GAUTENG – With all of the pressures associated with fuel-efficiency measures and the move toward electrification, time is increasingly being called on adrenaline-pumping cars with big-displacement engines. So, it was with a mixture of excitement and sentimentality that we got behind the wheel of what’s likely to be the RS 3 sedan’s five-cylinder swansong for a stint of on-road cruising and some maximum-attack track time.
There’s detail in this little devil
Despite their giant-slaying ability, Audi’s RS models tend to wear their credentials very subtly on their sleeves. Indeed, looking at the squat but purposeful new RS 3 Sedan it’s difficult to believe this thing posted a 7:40 Nurburgring time; comparable to that of the original Bugatti Veyron. Set against the attention-grabbing hue of the Python Yellow metallic example that we drove was the optional Black Styling Package Plus treatment. This entailed gloss black finishes for such elements as the wing mirror caps, badging and boot spoiler. The black motif is continued outside the styling pack with said dark finishes also featuring on the lower sills and the gaping maw of that prominent honeycombed grille.
But while the requisite multi-spoke rims shod with thin performance rubber and more aggressive ventwork on the front and rear facias are welcome – but expected – touches, there are some illumination-based Easter eggs that really add some visual panache. Like many of its larger siblings, the RS 3 sedan performs a dazzling swirl of light patterns across both the matrix-LED headlamps and brakelamps. But a neat little touch is the LED panel just beneath the driver’s side headlamp. Unlock the car and an animated graphic blinking up ‘R-S-3’ followed by a checkered flag graphic.
The inline-five is still alive
Given the automotive industry’s increasing proclivity towards downsizing and electrification, it would’ve come as little surprise had Audi opted to do away with the traditional 2,5-litre inline-five turbopetrol in favour of a downsized unit. Thankfully, the nine-time International Engine of the Year award-winning unit has not only endured, but also received a shot in the arm for what may be its final performance. Torque has taken a 20-N.m jump to 500 N.m between 2 250 and 5 600 r/min; the latter intersecting with the point at which the peak power of 294 kW chimes in. The performance on offer is quite remarkable given the RS 3’s A-segment positioning, with Audi claiming 0-100 km/h in just 3,8 seconds and an electronically-limited 250 km/h top whack that expands to 290 km/h with the RS Dynamic package Plus specified.
This unit is mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission and channels power to all four corners. The inclusion of a new rear torque splitter for this generation unmasks a new dimension in the RS 3’s dynamic makeup. This unit replaces the previous model’s rear-axle differential with an electro-mechanical multiplate clutch that’s capable of apportioning drive laterally between the rear wheels. Under hard cornering, the system detects parameters such as traction and steering angle and increases the amount of torque sent to the outer-rear wheel – much like a torque vectoring system. This acts against a powerful AWD car’s tendency to understeer during fast cornering, tucking the nose into the bend and responding more organically to steering inputs
Civilised on the road…
Gauteng’s road system isn’t famed for serving up dramatic curves and switchbacks, being more of a traffic junction (and pothole)-studded series of straits between suburbs, but it did give us a chance to sample the more civilized side of the RS 3’s character. While many of the coarser road surfaces did see a noticeable amount of tyre roar being kicked up into the cabin, owing to the performance-orientated footwear with which the car was shod, the rest of the RS 3’s town and highway manners were deeply impressive. While the car’s high-performance proviso understandably calls for a stiffer suspension setup, the new RS 3 sedan was impressively resistant to any high-speed crashiness or low-speed waddle on the patchwork of road surfaces we encountered.
With the drivetrain management system left in its ‘auto’ setting, there’s a fire-and-forget effortlessness to the way in which the RS 3 lopes around urban environs. Without too much taxing our attention driving involvement-wise, we were able to take in some of the cabin’s features. Build quality is typically Audi-solid – with solid plastics and slush-molded elements in abundance – while touches such as the optional RS Sport steering wheel; with its flat-bottomed frame, red stripe at the 12 o’clock position and RS mode (drivetrain management system toggle) button; TFT instrument binnacle with model-specific rev counter and subsystem graphic interfaces supplemented by a 10,1-inch touchscreen infotainment system and figure hugging but supportive sports seats among the highlights. As surprising as the car’s civilised road manners was the relatively subdued engine note. The smile-inducing five-pot thrum was present, but only as a distant murmur up front. The new RS 3 does, however, feature a fully variable exhaust flap that’s overseen by the drivetrain management system (the more aggressive the setting, the more crackles and overrun pops) but mining the depths of said driving modes would come with a stint at Zwartkops raceway.
…more playful on the track
Lined up in the pits and with the drive select toggled to ‘dynamic’, we set off on some hot laps of the tight and technical Zwartkops circuit. Often, the drivetrain management presets on cars are something of a gimmick that makes little difference to the driving experience but in the new RS 3 sedan the impact is palpable. The steering, which proved well weighted and precise enough in ‘auto’ and lesser modes now weights up noticeably when pitching the car into sharper bends; the new car’s more aggressive camber and toe-in profiles no doubt playing their parts here. The ESC allows for a little bit of play and doesn’t cut into the power feed in a disruptive manner, while the overall grip served up by the AWD system is both controlled and tenacious, allowing you to carry some serious speed out of tight turns. Three laps dispensed with in ‘dynamic’ and we draw breathe before nudging the selector into ‘RS Performance’.
The throttle now goes from responsive to hair-trigger alert and the steering and gearshift mapping follow suit. The biggest difference with this more aggressive preset has to be the amount of play it frees up in the RS 3’s tail. Corners into which the car previously strained against lateral forces now see the RS 3 sedan kicking its tail out in some un-AWD-like understeer. While initially unsettling – especially given the previous car’s limpet-like adherence to the road – it still feels regulated enough to balance the car on the throttle mid-corner; just some small but smooth corrections and a hint of counter-steer (we’re still dealing with an AWD car that can grip and rip when handled carelessly with the ESC intervention either lessened or – for the brave/foolhardy disengaged altogether) will bring the rampaging mite to heel. Cornering exercises with the torque splitter and more aggressive presets in play reveal a juxtaposition of oversteer when pressed hard, but countered with communicative steering and chassis characteristics that tell you exactly what’s happening underneath you. And that subdued soundtrack mentioned above? A break in the track driving to settle the heavy lunch that had been sloshing around inside me was met with tall of the offbeat snarls, percussive snaps and upshift whumps that you could hope for.
Overall
Given Audi’s commitment to electrification across its model ranges – the RS models aren’t exempt, remember – we’re likely looking at the swansong for five-cylinder RS models right here. What Audi has done with the new RS 3 sedan is nothing short of remarkable; creating a car that’s civilised and refined when driven around town but has been given an extra dose of oversteer-flavoured charisma thanks to reworkings of the AWD system and the trick rear axle. It’s little wonder that Audi SA is scrambling to meet the overwhelming demand, as the RS 3’s last curtain call is certainly worthy of applause.
FAST FACTS
Model: Audi RS 3 Sedan
Price: R1 245 000
Engine: 2,5-litre, five-cylinder turbopetrol
Transmission: 7-speed, dual-clutch automatic
Power: 294 kW @ 5 600-7 000 r/min
Torque: 500 N.m @ 2 250-5 600 r/min
0-100 km/h: 3,8 seconds
Top speed: 250 km/h (290 km/h with RS Dynamic Package Plus)
Fuel consumption: 9,0 L/100 km
