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IF KEEPING TO the strict definition of a hot hatch requires stuffing a ludicrously powerful engine into a dinky little hatchback chassis, then the Audi S3 more than qualifies.
The S3 looks pretty much like your regular three-door A3, except from the front. The nose gets the egg-crate grille that marks Audi's S models out from the rest of the lineup, as well as a very fierce-looking lower bumper replete with chin spoiler element finished in a contrasting colour.
You also get giant 18-inch wheels that barely hide a set of equally gigantic brakes.
As is it with virtually all Audis, the emphasis is on subtlety. That said, what's gone on under the bonnet is far from subtle. The engine might at first glance be the exact same turbocharged 2.0-litre direct-injection four-cylinder job currently being used throughout the Volkswagen Group range, but it's actually quite different.
It develops 265bhp, up 65bhp from the powerplant in cars like the A3 2.0 TFSI and Golf GTI. To achieve this output, Audi has had to make some major tweaks to the engine's internals as well as its ancillaries.
The turbo is bigger, as is the oil cooler. There are new fuel injectors that squirt petrol into the cylinders at much higher pressure, strengthened connecting rods and bearings, and revised exhaust camshaft timing. Audi has also strengthened the engine block and used a new heat-resistant alloy for the cylinder head.
All that grunt from this potent and heavily-revised powerplant gets channelled to the road via Audi's quattro four-wheel drive system. The only gearbox option is a close-ratio six-speeder.
The S3 looks pretty much like your regular three-door A3, except from the front. The nose gets the egg-crate grille that marks Audi's S models out from the rest of the lineup, as well as a very fierce-looking lower bumper replete with chin spoiler element finished in a contrasting colour.
You also get giant 18-inch wheels that barely hide a set of equally gigantic brakes.
As is it with virtually all Audis, the emphasis is on subtlety. That said, what's gone on under the bonnet is far from subtle. The engine might at first glance be the exact same turbocharged 2.0-litre direct-injection four-cylinder job currently being used throughout the Volkswagen Group range, but it's actually quite different.
It develops 265bhp, up 65bhp from the powerplant in cars like the A3 2.0 TFSI and Golf GTI. To achieve this output, Audi has had to make some major tweaks to the engine's internals as well as its ancillaries.
The turbo is bigger, as is the oil cooler. There are new fuel injectors that squirt petrol into the cylinders at much higher pressure, strengthened connecting rods and bearings, and revised exhaust camshaft timing. Audi has also strengthened the engine block and used a new heat-resistant alloy for the cylinder head.
All that grunt from this potent and heavily-revised powerplant gets channelled to the road via Audi's quattro four-wheel drive system. The only gearbox option is a close-ratio six-speeder.
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DRIVING IT
To be brutally frank, the S3 isn't as sporty as its spec sheet would have you believe. If your definition of a sporty car involves the easy establishment of an engaging intimacy between man and machine, that is.
In fact, the car feels curiously remote. There's plenty of grip, but the steering feels about the same as what you get on an arcade game. The same goes for the rest of the controls, and you do get the impression that the car's attitude through corners is more the result of subservience to the dictates of some algorithm in the bowels of the ECU than your own physical inputs.
This makes it very difficult for you to want to explore the S3's undisputedly high limits, and you therefore tend towards considering the car in grand tourer terms instead of as a hot hatch.
That said, the S3 is furiously quick. Whatever Audi's done to the engine seems to have translated completely undiluted into sheer mile-munching power. 0 to 100km/h comes up in 5.7 seconds, but it's the acceleration beyond the tonne that's extremely impressive. Unfortunately, it doesn't come with a commensurately inspiring soundtrack.
If you turn the wick down, the S3 works pretty well just pottering about town. The clutch weight is OK and the gearshift, which baulks if you try a quick shift, responds better to a more relaxed approach.
To be brutally frank, the S3 isn't as sporty as its spec sheet would have you believe. If your definition of a sporty car involves the easy establishment of an engaging intimacy between man and machine, that is.
In fact, the car feels curiously remote. There's plenty of grip, but the steering feels about the same as what you get on an arcade game. The same goes for the rest of the controls, and you do get the impression that the car's attitude through corners is more the result of subservience to the dictates of some algorithm in the bowels of the ECU than your own physical inputs.
This makes it very difficult for you to want to explore the S3's undisputedly high limits, and you therefore tend towards considering the car in grand tourer terms instead of as a hot hatch.
That said, the S3 is furiously quick. Whatever Audi's done to the engine seems to have translated completely undiluted into sheer mile-munching power. 0 to 100km/h comes up in 5.7 seconds, but it's the acceleration beyond the tonne that's extremely impressive. Unfortunately, it doesn't come with a commensurately inspiring soundtrack.
If you turn the wick down, the S3 works pretty well just pottering about town. The clutch weight is OK and the gearshift, which baulks if you try a quick shift, responds better to a more relaxed approach.
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INSIDE IT
It's pretty much your standard A3 interior, except for the sporty seats, and special bits of trim. The instruments are slightly different too, but the overall effect is very subtle. Typical Audi.
The effect of the extra bits of trim does help make the cabin feel a good deal more expensive than the regular A3's, which is no mean feat.
It's pretty much your standard A3 interior, except for the sporty seats, and special bits of trim. The instruments are slightly different too, but the overall effect is very subtle. Typical Audi.
The effect of the extra bits of trim does help make the cabin feel a good deal more expensive than the regular A3's, which is no mean feat.
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DOLLARS AND SENSE
The S3 retails here for $171,000 with COE, which sounds expensive until you take into consideration the fact that in order to get a quicker Audi you have to shell out for either an S8 or a RS4.
CONCLUSION
If you're looking for a hatchback that packs the most horsepower in stock form, the S3 is pretty much the only choice.
The S3 retails here for $171,000 with COE, which sounds expensive until you take into consideration the fact that in order to get a quicker Audi you have to shell out for either an S8 or a RS4.
CONCLUSION
If you're looking for a hatchback that packs the most horsepower in stock form, the S3 is pretty much the only choice.
A SIMILAR CAR WE HAVE DRIVEN
Alfa Romeo 147 GTA $147,985 with COEThe 147 GTA packs a 250bhp V6, and it makes a fabulous noise. The GTA is considerably more raw than either the Audi or the VW, plus it?s also the most striking-looking car here.
Volkswagen Golf R32 (A) $154,800 with COE
The R32's 250bhp narrow angle 3.2-litre V6 is a real gem of an engine, and it has in spades what the S3's powerplant lacks, a great soundtrack. The R32 is even more of a cross-country bruisear, thanks to its effortlessly slick DSG transmission.
NEED TO KNOW
ENGINE TYPE: 1,984cc turbocharged 16V in-line 4 cylinder
MAX POWER: 265bhp at 6,000rpm
MAX TORQUE: 350Nm at 2,500rpm
GEARBOX: Six-speed manual
TOP SPEED: 250km/h
0-100 KM/H: 5.7 seconds
PRICE: $171,000 with COE
WARRANTY: 3 years / 100,000km
CONTACT: Premium Automobiles
TELEPHONE: 6566-1111
PLUSES Eye-watering pace, subtle looks, nice interior
MINUSES Curiously remote to drive, vacuum cleaner engine note
VERDICT In sheer performance terms, the S3 takes some beating. A great cross-country performer
ENGINE TYPE: 1,984cc turbocharged 16V in-line 4 cylinder
MAX POWER: 265bhp at 6,000rpm
MAX TORQUE: 350Nm at 2,500rpm
GEARBOX: Six-speed manual
TOP SPEED: 250km/h
0-100 KM/H: 5.7 seconds
PRICE: $171,000 with COE
WARRANTY: 3 years / 100,000km
CONTACT: Premium Automobiles
TELEPHONE: 6566-1111
PLUSES Eye-watering pace, subtle looks, nice interior
MINUSES Curiously remote to drive, vacuum cleaner engine note
VERDICT In sheer performance terms, the S3 takes some beating. A great cross-country performer
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