THE POWER OF FIVE
Last week Audi unveiled its latest RS3 in Sportback and saloon guises. Power is unchanged at 294kW, but torque has been bumped up by 20Nm, now 500Nm. Use the launch control function (which is basically foolproof) and the RS3 sprints from standstill to 100km/h in a supercar-chasing 3.8 seconds.
Pricing starts at R1,215,00, with the sedan a little more at R1,245,000. Audi has always shown restraint in its aesthetic differentiators for the RS3. But this time around the firm seems to have opted for a more expressive approach, including shocking hues such as lime green.
Carbon fibre inlays and motorsport-inspired seats are among the interior highlights. Also impressive is its ability to slice through the technical layout of Zwartkops in understeer-free fashion. This is due to a new torque-splitting system replacing the rear-axle differential.
An electronically controlled, multipledisc clutch has been deployed on each of the driveshafts, distributing torque between the rear wheels. Simply put: in left-hand curves it transmits drive torque to the right rear wheel, in right-hand curves to the left rear wheel.
The more committed driver can also specify Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R semi-slick tyres. Flinging the RS3 into the right-hander before the tabletop, it’s remarkable how well it complies, turning in tidily and following behind our pace car.
It’s easy to get into the rhythm of hard, fast driving with the RS3. What about hard, fast drifting? A special torque-rear mode (designed for use in private settings) promises to facilitate just that. Audi purports that its Quattro system can send as much as 1,750Nm to the wheel on the outside of the curve, enabling a heroic, smoky, sideways performance.