Audi RS3 Sedan Quattro S tronic vs. Volkswagen Golf R 4Motion DSG
WITH 294 kw and 480 N.m of torque, the RS3 and its 2,5-litre, ve-cylinder engine was always going to be the winner in this particular duel. What interested us, however, was whether or not the Audi’s R925 500 price tag could justify the advantage over the R647 300 Golf R and it’s 213 kw/380 N.m mill.
On a chilly morning, the drag strip at Killarney was slightly damp, but it mattered little given that both cars offer launch control via their AWD systems. In the Audi’s favour, too – although less so than its output advantage – was the fact that it has wider rubber than the Golf’s (255/35 versus 235/55). Interestingly, the RS3 also has wider front tyres than rears.
With the all-wheel-drive systems allowing both cars to launch off the line perfectly, it was the RS3 that took the lead, hitting 100 km/h in 4,07 seconds, followed by the Golf’s 4,90 seconds (note the gures in their respective road tests differ because our test strip is at a different location). The RS3 crossed the line travelling at 184 km/h in a time of 12,45 seconds, with the Golf four car lengths behind at 13,17 seconds, hitting 171 km/h.
So, you pay an extra R278 200 for a 0,92-second difference … that seems a lot of money for a small performance advantage. But, then again – as Audi would no doubt argue – the RS3 is about way more than just straight-line speed.