
SPEC HIGHLIGHTS
- SPEC
Audi S3
- ENGINE
1984cc
- BHP
328.6bhp
- 0-62
4.7s
Does the Audi S3 now finally deliver as a driver's car?
How do you replace a Honda Civic Type R? A hot hatch of unique focus and aggression that feels engineered from the ground-up to such an extent that the ‘Civic’ part of the name almost seems like a mistake? Honestly, I don’t know. But the Audi S3 is an intriguing answer.
Similar performance but much more discreet and in its latest guise blessed with the trick RS3-sourced ‘Torque Splitter’ rear differential for a potentially more adjustable balance. It looks sober but the mechanical spec suggests the S3 is ready to let its hair down…
There’s so much good here. Power is up from the pre-facelift model to 329bhp and 310lb ft, the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox is more aggressive and upshift times have been halved, plus there are stiffer front suspension arms and more aggressive geometry. The new Dynamic Plus setting ramps-up the drama, loosens the stability control and gives the torque vectoring rear differential license to really dictate the balance of the car.
Why so serious, then? The S3 really is a sleeper and we’ve leaned into that with District Green paint (£595) and stuck to the rather luxurious looking multi-spoke alloys. The only overtly performance option ticked is the Akrapovic exhaust, for a substantial £4,125. To be honest the S3 isn’t awash with bespoke option choices but comes with nearly everything you want and need, anyway. We added front and rear side airbags for £340, too. But nothing else. Even so, the S3 comes in at a weighty £58,590.
With that price and all the RS3-derived goodies come high expectations. So far the S3 feels very good indeed… if a little buttoned-up and conventional after the amazingly singular Type R. Having said that there are encouraging signs and my first forays into Dynamic Plus mode have revealed a lovely neutral balance and the prospect of real on-throttle oversteer. I like that. Let’s see if we can reveal the wild side of the S3 in the coming months.
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