Discussion
Resolutionary said:
Compared to the latest breed of hot-hatch this is decidedly 'sleeper-ish' in it's styling, with very little to give your average road-goer the notion of what lies beneath.
I was never really that sold on this generation of RS3 for this reason - there is little distinction between the S3 of the same generation - but I adore the 5cyl and can imagine this being a hoot to own and drive.
I suspect the rarity will see it hold value well too. Nice purchase!
It's true, the design and styling is very similar to the S3. However, (coming from someone who used to own an S3 of the same generation) the ownership experience is night and day. There is nothing drastically different in terms of performance, styling or spec but the marginal improvements here and there add up to a much better car in my opinion. I was never really that sold on this generation of RS3 for this reason - there is little distinction between the S3 of the same generation - but I adore the 5cyl and can imagine this being a hoot to own and drive.
I suspect the rarity will see it hold value well too. Nice purchase!
..and as you say, with such limited numbers they seem a better investment.
martin mrt said:
These have certainly grown on me over the years, I didn't really get them much when they were new.
Debadged that's no different to an S3 (which isn't much different to an S Line TDI) to the untrained eye.
Big thumbs up here.
Cheers mate - I like how those who know can appreciate it for what it is.Debadged that's no different to an S3 (which isn't much different to an S Line TDI) to the untrained eye.
Big thumbs up here.
Brainpox said:
I used to do 20k miles/year in mine. I then bought a second one! Great cars for eating miles. They chew front tyres though so watch out for that. I also got rinsed of £1200 for front brake pads & discs at main dealer pricing...
It is surprisingly quiet and refined on the motorway with the valves shut. I made sure It had new tyres, front discs and pads fitted by the dealer before I purchased it... they should last me a little while at least!exgtt said:
I used to average 24mpg out of a MK2 TT V6 and had a real hard time getting anymore. The figures you’re getting are bloody brilliant considering it’s got another hundred ponies.
TTRS next if the wife will swallow the “it’s more economical” line.
I was just as surprised! Although when you're doing 60 in 7th gear the engine feels barely above idle.TTRS next if the wife will swallow the “it’s more economical” line.
Prepare for an mpg in the low 20s around town though.
toastyhamster said:
Nice and subtle. Probably a trick of the light with the photo but has the rear bumper been sprayed, looks a different white in some parts.
My paintwork OCD meant I had to go and check after reading this.. As far as I can tell it looks to be the evening light giving that effect - at least to my untrained eyes anyway.
Michaelbailey said:
J Trim, If you do go remap I would strongly advise a custom one. The off the shelf stuff can be fine but all cars are ultimately different. Unicorn just round the corner from me in stockport have a v good rep in the audi community and the big boys are mrc in Banbury. Modding is a slipperly slope to chasing numbers but a good remaps wakes boosted cars up extremely well even low down
Thanks for the advice! I’m definitely in no rush and will have to do some more research first.Thornaby said:
Depending on how long you plan on keeping it, if its a long term thing, i'd keep it standard. Unmodified examples of these will be like hens teeth in 5 years time.
That's a really valid point, unmodified examples are already getting harder to find.As you say, might be worth leaving this one as is and getting a little project instead..
Update:
This weekend just gone I took the rare spell of sunshine as an opportunity to clean the RS3. Braving what can only be described as a baltic Sunday morning, I went over the car in the standard 'two bucket' method using a mix of Auto Finesse and Meguiar's products. Thankfully, waxing the paintwork over the summer again showed it's worth and made removing the general road grime a great deal easier.. much to the delight of my increasingly numb fingers. Considering it's been a 2/3 months since the last coat of wax went on, I was pretty happy with the glossy shine across the paintwork and the hydrophobic effects on all panels.
One thing I have noticed is the sheer amount of brake dust being chucked off of the standard pads fitted to the car. I guess the 370mm discs create a decent sized contact patch which ultimately leaves the wheels coated after only minimal driving.
Anyway, that aside, this is an epic car. So useable when you want it but absolutely ballistic when you plant your right foot. Even in the wet the amount of grip you get is ridiculous, coupled with the massive shunt of torque which kicks in surprisingly low down the rev range. I think it's a keeper for the foreseeable!
Here's a picture of the interior. Standard Audi and a perfectly good place to be. Unfortunately not the famous bucket seats that were available when new, but comfortable and supportive nonetheless. It might just be me, but when compared to newer Audis I have been in, the leather seems to weather better in the older models. I have seen 20k mile S3 8Vs with seat bolsters in no where near the same condition as this 47k mile 8P. I guess it somewhat depends on how the owner looks after the car but i'd be interested to see if anyone else has experienced this?
This weekend just gone I took the rare spell of sunshine as an opportunity to clean the RS3. Braving what can only be described as a baltic Sunday morning, I went over the car in the standard 'two bucket' method using a mix of Auto Finesse and Meguiar's products. Thankfully, waxing the paintwork over the summer again showed it's worth and made removing the general road grime a great deal easier.. much to the delight of my increasingly numb fingers. Considering it's been a 2/3 months since the last coat of wax went on, I was pretty happy with the glossy shine across the paintwork and the hydrophobic effects on all panels.
One thing I have noticed is the sheer amount of brake dust being chucked off of the standard pads fitted to the car. I guess the 370mm discs create a decent sized contact patch which ultimately leaves the wheels coated after only minimal driving.
Anyway, that aside, this is an epic car. So useable when you want it but absolutely ballistic when you plant your right foot. Even in the wet the amount of grip you get is ridiculous, coupled with the massive shunt of torque which kicks in surprisingly low down the rev range. I think it's a keeper for the foreseeable!
Here's a picture of the interior. Standard Audi and a perfectly good place to be. Unfortunately not the famous bucket seats that were available when new, but comfortable and supportive nonetheless. It might just be me, but when compared to newer Audis I have been in, the leather seems to weather better in the older models. I have seen 20k mile S3 8Vs with seat bolsters in no where near the same condition as this 47k mile 8P. I guess it somewhat depends on how the owner looks after the car but i'd be interested to see if anyone else has experienced this?
SiT said:
Some more very flattering photos, the car looks stunning!!! I am very impressed with the condition of your leather - have you treated it with anything?
Si
Thank you! It does scrub up well. The leather was treated with Meguiars Leather Conditioner during the summer but apart from that I haven’t had to do anything else (other than the occasional wipe down). The seats were already in very good condition when I bought the car - completely free of cracks/wear/rips etc.Si
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