Introduced back in 2015, the previous-generation RS 3 may seem a little underwhelming at first glance. But as opposed to the more affordable Golf R, the Audi packs a five-cylinder turbo that sounds truly glorious.
The four-door sedan we’re covering today isn’t your typical RS 3, though.
Most of the oily bits, including the powerplant, have been upgraded for straight-line performance. Currently running on 30-percent ethanol and the rest gasoline, the black-painted Audi makes an estimated 753 horsepower at the crankshaft and 603 horsepower at all four wheels as per the owner.
Of course, the RS 3 also features beefed-up clutches for the dual-clutch transmission. Clearly not your typical compact sedan, the Audi is much obliged to accept a straight-line challenge from a Tesla Model S Plaid.
The white-painted electric sedan is pretty much stock except for the aftermarket twin-spoke wheels that are wrapped in Pirelli rubber shoes. To whom it may concern, Tesla is charging $129,990 for the most spartan configuration of the all-wheel-driven Plaid. The larger optional wheels enable the full-size challenger to accelerate to 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour) in merely 1.99 seconds. As for the quarter-mile run, Tesla quotes a simply ludicrous 9.23 seconds at 155 mph (250 kph).
Emphasis on “ludicrous” because of the Plaid’s fine print. More specifically, you need a VHT-covered speedway and the Drag Strip mode turned on. What’s more, you need to subtract the first foot of rollout. Including this important foot, MotorTrend features editor Christian Seabaugh couldn’t do better than 2.28 seconds to 60 mph on an unprepped surface.
According to Sam CarLegion, “this is the fastest car I’ve ever driven. This thing is ridiculous. You don’t know how fast it is until you actually drive it.”
Be that as it may, there’s an even faster car out there. It’s called the Rimac Nevera, only 150 examples of the breed will be produced, and the best quarter-mile result so far is 8.58 seconds at 167.51 mph (269.58 kph).
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
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