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AMG A35 and Golf R Get Rematch Drag Race, Audi S3 Is There to Ruin Everything

Well, that didn't take long! Just hours after the Golf R took down the new Mercedes-AMG A35 in a drag race, the two are back at it again. Only this time, there's a full lineup of rivals.
AMG A35 and Golf R Get Rematch Drag Race, Audi S3 Is There to Ruin Everything 3 photos
Photo: YouTube screenshot/Carwow
AMG A35 and Golf R Get Rematch Drag Race, Audi S3 Is There to Ruin EverythingAMG A35 and Golf R Get Rematch Drag Race, Audi S3 Is There to Ruin Everything
Hot hatchbacks are the sports cars of today. They're super-fast, and there's no shortage of fans or tech variations, so Carwow put together this brand new video just to have a look at the A35 4Matic. This is the least potent AMG model, with a 2-liter turbo producing just 306 HP and 400 Nm of torque. But those numbers are in line with its rivals.

A few cars with even more grunt and bigger engines are also lined up. Mat Watson is behind the wheel of a FWD crowd-pleaser, the M140i with a 3-liter making 340 HP. Just like we asked in our last story, the Focus RS is here as well, with its manual launch control system and sweet 2.3-liter turbo. You can't have a good drag race without that.

Unfortunately, those aren't the top dogs; the German robots are. Both the Audi S3 and the Golf R are presented in 2018 form, which is a little unfair. The manufacturers can't sell these 310 HP models due to WLTP and have dropped ten ponies.

But while last time the Golf R ran away with the race, this time, it's not as fast. We don't know what's going on here, as this particular Vdub has ten more HP than last time and even comes with the Akrapovic exhaust system. Yet it's the Audi S3 that wins the race, much to the frustration of the AMG driver who "hates losing."

We could tell you what happens in the rolling race and the brake test, but you probably don't care. Instead, we'll vent our frustration over the outcome. Sure, the A35 can be classified as slower than it should be. But the launch of the Golf R seems terrible, and its performance is inferior to what the specs say. Is it that hard to do three races and settle this once and for all?

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
Mihnea Radu profile photo

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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