Even though it’s no longer sold in Canada, that won’t stop Canadian drivers from finding ways of getting behind the wheel of the 2023 Audi RS3 without traveling across borders. And that’s exactly what happened.
The guys at Throttle House teamed up with Montreal-based company Unitronic and borrowed their development RS3 sedan for a quick spin on the sunny streets of Ontario.
With 401 hp (around 407 ps) and 500 Nm (369 lb-ft), the 2.5-liter turbocharged 5-cylinder engine has a stand-out sound to it, thanks to its unique firing order. It also does a great job moving the car from 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 km/h) in a solid 3.6 seconds, as claimed by Audi. The guys managed 3.7 seconds, which is still impressive.
The base model gets a 155 mph (250 km/h) caped top speed, but there’s also the Dynamic plus package that bumps that up to 180 mph (290 km/h). Plus, this 2023 model has a new trick up its sleeve. While past generations of the RS3 used to have some understeering issues, it shouldn’t be the case here.
Similar to the Golf R’s “Drift Mode” sending power to the outer wheel when turning, the new Audi RS3 “delivers dynamic handling with its RS torque splitter diverting available rear power individually to the rear wheels when needed,” according to the carmaker. The torque splitter can be adjusted based on your drive mode via the two available dynamic handling modes: RS performance and RS torque rear.
Now, the seating capacity goes up to five people, but the legroom and headroom in the back could be better, especially if you’re around 5’10” or taller. Unfortunately, the Bang & Olufsen sound system that could make people in the back forget about the lack of space is a $ 2,750 update.
Ultimately, the RS3 is a great combination of design and functionality, but you can check out the full video review below.
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