Friday 12th July 2019

ABT pumps Audi RS3 up to 470hp

For RS3 owners put out of joint by the imminent A45, ABT has a solution...

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The latest Audi RS3 is a very easy car to like quite a lot. While the previous versions have always been admired for that glorious, award-winning five-cylinder engine, the leaden dynamics have made them less than perfect as driver's cars. Although the latest example is hardly an Impreza with Virtual Cockpit, it is better than it ever has been. And it's available as a saloon, which is cool.

The RS3's time as the most powerful hot hatch is coming to an end, though; it will now be surpassed by its 421hp A45 nemesis that arrives soon. Until another RS3 comes, presumably to raise the power stakes yet further, ABT has this: the RS3 with Power S upgrades.

With just a remap and an uprated intercooler, this RS3 makes 470hp and 398lb ft, up from 400hp and 354 as standard. Expect a couple of tenths to be taken from the 4.1-second 0-62mph time, and the top speed is up to 177mph - a whole 3mph from the (optional) 174mph on offer before.

A nice upgrade in and of itself, although ABT offers even more to make the most of it. Forged wheels weighing just 8kg each are available, which will surely help the car feel less ponderous, as could ABT's own anti-roll bar and sports spring kit. Beefier brakes can also be added, with carbon parts and ABT logo door light projectors there if you really, really must.

Typical tuning grievances aside, the thought of an Audi A3 with more power than a 911 Carrera S is quite an exciting one. Especially the more unassuming four-door. The standard RS3 is now selling from £40k, with this white saloon looking the perfect innocuous donor on which to unleash some ABT anarchy. There are more upgrades on the way, too...

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[steveb8189]

Farting its way around a street near you shortly...

[steveb8189]

Gilhooligan said:

At least it’s a 5 pot. So doesn’t sound too bad...

I agree but I live on a small residential road that's a bit of a cut through and we've got 2 S3's and an RS3 driven by tits who seem to want to make themselves heard. With the exception of an CLA35 they're by far the worst offenders

[steveb8189]

Jon_S_Rally said:

I happen to live in a village that, for some reason or other, has quite a large population of yoofs in modified cars and is used by many as a route to get to one of the local car hang-out spots. When I hear one (or more) of these cars driving through the village, I think, "That's a modified car" and then, within milliseconds, have forgotten about it again. I don't sit there stewing about it. Who cares? It last a few seconds and is gone again.

When you have a child who wakes up in the night due to the yoofs and then won't go back to sleep for a couple of hours it's not so much fun

[steveb8189]

steveb8189 said:

Jon_S_Rally said:

I happen to live in a village that, for some reason or other, has quite a large population of yoofs in modified cars and is used by many as a route to get to one of the local car hang-out spots. When I hear one (or more) of these cars driving through the village, I think, "That's a modified car" and then, within milliseconds, have forgotten about it again. I don't sit there stewing about it. Who cares? It last a few seconds and is gone again.

When you have a child who wakes up in the night due to the yoofs and then won't go back to sleep for a couple of hours it's not so much fun

Actually, I take that back now I've had a chance to think about it. I completely understand that people want to modify their cars and I appreciate it that people take the time (and expense) to personalise them. Sometimes this means they add more "character" with a louder exhaust. When I see people like this I really don't care.

The problem is that mainstream production cars are now doing the same so anyone with a heavy right foot farts their way around town. It's almost like it's not earned..? These aren't necessarily car enthusiasts, they're usually just idiots.