Audi Sport models come in two flavors, namely the Sports and Racing Sports. The latter category is available with no fewer than five powertrain types: five cylinders, six, eight, ten, or electric.
Mat Watson of carwow has assembled three of those for a series of rather wet drag races. The smallest and lightest contender is the RS 3 Performance in Sportback flavor, Sportback meaning five doors in Audi vernacular. It packs a turbocharged five-pot lump with 407 ps and 500 Nm to its name, metric figures that convert to 401 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of twist.
Tipping the scales at 1,560 kilograms (3,439 pounds), the RS 3 Performance features Haldex-type quattro all-wheel drive and the S tronic dual-clutch transmission with seven forward gears. The so-called RS Torque Splitter can direct up to 50 percent of available torque to the rear wheels for sideways fun. The RS Performance Mode, on the other hand, actively distributes torque between the rear wheels for better cornering stability (and better lap times).
As for the six-pot club, the only coupe of this ensemble is the RS 5 Competition Plus. Under the hood, you'll find a twin-turbocharged V6 shared with the RS 5 Sportback and RS 4 Avant. Weighing in at 1,695 kilograms (3,737 pounds), the coupe-bodied RS 5 Competition Plus belts out 450 ps and 600 Nm (as in 444 horsepower and 443 pound-feet) at full chatter.
Because its 2.9-liter engine is mounted longitudinally, we're dealing with Torsen-type quattro all-wheel drive. Some claim it's the right kind of quattro because it's full-time AWD, but then again, it's bulkier and heavier. Equipped with an eight-speed automatic supplied by ZF, this fellow is outgunned by the RS 7 Performance.
Also boasting the right kind of quattro, the heaviest car of the three is a porker at 2,065 kilograms (4,553 pounds). It runs the ZF 8HP as well, yet under the hood, you will find a twin-turbo V8 that's good for up to 657 horsepower in the Lamborghini Urus S and Urus Performante. For this application, the Volkswagen Group restricted the 4.0-liter engine to 630 ps and 850 Nm of torque (621 horsepower and 627 pound-feet).
Before going into the races, bear in mind the runway is really wet and the RS 3 dons semi-slick tires. Definitely not the right kind of rubber for racing in the wet, which is most apparent in the first dig race.
Photo: carwow on YouTube
Not surprising in the least, the RS 3 ended dead last and the RS 7 easily pulled away from the RS 5 to win the race. Second time out, the RS 3 secured second place by only the slightest of margins. For the final dig race, the RS 3 once again defeats the RS 5 in the quarter mile.
Even in these dreadful conditions, the RS 7 Performance asserted dominance with an ET of 11.9 seconds compared to 12.3 seconds for both the RS 5 Competition Plus and RS 3 Performance. How did they fare from a rolling start?
Of course, the RS 7 made easy work of the lesser siblings in both the normal and sport driving modes. From 50 mph (80 kph) to the half mile, the RS 3 couldn't hold a candle to bigger brother RS 5, though.
It does make the better noise, yet Audi plans to discontinue the five-cylinder turbo by decade's end. The next RS 3 is going fully electric, or so hearsay suggests. The next-generation A3 is due to arrive no later than 2027, and the switch to electric also means that rear-wheel drive will become standard.
The S3 is likely to receive a twin-motor setup, whereas the RS 3 is certain to receive two motors rated at slightly higher outputs.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News