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When I was a boy, my bedroom walls were plastered with various car posters, but it was the one of the fearsome Group B Audi Quattro S1 E2 that I’d stare at and long to drive the most. With its wild wings and flame-spitting exhaust, the 600bhp monster fuelled my obsession with rallying.
Thirty years on, my dream has come true... sort of. Okay, so our new Audi RS3 isn’t a hand-built motorsport missile designed to conquer rally’s rough and tumble, but it has more in common with the S1 than you’d think. For instance, both cars are powered by a five-cylinder turbo engine paired with a quattro four-wheel-drive system.
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Plus, Audi’s mid-eighties rally weapon served as a test bed for its then-novel twin-clutch gearbox, which helped pave the way for our RS3’s seven-speed S tronic. Then there’s the power. The final S1 E2’s 600bhp output was a high watermark for Group B rally cars, while our model’s 361bhp figure makes it the most powerful hot hatch around.
The cars even sound similar. That’s largely thanks to the sports exhaust that comes with the £2,495 Performance Plus Pack, and includes adaptive dampers and a raised top speed of 174mph. At idle, the Audi’s twin tailpipes emit a deep burble, but as the revs climb past 4,000rpm, the 2.5-litre engine delivers the same howl that sent shivers down the spines of eighties rally fans.
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We also opted for the £590 Sepang Blue metallic paint, which helps to accentuate the RS3’s subtly flared wheelarches, while £695 High Gloss Black trim pack adds an extra visual menace.
Inside, we’ve specified the £1,150 Comfort and Sound Package for a Bang & Olufsen stereo, cruise control and ambient lighting, plus the leather seats get a £795 diamond-stitched finish. The £1,795 Technology Pack adds an HDD sat-nav with Audi’s MMI Touch system that allows you to write an address with your finger.
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Elsewhere, there are red painted brake calipers (£325), a Carbon sigma finish for the engine (£495), electric-folding and body-coloured door mirrors (£375) and privacy glass (£290). Added together, these extras take the price from an already steep £39,955 to an eye-watering £51,185. So, can you justify spending over £50,000 on what is essentially an Audi A3?
Well, the Audi looks and feels the part, with the interior using high-grade materials. Then there’s the performance. Audi claims the RS3 will sprint from 0-62mph in just 4.3 seconds – and it feels that fast in the real world, too.
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Any niggles? It turns out that squeezing in a five-cylinder engine doesn’t leave much room for a battery. So, Audi has had to relocate it to the boot, thus reducing capacity to a cramped 280 litres. Oh, and even with the dampers in their softest setting, the RS3 has a very firm ride.
Still, I’m not going to let these issues spoil my enjoyment of this fast and unflappable car, and over the coming months I’ll be finding out whether it deserves to share wall space with its legendary ancestor.
- On fleet since: August 2015
- Price new: £39,955
- Engine: 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo, 361bhp
- CO2/tax: 189g/km/£265
- Options: Metallic paint (£550), Nappa leather trim (£795), Comfort and Sound package (£1,150), Dynamic package Plus (£2,495), Technology Package (£1,795), Audi Phone Box (£325), black styling pack (£695), privacy glass (£290), red brake calipers (£325)
- Insurance*: Group: 40, Quote N/A
- Mileage/mpg: 2,495/26.4mpg
- Any problems?: None so far