Photo: original image by autoevolution
According to a topic discussion on a prominent German Audi forum, the brand new RS3 pocket rocket that's just been revealed and is yet to be launched will cost a whopping €56,600 when it hits dealerships next spring.
We don't know about you, but to us that sounds like a lot of money to pay for any Audi A3 model, which is essentially a tickled VW Golf, especially when there are so many competitors to choose from. Yet we can't help the feeling that Audi has prepared something amazing, especially since they haven't shown us a video of the car yet.
As Motor Talk forum members point out, the RS3 is noticeably more expensive than the Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG, which retails from €49,980 in Germany. The difference may seem insignificant, but it's actually over 10% and rarely do we see Ingolstadt out-pricing Affalterbach.
We don't know exactly what equipment will be offered as standard, but we think the RS3 will come with Park Distance Control (yes, parking sensors), 19-inch wheels and magnetic ride, all of which cost extra over in Mercedes land.
Another difference between the cars are the engines. Mercedes chose to go with a 2-liter unit, tuned from the basic one offered on the A 250. The A45 AMG has the highest output of any 2-liter turbo in the world, making 360 horsepower. However, Audi chose to stick with the traditional 2.5-liter turbo, believing that it will deliver lag-free power. Not only does it have more umpf than the AMG at 367 horsepower, but it also sounds better, throatier.
The RS3 is a class-leading car in terms of performance, achieving 0 to 100 km/h times of 4.3 seconds, noticeably faster than the 4.6 seconds of the A45. Bragging rights are everything and we think many buyers will fork over the extra €6,600 and get the faster Audi instead of the Mercedes. After all, here is a hot hatch that will keep up with the R8 V8 or the Porsche 911, a feat you don't see every day.
If you want to pay €56,600 for an RS model, you can already do that. The same price applies to the new RS Q3 model, which received a power bump and a cosmetic update. It also sounds quite nice because it has a 2.5-liter turbo, but only delivers 340 horsepower, compared to the 360 hp of its rival, the GLA45 AMG. Still, it's a little more comfortable and practical as a family car, but who cares about that anyway?
Still, this editor wouldn't pay that much money on the RS3 when the S3 is such a decent car. The second-hand car market is filled with fully-equipped S3s costing around €40,000 or so. There are taxes to consider and the fuel consumption of the RS3 is about 8,3 - 8,1 l/100km, equivalent to 34.8 mpg UK or about the same as a base Porsche Cayman, while the S3 is about 20% better.
So to answer the question in this editorial's title: for many, it's not worth that much money. The RS3 is a niche product and very few people will spend BMW 5 Series / Audi A6 money on a pocket rocket. But those who do will be rewarded.
As Motor Talk forum members point out, the RS3 is noticeably more expensive than the Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG, which retails from €49,980 in Germany. The difference may seem insignificant, but it's actually over 10% and rarely do we see Ingolstadt out-pricing Affalterbach.
We don't know exactly what equipment will be offered as standard, but we think the RS3 will come with Park Distance Control (yes, parking sensors), 19-inch wheels and magnetic ride, all of which cost extra over in Mercedes land.
Another difference between the cars are the engines. Mercedes chose to go with a 2-liter unit, tuned from the basic one offered on the A 250. The A45 AMG has the highest output of any 2-liter turbo in the world, making 360 horsepower. However, Audi chose to stick with the traditional 2.5-liter turbo, believing that it will deliver lag-free power. Not only does it have more umpf than the AMG at 367 horsepower, but it also sounds better, throatier.
The RS3 is a class-leading car in terms of performance, achieving 0 to 100 km/h times of 4.3 seconds, noticeably faster than the 4.6 seconds of the A45. Bragging rights are everything and we think many buyers will fork over the extra €6,600 and get the faster Audi instead of the Mercedes. After all, here is a hot hatch that will keep up with the R8 V8 or the Porsche 911, a feat you don't see every day.
If you want to pay €56,600 for an RS model, you can already do that. The same price applies to the new RS Q3 model, which received a power bump and a cosmetic update. It also sounds quite nice because it has a 2.5-liter turbo, but only delivers 340 horsepower, compared to the 360 hp of its rival, the GLA45 AMG. Still, it's a little more comfortable and practical as a family car, but who cares about that anyway?
Still, this editor wouldn't pay that much money on the RS3 when the S3 is such a decent car. The second-hand car market is filled with fully-equipped S3s costing around €40,000 or so. There are taxes to consider and the fuel consumption of the RS3 is about 8,3 - 8,1 l/100km, equivalent to 34.8 mpg UK or about the same as a base Porsche Cayman, while the S3 is about 20% better.
So to answer the question in this editorial's title: for many, it's not worth that much money. The RS3 is a niche product and very few people will spend BMW 5 Series / Audi A6 money on a pocket rocket. But those who do will be rewarded.
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