She was always psychic, they made her crazy!
Not sure you need it, but assures you you want it.
The new Audi RS3 adds to the excellent recipe it will have before, a pinch of madness that makes it a different beast.
Interesting that I was still missing something tiny about it
Joel Schwartz
03/05/2022
Tuesday, 03 May 2022, 10:18 Updated: 10:29
Share on Facebook
Share on WhatsApp
Share on Twitter
Share on Email
Share on general
Comments
Comments
Udi is working on improving its sports image and presents in RS3 its aspirations for dynamic ability, emotion and especially driving pleasure (Photo: Walla !, Yoel Schwartz)
From the beginning I realized that I was missing something.
So at the top of the Gilboa I stopped under a fresh tree, took out my exam binder, and went through all the 1,072 sections that make up my test.
Check.
Has it all.
Maybe I did not catch something in the distance I did ?!
So I left the tree and kept galloping and boom, it was absorbed - I lacked sound.
It's a little funny to say this, probably in the electric age of appallingly quiet cars, with the creepy-artificial sound of an enterprise spacecraft.
And not this from the late 80s but this one from the first generation, with William Shatner behind the wheel.
Well, there was not exactly a rudder.
Does not matter.
More on Walla!
Feel (almost) like Bennett
To the full article
This RS3 knows how to put out full sound.
The kind that pats you on the chest and says, "Buena bro, you exaggerated."
There are even 2 levels of power: thunderous, and really thunderous.
But even in the loudest mode, the sound is a bit muffled and sounds relatively distant.
Relative to the one emitted from the competitors whose sound is much more bubbly and powerful.
And do not think that I have not tried.
I literally sat down on the gas pedal to see how far the rabbit hole goes, only to find out at the end of a page with EU noise regulations guidelines, and realize that Udi has given up.
This may be Audi's last chance to offer a heart-stirring internal combustion engine before this version, too, will make the required transformation to electricity, but Audi has complied with European noise regulations and limited the pitch and barks emanating from the RS3.
I wanted more.
More of this madness that completes all the senses.
Because apart from this tiny-tiny disadvantage, she has it all.
The 5-cylinder engine has become one of its trademarks (Photo: Walla !, Joel Schwartz)
It has an engine in a configuration that has already become traditional in Audi: 2.5 liters, 5 cylinders in the ignition order of 1-2-4-5-3.
Volume and number of cylinders that have accompanied the Audi models since the 80s of the last century.
In the RS3 this engine is from 2011.
Every few years it gets more tuning and more tweaking, but the base is the same one.
In its current incarnation, 400 horses hatch from it - as in the previous RS3 - but now the entire herd joins at a lower rpm. The torque figure has improved slightly and now stands at 51 kg.
All of this gives the new RS3 a dizzying performance: accelerating from standstill to 100 km / h drops its jaws in 3.8 seconds, and one that takes care to keep its mouth open until the electronic limit of 250 km / h.
If the restriction is lifted, Udi reports 290 mph. Yummy!
Lots of external battle marks like deep bumpers, huge air intakes, large rims wrapped in thin rubber and more.
The message: "Do not mess with me" (Photo: Walla !, Joel Schwartz)
And if we've already mentioned a spin, then in this generation Audi worked very hard to give this car a bit of a spin.
A little "life" in relation to the previous generation that offered everything exactly as written in the book, but lacked character.
They then attached an active rear differential called the 'Torque Splitter' to the rear axle.
In one sentence: now the power split is not only back and forth but also from side to side on the rear axle, and thanks to it the RS3 can take the tail out for a crazy drift.
An action that no Audi in the Quattro era has done before, and one that has made it more engaging and rewarding for the driver.
When the system is disconnected you can drive it very smoothly into the turn, start giving gas towards the exit and launch yourself almost casually at a pumping rate that crushes internal organs.
But it can also be done differently.
At the push of a button - which is also accompanied by a statement "We trust you not to do nonsense" - the system is turned on.
Then you can enter more slowly in front of it, step on the gas earlier than usual to pull your buttocks out in front of it and balance it with the steering wheel.
This is what inspires a little madness in the ordinary family.
Which makes just a fast and accurate car, a fun sip.
And unlike other cars that know how to do this, this is a car that does not bite you back.
An equally important point, if not more so, for a less skilled driver.
The Audi RS3 is not only a fighter jet that can leap on all faces at lightning speed and sterile, but also a machine that knows how to move (Photo: Walla !, Joel Schwartz)
Everything in it is calibrated to bring up a smile.
The box remained a dual-clutch with 7 gears, but the transmission ratios in it were changed in favor of a more sporty arrangement and also the transmission times of the gears were shortened.
It is not always in a hurry to downshift, especially when you have to scroll more than two and the pedal is trampled to extract the maximum power, but most of the time it works great.
And as with the other models of the concern, when the stable is fertile, it also manages to function well both in crawling speed and parking maneuvers.
It also has new adaptive shocks developed specifically for it.
The camber angle of the wheels is slightly less slightly upward relative to the standard A3 (i.e., the bottom of the wheel protrudes more than the top).
The brakes are upgraded with 6 pistons and a host of other reinforcements for the chassis, etc., which add up to one common denominator: everything that needs to be improved in steering, grip and stability to get you "big", and maybe even instill in viewers a spark of envy.
Digital dashboard with action display and additions such as G meter, stopwatch for coffee times, leap measurement to 100 km / h, 200 km / h and 400 meters (Photo: Walla !, Yoel Schwartz system)
It all comes in a wonderfully useful family packaging.
And that's exactly what's so magical about this car as well as the other girls of its kind.
Yes the ride is tougher, but not on a tiring bouncy level.
The finish is elegant and polished.
Good human engineering with a climate control panel and physical buttons that do not require burrowing inside the multimedia screen (10.1) which is convenient in itself, even if not perfect. On the steering wheel another shortcut button that allows entry into the sporty mode. And still spacious enough for even large dimensions. Sufficient space in both the back seat and the trunk. This day-to-day usability is exactly what makes the RS3, as well as its competitors, so impressive. A machine that knows how to deliver so much and compromise on so little.
Spacious rear seat with separate climate control (Photo: Walla !, Joel Schwartz)
All this does not come cheap.
NIS 472,500 costs an RS3 in a Sportback configuration.
There is also a sedan configuration that costs more.
In addition, the two became more expensive last month, with the Sportback adding another NIS 12,500 to the price.
If that's not enough, then the test car also included the RS package which raises the price to NIS 492,000.
This package upgrades the audio system to that of O&B, and adds LED matrix lighting, a sports exhaust system, adaptive racks and other cosmetics.
And despite the peppery amount, the price of its direct competitor - the Mercedes A45 AMG S, which stands at NIS 560,000, puts everything in proportion.
It's worth the price if you managed to overcome the starting price hurdle, because of all the A3 models this is probably the last car you need, but sure the one you want.
Its latest evolution is the most impressive and perhaps truly the latest just as we knew it (Photo: Walla !, Joel Schwartz)
On the technical side: Audi RS3
Engine, propulsion:
turbo-petrol, dual
volume (cc):
2,480
power / rpm (5 hp):
5,600 / 400
torque / rpm (kg):
2,250 / 51
gearbox:
dual-clutch , 7 gears
Performance:
Acceleration 0-100:
3.8 seconds
Maximum speed:
250 km / h (290 with the limit removed)
Dimensions:
Length (cm):
438.9
Width (cm):
198.4
Height (cm):
143.6
Wheelbase (cm):
263.1
Trunk (liters):
282
Tires:
265/30/19 Net
weight (kg):
1,570
Competitors:
Mercedes A45AMG
Price:
NIS 472,500 (test vehicle: 492,000 shekels)
vehicle
Vehicle tests
Tags
Udi
Audi RS3
rs
Champion Motors
Sports car
Road Test