by planting its flag in the fun-to-drive category with expressive styling, a distinctive exhaust note, and mechanical changes that aim to delight the driver.sedan, and adds mechanical bits to crank the performance to 11. Audi chucks the base car’s 201-hp 2.0-liter turbo-4 in favor of a 2.5-liter turbo-5 with 401 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque.
The standard all-wheel-drive system features some heavy updates for the latest generation RS 3. A new electronically controlled rear differential can send all of the engine’s power to the rear wheels and also shift it side to side in the rear. In Dynamic mode, an RS Drift mode can be enabled that dials the traction control all the way back. It’s easy to kick the rear end out and perform power slides in the RS 3.
Audi ditches the magnetic ride control suspension with the latest RS 3 and adds its dynamic chassis control system. Sensors measure how the body moves vertically in relation to the wheels, and the system works to minimize wheel bounce while in RS Performance mode. Because of this, the RS 3 feels a bit softer than other performance cars and there’s noticeable body roll.
The RS 3 still has a weight balance problem. With 59% of the weight up front, the car can get squirrelly under heaving braking on the track. This never reared its head during our street tests.The cabin is well appointed and feels a full step above every finalist this year except for the Cadillac Lyriq., the RS 3 comes standard with a 12.
While the RS 3 isn’t perfect, it’s an absolute riot both on the street and the track. With its turbo-5 power and front weight bias, it feels like the end of an era for both the industry and Audi. Will its unique form of fun be enough to cinch the win for Audi over an outrageous SUV, a luxury EV, and three hot hatches? Check back on Jan. 4 when we reveal the winner, along with the champs from our sister sites, The Car Connection and Green Car Reports.