Audi RS3 (Typ 8Y)

After a year of waiting since the arrival of the current Audi A3, the ultimate version known as the RS3 has arrived in sedan and Sportback form, and this means party time for speedo boys who have waited long enough to get their filthy hands on the latest version that promises to be as awesome as the previous RS3.

The RS3 (priced at 62,000 Euros plus additional costs) and the RS3 Sportback (priced at 60,000 Euros plus additional costs) are back in the Typ 8Y generation and the latest versions promise to be as enjoyable to drive as the previous model, something that speedo boys are looking forward to.

At first glance, the new versions are like the normal Audi A3 8Y, but with the RS3, this is what these A3 models looked like after last night in Ibiza. Such party animals they, and when you check through the design and its interior, it smells like one of the frat boys on steroids. Now that's manly, but just like the normal A3, speedo boys can get easily plagued by its minimalist interior layout because like the normal model, you don't get buttons and dials to adjust the touch screen sat nav's volume.  You get buttons only on the climate control. Period.

Anyway, with the beefed-up exterior design and a dark interior theme that smells manly for hot hatch standards, the new models' performance and dynamics are something to spark a conversation about. The new models retained the same 2.5L TFSi engine from the previous model. Sure, it produces the same 400PS power output as the original but they've managed to add 20Nm of torque to make it 500Nm, allowing it to rev as much as 7000rpm. Mated to an S Tronic seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and quattro permanent all-wheel drive, it can go from 0 to 100kph in 3.8 seconds and with an optional extra online, it can go up to 290kph, that's 10kph quicker than the previous model.

Aside from the improved performance, the new RS3's dynamics are getting more enjoyable than ever because underneath, the old model's rear axle differential has been replaced with a torque splitter that comes with a special feature that makes the RS3 drift like a rear-wheel-drive car. Not a Focus RS as such but it feels so addictive and enjoyable. Couple that with the RS sports suspension and the ceramic brake system, along with other improvements, the result is a mild but menacing ride that speedo boys will never forget. Once they drive it, it's prime time.

Is this the best RS3 Audi ever made? It's a 3-to-2 split decision but either way, the all-new RS3 range, in sedan and Sportback forms, loves to party through the roads and tracks like a real party animal. Although speedo boys are getting problems with the interior, the fun-to-drive character is still pretty much alive and kicking and looks like we are feeling the jealousy from within, wishing we want to experience one of these on our own terms. This is the RS3 that is too cool to be ignored for Gen Z.

Photo: Audi