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2018 Audi RS3 Drag Races A45 AMG, New Civic Type R, Focus RS and Golf R

Yes, we know that drag races like this one have been done before. But this is the 2018 Audi RS3 we're talking about; it's noticeably faster than both its predecessor and the Mercedes-AMG A45. The other three are just there for comparison.
2018 Audi RS3 Drag Races A45 AMG, New Civic Type R, Focus RS and Golf R 7 photos
Photo: YouTube screenshot
Apparently, not only does it have 400 PS and 480 Nm of torque, but it's also lighter thanks to an aluminum hood and engine construction. A week ago, we saw that Mat Watson from Carwow liked it more than the A45 when it came to the driving experience, but he also noted it was 0.3 of a second quicker to 60 mph.

In this new drag race video, the Audi needed 12.2 seconds to reach the quarter-mile line, while the Merc did it in 12.9 seconds. The Focus, Civic, and Golf came after that in the order we mentioned them in. Yes, the all-wheel drive Golf was slower than the Civic.

Of course, if the Golf R had been tested with its DSG gearbox, it would have been a little faster than the Civic, but not more so than the Focus RS.

Audis are not always as quick as the drag races suggest. For example, the RS5 was faster than the Mercedes-AMG C63 S and M4, but when the rolling race was carried out, the grunt of the V8 C-Class Coupe proved overwhelming.

However, there's no repeat of that outcome with the hot hatchbacks. The RS3 has more power, more torque and a bigger engine than every other car here. So even in the rolling race, it comes out on top. But the Focus RS proves to be a real dark horse, holding on until the last second. Which proves that you can buy the badass Ford and still hold your head up high when pulling up next to the German uber-hatchbacks.

Speed is one thing, but we wonder which of them can be driven every day and are the most practical. Hot hatch buyers usually only have one car that needs to do everything, and the Focus's suspension or the A45's small trunk could be off-putting.

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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