Audi S3 (Typ 8Y)

With the unveiling of the fourth-generation Audi A3 range, in sedan and hatchback variants, it didn't took too long until the sportier S3 variants arrived to spice things up with this latest generation.

The all-new Audi S3, in sedan and Sportback, adds some more spice to the normal A3 while retaining the same ACT! ADDICT! ACTORS! stuff that you get from the normal A3, with prices start at around 47,500 Euros for Sportback and 48,400 Euros for the sedan, plus additional costs.

The Audi S3 has been around for like two decades since the first one came out and with the latest generation, the almost high performance variant's prepared to pick up the pieces where its predecessors left with its mild but menacing performance, dynamics, tech and style that almost impresses the speedo boys.

At first glance, it looks somewhat identical to the normal A3. Same goes to the high tech interior that is worth a waste of time toying around but being comfortable for five people inside, not to mention the spacing fit for your man cave needs and the speedo boy-repelling advanced safety tech inside, but being the S3, it's got some sporty exterior design that sets itself apart from your normal A3. It's good looking on the sedan but greater to look at in hatchback guise.

Under the hood, the S3 is powered by a 2.0L TFSI engine producing up to 310PS of power and 400Nm of torque. Mated only to a seven-speed S tronic double clutch gearbox, it's capable of going 0-100kph in less than five seconds and top speed electronically limited to 250kph. Now that's hot hatch stuff.

Speaking of mild and menacing dynamics other speedo boys see it as a challenge, the new S3 is armed with four-link rear axle, progressive steering, and the available S sport suspension with damper control, making the driving experience a bit, well, mild and menacing, like almost every hot hatches should.

The new S3 makes a perfect rivalry against the likes of the BMW M135i hatch and M235i Gran Coupe because between us, these two do make proper rivals no one cared about because they're both all-wheel drive and they're both have mild language on the road and track. So, would you like this over the M135i/M235i Gran Coupe?

Photo: Audi AG

Forza Motorsport 5: The only 2015 model car you can play with

At Forza Motorsport 5, we always accuse this game for not featuring the latest and the hottest cars in the market today. Even though they claimed that they're living up to their "next-generation" promise, the car lineup is worth noticing and with every monthly DLC Pack offered, they're mostly carryovers from the previous games while a few were new to the Forza...most were 19XX's and 200X's rather than focusing on new machines. When they asked them for facelifts, they denied it. If it's a new generation of a certain model, they denied it. They keep denying new generation machines in favor of older ones. So far, there are three 2014 models in the game; the Fiesta ST, the Civic Si Coupe, and the Chevrolet Corvette C7 Stingray. Amazingly...no 2015 model in sight! Nothing! What's wrong with Turn 10 these days?



With Forza 5's Hot Wheels Car Pack is officially named "the last monthly car pack" in the game, they really mean it because THIS is the last DLC car pack they've released for the game. Don't lie to us, Turn 10. Because this is the final Forza 5 DLC pack to be offered in the game, this is the only 2015 car you can drive in the game; the 2015 Audi S3 Sedan.

Time for the assessment on what they're doing during the development of Forza 5's DLC Pack through the months since its November 2013 debut along with the XBOX One. First, what are they thinking? What are those Turn 10 staff doing these days? Looks like to them, the year 2014 will foretell doom to all of Turn 10 because why? They're mostly afraid of cars built from 2014 model year to now. I'm kinda believed that just before the year 2014 hits, most of the team from Turn 10 kinda have their so-called post-2014 bunker so most of them will hide from civilization like you'd expect from a nuclear holocaust situation. Go ahead, folks. Once you step inside the corridors of Turn 10 Studios. No one's here except anyone hiding in their secret post-beginning-of-2014-bunker located under their HQ. What they do have in their bunker is some survival stuff. Some boxes of junk food, boxes of soft drinks, anything you would expect from a nuclear holocaust bunker. Most of the stuff and the offices where the T10 staff used to worked on...we're all covered in dust and litter like any holocaust movie you've seen.

That's how this happened! They're too afraid to see the changing world of the automotive industry! I can't believe anyone from T10 we're too scarred to step out from the outside world for some further inspiration for their DLC Car Packs. Where did they get their inspiration for their packs? From their Used Car Guides you would find most in the grocery stores! Maybe that's why they're afraid to go out and visit some car shows from Geneva, Los Angeles, Chicago, Tokyo, Paris, Beijing, Shanghai, Frankfurt, or any city where car shows featuring new cars occured. (Sigh)



They just really don't know what might have been in the future of Forza Motorsport and Turn 10, do they? I'd reckon that they won't be surviving next year especially when the list of upcoming full model changes, facelifts, and debutantes of cars keeps on growing and Turn 10 is in the brink of collapse moments before celebrating Forza Motorsport's 10th birthday, just to let you know.

It's a shocking vision of Turn 10's grim future. The Forza franchise will never be the same again when it comes to featuring fully licensed cars but mainly focused on more past and less present in-game and DLC alike.



The Forza Motorsport franchise and all of Turn 10 have failed to place the latest 2014-2015 machines, they've failed to put Top Gear's latest reasonably priced car, the Vauxhall Astra Tech Line, they've failed to bring facelifted machines, and most of all, as what Comic Book Guy would say; Worst...Fan Service...Ever... I can say that but I really don't mean it.

The 2015 Audi S3 Sedan, the only 2015 model year car you can play in Forza Motorsport 5 and the only MQB-platform car you can toy around in the game, has its fate sealed in this game, foreseeing the grim future of Turn 10 because of their defiance against new machines and don't expect any 2014-2015 model year cars to arrive on FM5 soon because...as what this car pack claims...The Hot Wheels Car Pack is the final DLC Car Pack in FM5 so deal with it.



ALL ABOUT THIS CAR:

The third-generation Audi A3 was launched in 2012 and it was the first Audi to use VW Group's expendable MQB platform where it is expected to be used in upcoming vehicles from their portfolio and this new platform is flexible enough to allow individual models to have a variety of wheelbase, track and external dimensions. Thanks to the A3's use of the MQB platform, not only the 3-door, 5-door Sportback, and the Cabriolet versions were spawned but for the first time, a sedan version was offered.

The S3 version is the slightly high-performance version of the A3 and for this sedan version, like its hatchback equivalents, it is powered by a 2.0L turbo engine develops over 300HP of power and 280lb-ft of torque. With the s tronic equipped, the sedan version can get a 0-100kph time of 4.9 seconds. It comes with quattro all wheel drive where most of the power goes to the rear axle via a Haldex clutch.




I've been driving around with the 2015 S3 Sedan for moments in this game and I have to say that even though the handling's a bit too mild because of its 4WD system on it and its use of MQB platform, the S3 Sedan really showed me the error of my ways knowing what might have been and after my drive with this on FM5, I was so stressed that why is Turn 10 is just shying away from the latest automobiles from the new era.

The more I'm driving with the S3 Sedan, the more I'm starting to get interested with the only 2015 model car and the only MQB machine in the game and when you get used to it, you can get used for more while discovering the outer limits of this car's potential.

 

While the S3 Sedan keeps on shouting "WAKE UP, TURN 10!" for all the reasons, this car is worthy to be idolized for being the only 2015 car in FM5 and what will its quiet beginning be when players picked one up from The Hot Wheels Car Pack in FM5 is anyone's game or risk. It's just like the whole Wake Up Girls thingy, there are some struggles and obstacles that can hinder your road to fame and this S3 Sedan would be on that fate where it was chosen to be.

Audi S3 Sedan and S3 Cabriolet (Typ 8V)

The hatchback versions of the latest Audi S3, in 3-door and 5-door Sportback models, maybe more of a competitor's luck in the hot hatch combat where history decides the winner but even though they're hot in their performance, they're not quite civilized in the day-to-day traffic especially when it comes with quattro all wheel drive system. Now, while there are S3 hatches offered for hot hatch enthusiasts, there are now four kinds of S3 models to choose from while the other two are so in a different league right now.

2015 Audi S3 Cabriolet

2015 Audi S3 Sedan

Call them different but these two new S3 models, the S3 Cabriolet and the all-new S3 Sedan, are here to showcase that even though they're not classified as the same hatchback status as the normal ones, they can still have the guts to be in the S3 family...but the only thing is, I really don't hold much hope.

The S3 Sedan version costs 40,400 Euros but the optional S tronic double clutch gearbox model will charge you 1,900 Euros more while the S3 Cabriolet costs a more expensive 48,500 Euros and it's available exclusively with the same S tronic double clutch gearbox as the saloon model.

Like the hatchback equivalents, both the S3 sedan and cabrio is powered by a 2.0L turbo engine develops over 300HP of power and 280lb-ft of torque. With the s tronic equipped, the sedan version can get a 0-100kph time of 4.9 seconds while the cabriolet version can get up to 100kph in a pedestrian 5.4 seconds. Why? Because the Cabriolet version is the heaviest of the S3 range because of too much stiffening like most convertibles do, that's why it's slower even though they bought have the same engine and the same gearbox. Don't ask...

Because the S3 sedan and Cabriolet, like its hatchback equivalents, do come with quattro all wheel drive, most of the power goes to the rear axle via a Haldex clutch. That sounds chunky and sounds clever. When you get round the corner, it feels a bit okay but not quite as good as any other hot hatches tuned for nimble performance. You can get too grumpy when you take it seriously and that's an endless struggle to survive from the corner because of its weight from the all wheel drive malarkey. Mind you, this is built entirely from Volkswagen's MQB platform so this is becoming more of a drama class right now despite the use of the company's expendable platform.

With the new S3 sedan and the new S3 cabriolet, you can put your fate in these four S3 models; from the 3-door, 5-door Sportback, 4-door sedan, and the two-door open-top cabriolet. What comes next? The world will never know...

Photo: Audi AG

Audi A3 Sportback (Typ 8V) and S3 Sportback (Typ 8V)

2014 Audi A3 Sportback

This is an Audi A3, the new model, and what this is is an all new 5-door model of the new model, called the A3 Sportback. As far as I am thinking, the three door model of the new A3 is kinda more of a Volkswagen Golf for unnecessary selfies because of its fancy gizmos and a bigger price tag.and the same kind of stuff goes for the new five-door model. However, I'm not really sure why I call this one a VW Golf for people carrying a Louis Vuitton bag.

Starting at the pricing and with the cost of 22,500 Euros, which is almost 4,000 more than the standard 5-door Volkswagen Golf and of course, you can expect the same engine choices as the 3-door model; such as the 1.8 TFSi engine which develops 180HP of power, a 1.4 TFSi engine that develops 140HP of power, a 1.6 TDi engine, and a 2.0 TDi engine developing 150PS of power. But...there's a catch up because there's now an uprated version of the 2.0 TDi engine which now develops 184PS of power and 380Nm of torque.

2014 Audi A3 Sportback

Thing is though, the new Sportback version adds 35mm of its wheelbase, which is more than its 3-door equivalent, and also the boot's increased to 380 liters, which is somewhat similar from its VW Golf and Seat Leon cousins. Very nice though. Also, because this is a 5-door model, this isn't the Audi A3 for the selfies, it's made for the socialites who want to spend some time with his friends at the mall, the bar, the country club, or whatever for a socialite having a blowout with his friends. Sadly though, because of its pricing, this is more of a selfie car with 5-doors rather than a normal 5-door hatchback made for someone who has friends.

2014 Audi A3 Sportback interior

Another problem for this 5-door A3 Sportback made for so-called selfies is that because of its added doors, added wheelbase, and the added boot space, it now weighs 30kg more than its 3-door equivalent so when it comes to being a "sport" hatchback, it's not quite as sporty as its 3-door cousin. You can expect a fair amount of understeer as you corner and oh! I haven't got myself to the big demerit and that's about an optional sport suspension. Although the sport suspension adds more agility to the A3 Sportback, this is about as stressful as flipping tables when you're angry. Best to avoid that if you're having osteoporosis or if you had back aches because this optional sport suspension makes your back pain even worse.

Still, could be worse. You might be end up winding in one of these...

2014 Audi S3 Sportback

2014 Audi S3 Sportback

Welcome everyone to the new S3 Sportback and yes, most of you asking that this is more of a Golf GTi with a fancier name and a bigger price tag and it was...

It costs 39,800 Euros and what you expect is the same dynamics as its 3-door equivalent, the added wheelbase, the added doors, the added doors, the added weight, the same 2.0L turbo engine, the same 6-speed double clutch transmission, on and on and on and giggity giggity goo. Anyway, forget about the giggity giggity goo because this isn't a hot hatch for wired freaks who spend two days drinking too much caffeine, it's a bit more than that.

Like the three-door version, the S3 Sportback continues to be a wild one, it's still the S3 I know, far from being one of the most powerful 2-litre hot hatch you can buy but because the new A45 AMG from Mercedes-Benz develops over 360HP, the new S3 Sportback can't catch up to its standards because it develops over 300HP of power and 280lb-ft of torque. And because this is heavier than the 3-door S3, 0-60mph takes about 4.8 seconds and top speed normally limited to 155mph.

In terms of being an all-rounder, there is also a big demerit on the Sportback version and it's not quite a character building machine because of the poor feedback of the power steering. It feels like you're struggling to twist a very tight nut with your pliers and it keeps getting harder and harder until the nuts gets loose. Even when you're driving like a wired freak, it still not quite as wired as the M135i or the A45 AMG. It's not quite a thriller but the S3 Sportback tries to balance out the right things and the wrong things.

Choosing which of these two is not quite easy because even though the A3 Sportback and its sportier version, the S3 Sportback, were made to look like posh Golfs for the socialites, they're still acting like a bunch of selfies so in the meantime, I would rather go back to the Golf GTi instead because its cheaper than the S3 and has loads of enjoyment only a selfie would drive...almost.

Photo: Audi AG

Audi S3 Typ 8V and SQ5

Tonight, or today if you're reading this on the day, or this morning if you woke up, let's talk about the latest A3. Last year, I checked out the all new Audi A3 in the summer and I told that the all new model does look like an enlarged Audi A1 but because of its new MQB platform developed by Volkswagen, it's now lighter, more rigid, and it gets even more emotional in terms of performance and handling. Well, not much. One psychopath per review though. VW Group cars with MQB platform seems to be bringing the future to us but sometimes, it's not quite a dignity if you asked me. Anyway, there's a hotter version of the new A3 and what can I say?

2014 Audi S3

Turn left! No! Turn right! No! Turn left! Turn left! Ahhh!!! Now what an athletic hatchback indeed! Street athlete! It's like it went to the Ironman race! Swimming, cycling, and running! Now that's when blokes get dirty! Hoo-hoo!!

So, welcome, everyone, to the all new S3, Audi's street athlete for the road, redefined. First of all, what Audi did is to take a normal Typ 8V A3, make it more athletic, and then pump up with the long-stroke 2.0 TFSi engine that produces 300HP of power. That's about 20HP less powerful than its rival, the BMW M135i and in a game of catch up, the new S3 is nowhere near as good as the M135i in the corners. Don't think of it as Bruce Forsyth being a Die Hard hero or being inside The Shining. This is more than that. It's like some young woman in her stripey tank top trying to attack you with a P90 machine gun in your head and shoulders. Anyway, while this model's heavier than the BMW M135i, the quattro all wheel drive system really does not scare the driver as much. It's much more grippy but it's a much more stressful to drive.

Pricing? Let's have a look...38,900 Euros for the one with the manual transmission but that car will cost you 1,900 Euros more if a 7-speed double clutch transmission is added. Come to think of it that despite the double clutch transmission added, I would say that it's going to be rubbish, frankly. So, it may look like a half-decent hot hatch but sadly it doesn't feel like a half-decent hot hatchback.

Thing is though, the all new S3 is not the only Audi that doesn't understand my language and confuses me a lot, perhaps, there's another one that is much more confusing than the new S3...

2013 Audi SQ5

It may look like the recently facelifted Audi Q5 but this is, by far out, the most confusing Audi I have ever felt in my life. This is the new SQ5 and that name should have been called the Q5 S like the TT-S but question is...why SQ5? While that question is a bit confusing as of now, the engine that powers it is even more confusing than ever...

It has a 3.0 TDi engine with two turbochargers that produces 313HP of power and 650Nm of torque. I mean yes, this is the first ever Audi S model to have a diesel engine but that only works in European countries because overseas version may get a petrol variant, which sounds lovely but...AHHHH!!!!! WHAT AM I THINKING?!!!!

You know what? Never mind about that but still, Audi said that the zero to hundred kilo sprint takes about 5.1 seconds while fuel consumption combined is about 7.2L/100km. To differentiate the SQ5 from the normal Q5, this model has the platinum gray single-frame radiator grille with its galvanized dual struts in aluminum look, the roof spoiler and modified bumpers, meaning that the crossover that was once a crossover your posh mom would use for grocery shopping, has now turned into a naughty rascal. Imagine your mom driving one of these and when other mommies saw this ride, they would think that you're an inappropriate mother who was raising a spoiled brat for years.

In essence then, both the all new S3 and the all new SQ5 were not in my books because well I was gonna say horrid but such word is not used on such cars. Guess I should better make up a new word that is neither bad, nor good to describe what these two S-model Audis were but in the meantime, these two cars are open for discussion but because I'm ending this discussion right now, guess you'll gonna have to discuss about this car somewhere else.

Photo: AUDI AG