Spurred on by the A45 AMG, the Audi RS models powered by the 2.5-liter engine have gotten too much power. Right now, they're at 400 HP, while the larger RS models went from a V8 to a turbo V6 and are stuck at 450 HP.
We've been saying that the TT RS is and RS3 are dark horses of the Audi performance lineup. Today, we're going to prove it with a direct comparison between the RS3 sedan and the RS4 Avant.
The two cars launch off the line, and the wagon gets a small lead, but it can't pull ahead. It still manages to win, but by the end of the runway, there's still just a car's length between them. The RS4 crosses the line in 12.1 seconds, just one tenth ahead of the RS3.
Unless we're mistaken, the RS3 sedan is heavier and slightly slower than the hatchback, while the TT RS is even lighter still. So we predict that the coupe model would have easily won this race.
Usually, the rolling race is less interesting, but not here, as the RS4 prove to be much faster. We expected this since the RS3's all-wheel-drive system gave it an unfair advantage with a better launch. Take that away, and the power gap between the two cars is revealed.
As for the braking test, it's a dead heat, which is surprising considering that the RS4 Avant is about 200 kg heavier.
Even though the RS3 lost, it still gets the moral victory for being shockingly fast at a discounted price. It also sounds fantastic and will remind some of the original RS4 sedan. But let's not forget that it's a compact car with less trunk space and headroom.
If you want more Audi-on-Audi action, check out this older drag race which also features the RS6 and R8 supercar.
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. Full profile
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