Audi RS3 - wider tyres at the front compared to the rear....

Audi RS3 - wider tyres at the front compared to the rear....

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Discussion

Munich

Original Poster:

1,071 posts

197 months

Sunday 16th October 2011
quotequote all
.... Why? Can anyone answer me this?

Having scanned through the car magazines, I can't find another example of this and I can't think what, technically, advantages this brings.

STW2010

5,735 posts

163 months

Sunday 16th October 2011
quotequote all
My BMW has wider tyres on the rear wheels (half an inch IIRC).

Not sure why it would be the other way around though

worsy

5,811 posts

176 months

Sunday 16th October 2011
quotequote all
IIRC there is some truth in that. The amount of power warrants more grip however they couldn't extend the width at the rear as the track would extend out beyond the arches. Hence just the fronts.

cuprabob

14,673 posts

215 months

Sunday 16th October 2011
quotequote all
A couple of reasons have been put forward so take your pick;

1. Reduce understeer
2. RS3 is based on old A3 and new A3 is being tooled up. Easy to change tooling for front wings to accept wider rubber but not not so for the rear.

Tooling is another reason the RS3 is not available as 3 door

FamilyDub

3,587 posts

166 months

Sunday 16th October 2011
quotequote all
Supposedly to dial out the understeer, I would think.

Although the user on here 'NBirkett' is a
VAG magazine editor and said that, despite what the press was saying, at the RS3 test front and rear tyres were the same width.

goes off to find thread...

cuprabob

14,673 posts

215 months

Sunday 16th October 2011
quotequote all
FamilyDub said:
Supposedly to dial out the understeer, I would think.

Although the user on here 'NBirkett' is a
VAG magazine editor and said that, despite what the press was saying, at the RS3 test front and rear tyres were the same width.

goes off to find thread...
From what I've seen I think there are a number of wheel/tyre combinations available some of which have front and rear matched whereas others are mis-matched

Munich

Original Poster:

1,071 posts

197 months

Sunday 16th October 2011
quotequote all
FamilyDub said:
Supposedly to dial out the understeer, I would think.

Although the user on here 'NBirkett' is a
VAG magazine editor and said that, despite what the press was saying, at the RS3 test front and rear tyres were the same width.

goes off to find thread...
I see a RS3 parked around the corner from my apartment every so often. I'll pop out in a bit and see if the car is there and check the tyres sizes....... As if I don't have anything better to do on a Sunday afternoon nerdgetmecoat

FamilyDub

3,587 posts

166 months

Sunday 16th October 2011
quotequote all
cuprabob said:
Tooling is another reason the RS3 is not available as 3 door.
Tooling issues aside - and it remains to be seen if the new A3 platform spawns an 'RS' version - do you think Audi have missed a trick not having a 3-dr? (I do)

I'd love to see that 5-pot in the MKVII Golf R.

Munich

Original Poster:

1,071 posts

197 months

Sunday 16th October 2011
quotequote all
cuprabob said:
A couple of reasons have been put forward so take your pick;

1. Reduce understeer
2. RS3 is based on old A3 and new A3 is being tooled up. Easy to change tooling for front wings to accept wider rubber but not not so for the rear.

Tooling is another reason the RS3 is not available as 3 door
I thought the reason Audi didn't make a 3dr version was that it would potentially steal too many buyers from the TT RS (which is more expensive and more profitable)?

FamilyDub

3,587 posts

166 months

Sunday 16th October 2011
quotequote all
Munich said:
I thought the reason Audi didn't make a 3dr version was that it would potentially steal too many buyers from the TT-RS?
I think the TT-RS looks epic, but being a TT I wouldn't buy it, or even a 5-dr RS3.

A 3-dr RS3 would get my attention though.

cuprabob

14,673 posts

215 months

Sunday 16th October 2011
quotequote all
FamilyDub said:
Tooling issues aside - and it remains to be seen if the new A3 platform spawns an 'RS' version - do you think Audi have missed a trick not having a 3-dr?

I'd love to see that 5-pot in the MKVII Golf R.
It would be good if VW could get the 5-pot for the Golf R. Lot's of rumours that the MK7 R will have it. Just need to wait and see, although I would fear the cost :-(

To be honest I would prefer it in a Rocco R now :-)



minimatt1967

17,104 posts

207 months

Sunday 16th October 2011
quotequote all
doogz said:
335bhp powering the front wheels? No thanks.
Don't they do a 4-motion 'rocco?

cuprabob

14,673 posts

215 months

Sunday 16th October 2011
quotequote all
doogz said:
335bhp powering the front wheels? No thanks.
Focus RS seems to handle it, plus we were saying that about 200bhp a few years ago.

What I really meant to say is I would like VW to fit the 5 pot and a Haldex to the Rocco :-)

Mastodon2

13,826 posts

166 months

Sunday 16th October 2011
quotequote all
doogz said:
335bhp powering the front wheels? No thanks.
The VW Rs are 4WD, are they not?

cuprabob

14,673 posts

215 months

Sunday 16th October 2011
quotequote all
Mastodon2 said:
The VW Rs are 4WD, are they not?
Golf R is AWD, Scirocco R is FWD

EDLT

15,421 posts

207 months

Sunday 16th October 2011
quotequote all
I read a while a go that most of the big power hot hatches don't actually need rear tyres that are the same width as the fronts. It is only done because having wider fronts looks "wrong".

Stedman

7,226 posts

193 months

Sunday 16th October 2011
quotequote all
Surely wider tyres at the front would make it understeer more, as opposed to understeer less (as a lot of people have said)?

Munich

Original Poster:

1,071 posts

197 months

Sunday 16th October 2011
quotequote all
EDLT said:
I read a while a go that most of the big power hot hatches don't actually need rear tyres that are the same width as the fronts. It is only done because having wider fronts looks "wrong".
So it could be the case that all other big power hot-hatches could also run with narrower rear tyres and that there is nothing strange about the set-up of the RS3?

Munich

Original Poster:

1,071 posts

197 months

Sunday 16th October 2011
quotequote all
Stedman said:
Surely wider tyres at the front would make it understeer more, as opposed to understeer less (as a lot of people have said)?
No, because the front would have more grip than the back.

FamilyDub

3,587 posts

166 months

Sunday 16th October 2011
quotequote all
If anything, I'd expect more front grip and a more playful rear end & the accompanying oversteer.