The only reason we're calling these "warm hatches" is that they each have an even hotter version. Well, that's not entirely true in BMW's case, with the Bavarians continuing to deprive people of a proper M 1 Series for reasons only to them known.
They actually went one step further and nerfed the M140i of the previous generation with this newer M135i. Unlike its predecessor that had six cylinders, the current model only gets four, with the engine displacement also dropping from three liters to just two. Obviously, such changes couldn't leave the power output unaffected, so the new car has 36 fewer ponies and an unquantifiable amount of character missing.
However, these modifications did bring it a lot closer to its rivals. All three cars in this comparison have very similar - often even identical - specs. For starters, they all have two-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engines. The Audi S3 develops 310 hp, but the other two share a 306 hp output. Torque figures are pretty close as well: 295 lb-ft (400 Nm) for the Audi and Mercedes-AMG A 35, and slightly more - 332 lb-ft (450 Nm) - for the BMW.
They all get all-wheel-drive too, which is just as well considering the weather on test day. Transmission-wise, once again we're looking at a 2-1 split: both the Audi and the Mercedes-AMG have seven-speed dual-clutch gearboxes, whereas the BMW packs an eight-speed torque converter.
On paper, then, this should be as close as they come. With only marginal variations in power output and architecture, it might all come down to fine differences such as internal gearing, tires, and, of course, drivers. Do you prefer to watch drag races where you already know who is going to win? No, neither do we.
Before we go, there's just one aspect we'd like to point out: the Audi S3 is, by all intents and purposes, a Volkswagen Golf R in fancy clothes. That is if you like clothes with a little too much plastic on the nose and fake honeycomb grilles. Well, at least it has proper exhaust tips, which is not something you could say about a lot of cars recently.
However, the point we were trying to make with the Golf was that you could get the same level of performance for less money, albeit in an allegedly non-premium package. That's not a dig just at Audi, but just as much at the other two.
"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie) Full profile
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