“THE RS3’S ASTOUNDING CORNERING TALENTS MADE EVERY DRIVE ENJOYABLE”
you is Audi’s enchanting customisable digital virtual cockpit that features various instrument and map layouts. Instruments can be shrunk to display a larger map and in Sport mode a tacho dominates the dash. There’s also Power, Torque and a G-meter and a lap timer for track days.
For a compact sedan, it’s quite spacious up front but a squeeze in the back, however the boot is big enough to swallow a couple of decent size cases.
Featured in the RS3 is Audi’s multi-drive system ranging from Comfort to Dynamic and most of the time I set it in Dynamic to revel in the most aggressive acceleration, lightning fast gear changes, razor-sharp steering, firmer ride and amplification of the emotive five-cylinder turbo beat. However on a long run from Melbourne to Warnambool, Comfort mode provided relaxed near silent motoring.
The RS3s astounding cornering talents made every drive enjoyable, but one fang on a coastal road was especially memorable and though the road was bumpy and washboard like at times, the RS 3 scythed through corners as if it was painted to the road. Its sheer speed and ability to carry that through turns along with its agility, change of direction and huge stopping performance is damn impressive.
To avoid overstepping the mark the RS3 has a full brace of driver assistance systems like active side assist and lane assist, autonomous emergency braking, hill-hold ABS, traction and stability controls.
It wouldn’t be an Audi without a number of option packs and if you tick enough boxes, you can easily get the RS3 pricetag north of one hundred grand and the one option I’d tick is the $5900 RS performance package, which gets you magnetic ride control with adaptive dampers, a 14-speaker Bang and Olufsen sound system, carbon fibre interior trimmings and rotor design 19-inch alloys.
Audi’s brash barnstormer is one enthralling drive. And an ideal birthday gift.