrOrange said:

What would you rather buy. A brand new A3 with a wig? or a 2yr old pukka M3 with less than 10k miles (http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/2360367.htm) - I know where my money would go.

There's me thinking an M3 was a 316i, with a wig.

[anonymous-user]

SpeedEight said:

Why? One up with a splash of fuel and this thing will no doubt hit 60 in 4 seconds. That's as fast or faster than the RS4. I'm not knocking the RS4 (great car!) but the RS3 will do 31mpg on the combined cycle. I don't see the point of a big V8 in this model when the 2.5 5-cylinder is a peach of an engine.

Once upon a time the RS was used on one model at a time. To me the RS label is pretty high up there and this RS just doesn't feel that special over a S3.

31mpg, I would love to see if that actually is the correct mpg, I am betting more mid 25's in the real world..

A big V8 just because Audi could..

[anything fast]

I know this is a fast car but why the hell would you spend 40 grand plus on a lofty looking hatchback with alloys from halfords on it?

Even if it would do 200 mph i would not pay that kind of money to drive around in what looks like a Hyundai with audi badges..

Save up and buy an M3 or buy a second hand RS4 or M3...

I am glad to say you will hardly ever see one on the road and if you do, you probably will not even notice it.. shame it could have been a bit spesh...

[anonymous-user]

doogz said:

So you'd rather it was basically a slow RS4 Avant?

The V8 doesn't really fit in that chassis anyway. It could be made to, but it'd just add more weight to the front end, and the drivetrain would be a pig.

The point I wanted to make, was the RS car should be more special..A modified s3 engine to me just doesn't seem enough for a RS badge..

Like I said earlier I think the RS badge is becoming more of a marketing tool over a pure breed performance tool..

Edited by black pipebandit on Wednesday 9th March 16:00

[mat205125]

doogz said:

black pipebandit said:

The point I wanted was to make the RS car more special..I modified s3 engine to me just seem enough for a RS badge..

Fancy trying that again so i can understand what you mean?

Cheers

..... and whilst he's at it, check that he isn't thinking that the standard S3 uses the 5 cylinder engine too. This cars engine is only shared with the TTRS and the concept quattro as far as I am aware.

[anonymous-user]

mat205125 said:

..... and whilst he's at it, check that he isn't thinking that the standard S3 uses the 5 cylinder engine too. This cars engine is only shared with the TTRS and the concept quattro as far as I am aware.

Yep I failed that question, and my grammer is rubbish..I am tired sorry..

Edited by black pipebandit on Wednesday 9th March 16:01

[urban_alchemist]

TheRoadWarrior said:

urban_alchemist said:

I was researching my next car and knew exactly what I wanted:

Hatchback
4 doors
~300hp
4wd

So I bought a 1 Series M Coupe.

Edited by urban_alchemist on Wednesday 9th March 12:57

Requirements-fail.


That is all.

Yeah... that was the point. Let me spell it out for you in simple terms you may understand:

By those criteria, the RS3 would have been perfect. One problem: it's a recent Audi RS so it'll drive like crap.

Hence going with something that was exactly the opposite of what I wanted, but drove well.

Or in your words:

Intellect-fail.

That is all.

[Dr S]

I admit that I don't gel with Audis due to dead stearing, little adjustability and very harsh ride for what they are. They are extremely well built with nice looking interiors but that's about it for me.

For that price tag I'd get a mint 996 Turbo S (or a gen I 997 C4S) and sufficent change for higher insurance, fuel and servicing bills if AWD was what I was looking for.

[frosted]

anything fast said:

I know this is a fast car but why the hell would you spend 40 grand plus on a lofty looking hatchback with alloys from halfords on it?

Even if it would do 200 mph i would not pay that kind of money to drive around in what looks like a Hyundai with audi badges..

Save up and buy an M3 or buy a second hand RS4 or M3...

I am glad to say you will hardly ever see one on the road and if you do, you probably will not even notice it.. shame it could have been a bit spesh...

Why the hating ,are they forcing you to buy it ??

Some may even say the will never pay 28k for chavy focus , or a plastic Renault I can't see your logic . Yes it's over priced ,try and tell me one new car that it ain't ( bar the gtr )

[mat205125]

doogz said:

It's not quite a modified S3 when it has a different engine altogether.

It's not quite a modified S3 when it has a different engine!




Sorry, I couldn't resist.

[Linkin]

Having owned both versions of the S3 in the past, the RS3 makes interesting reading (good write-up by the way). I'd bet my hat that there will be very few RS3's ordered in the most basic specification though.
My first S3 with a few boxes ticked was £28,800 (in 1999 !) the second was £32,800 although discounted to £30K
£39,900 plus a few ticks is well on it's way to £45K and there's some serious machinery available at these levels.
I love Audi's, i have a S4 Avant at present, but i think this is playing the premium card a touch too high IMHO. As a previous post suggested, £35K would feel about right, but i do feel as though Audi are taking the P a little.
I'll be very interested to see how it sells and how the residuals hold-up. Restricting the supply will help it no end.

[Hot Potatoes]

robsti said:

Hot Potatoes said:

robsti said:

PSBuckshot said:

Sorry for having an opinion. I forgot they're not allowed.

"your opinion" or JC`s opinion?

Every morning i get dangerously overtaken on my daily commute backroad by an idiot in an A3 Sportback, to the extent i have now had to change my route to avoid this moron.

I drove into Glasgow the other day and an A4 S Line was so close to my bumper it was fking dangerous..

Oh, and my boss drives an Audi and he drives like a ck too...

I know every car company has it's dangerous drivers but i have never witnessed it as bad as Audi, it's not Jeremy Clarksons view, it's real life.

I would also like to point out though i do like Audis i have owned two, but you can't deny the modern day Audi driver is more than likely going to be agressive.

So you are or were a cock as well!

No, i owned mine when Audi was a cool, understated middle-class brand with wooly handling and dull looks.

Now they handle better and are stylish i don't want them anymore...

[Crunchy Nutter]

Pfft. When I think of the amount of M3/M5/TVR you can get for that money, I just can't wrap my head around it. I love the looks (apart from the wheels...) and the interior looks nice, but at the end of the day it's just too much money.

[Ali_T]

Just for everyone's information, those wheels are a (horrendously expensive) optional extra. The standard wheels are as boring as every other Audi's standard wheels. It's an area that still amazes me about Audi, they just can't do wheels.

[hugh jass]

Too expensive for me. I can think of better cars to spend the money on