If you’re shopping about for a fantastic all-rounder performance car that also won’t break the bank, you can’t really go wrong with the Audi RS 3. They’re small, and light, but they pack a hell of a punch, with that distinctive Audi 5-cylinder engine note and quattro all-wheel drive. Well, if you’re looking to buy an RS 3 anytime soon, it might be worth waiting a bit for the new, 2024 models to drop by your local showroom. The most notable change comes courtesy of the new and updated RS 3’s design, featuring a more assertive and sportier front grille. The hexagonal ‘Singleframe’ is now flatter and broader, with distinctive blades around the side air intakes.
Further below, the front splitter now spans the entire width of the refreshed Audi RS 3, giving you that low, wide stance. Looking around, you’ll find a huge rear diffuser, large oval exhaust pipes, and a new range of unique colours. These include Kyalami Green, Kemora Grey, Ascari Blue, and Progressive Red. All lovely paint finishes, and you could even get Daytona Grey in a matte finish now. Complementing the brightwork is a set of 19-inch, 5-spoke aluminium cast wheels, while some 10-cross-spoke wheels are available in the higher-end RS 3 trim levels. A choice of matte dark grey or glossy metallic black with a bi-colour design is available, too.
A Fresh Look For Audi’s Attainable Speed Machines
Speaking of, it’s worth mentioning the Carbon Black and Carbon Vorsprung trim, respectively. These range-topping trims mainly include more carbon fibre accents and gloss black detailing, though it is more expensive, reaching up to £69,650 for the Saloon model. On the other hand, the 2024 model year RS 3 Sportback starts from £59,510, while the regular Saloon starts from £60,510. As far as brand-new and highly-strung performance cars go, that’s not a bad price at all. Besides all these new exterior changes, Audi has seen it fit to update the RS 3’s interior, as well. Most notably, there’s a new double-flattened RS-specific leather steering wheel.
Elsewhere, you may notice the sports bucket seats, with lovely Nappa leather and honeycomb stitches, and the abundance of microfibre upholstery around the cabin. Just to add a bit more luxury to this otherwise sporty interior, the new RS 3 still comes with Audi’s signature ambient lighting, which is equally as fancy as those LED matrix headlights and taillights. Screens are aplenty in this new RS 3, as they are with other Audi models, pairing a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and a 10.1-inch infotainment display. As for the former, I’m happy to report that there are a lot of RS-specific gauges, with a very prominent rev counter smack dab in the middle.
The New Benchmark Among Compact Sports Cars
While Audi has embellished the 2024 model year RS 3 with a plethora of design changes and interior upgrades, the beating heart of this compact sports car remains the same, which is a good thing, I’d say. The refreshed RS 3 is powered by Audi’s legendary 2.5-litre 5-cylinder TFSI engine, producing a healthy 400hp and 500Nm of torque, both healthy figures for a relatively small performance car. In addition, this distinct cylinder count and engine configuration also provide you with an equally unique soundtrack, thanks to its 1-2-4-5-3 firing order. As far as speed goes, the new RS 3 is good for a sprightly 0-62mph sprint in just 3.8 seconds.
While the regular RS 3 has an electronically-limited top speed of 155 mph, though you could have it raised to 174mph with the Carbon Vorsprung trim. Power is just the start of the RS 3, with a lot of attention given to the quattro all-wheel drive system, allowing for fully variable torque distribution. Paired with adaptive dampers, an enhanced chassis control system, and sports suspension, the RS 3 is just as sharp, responsive, and dynamic as it’s always been. It also comes with Audi’s Drive Select driving modes, including track-focused modes and ones that you could customise yourself, further fine-tuning the RS 3 to your specific driving style.
