An Unfair Drag Race: 2018 Audi RS3 Sedan vs. 2018 VW Golf R

We still remember how angry people got when we talked about the Megane RS and Golf GTI in the same context. "They are not comparable because Volkswagen makes the R version for hardcore enthusiasts," they angrily commented.

The phenomenon is known by the internet as "tilted" - basically pushed over the edge to the point where you're much angrier than you should be. Well, this drag race is going to tilt some Volkswagen owners.

The Golf R is undoubtedly a capable car. While its 2-liter engine doesn't have the same power as the Civic Type R, the AWD still gives it a traction advantage. It's the fastest of Golfs, and it has a loyal following of people who just hate to lose. So they're going to call foul on this.

We understand and accept their feelings. However, if there's an interesting drag race, especially one that involves sibling rivalries, we're going to share it with you.

The RS3 Sedan is new and quite an impressive machine. It's slightly heavier than the RS3 Sportback, and you'd think this could be an equalizer. But a 400 HP, 480 Nm Audi engine can't possibly lose to a 310 HP, 380 Nm Volkswagen unit.

The South African race shows that up to about 80 km/h (51 mph), the two cars are pretty even. However, by the time they're clocked at 120 km/h (75 mph), the Audi RS3 has a lead of over one second. The Golf R ends the quarter-mile race with a time of 13.17 seconds and a trap speed of 171 km/h (106 mph) while the sedan is doing 184 km/h (114 mph) at its 12.36s crossing of the marker.

Both have AWD, 7-speed gearboxes and are based on the MQB platform. However, the RS3 costs about €11,000, and there's a big waiting list for it right now.