Clever engineering means that the Audi RS 3 packs quite a punch despite its size.
Championing the legacy of its unconventional turbocharged 5-cylinder engine with a transfixingly unique exhaust note, the Audi RS 3 is one of the most intriguing and special performance cars currently on the market. However, one of the most important aspects of its appeal is that it packs its unique engine and formidable performance into a compact footprint, sending its immense power to all four wheels through Audi’s iconic quattro all-wheel drive system.
It was one year ago when Audi set a new record on the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife track with the RS 3, making it the world’s fastest compact production car to lap the long, venerated, and notoriously challenging course. The facelifted version of the Audi RS 3 managed to improve its predecessor’s lap time by a massive seven-second margin, but with the RS 3 consistently combining brawny power and a small, all-wheel drive package for years, it took clever engineering and leaving no stone unturned to improve its lap time even further.
Introducing the torque splitter in 2021 unlocked a new level of performance for the Audi RS 3, improving driving dynamics and agility greatly for both everyday driving and the track. However, the product upgrade, which has been available for sale since the 2024, an even further improved chassis setup with an improved network for its control systems mean that the small performance machine corners even better than before.
Pirelli’s P Zero Trofeo R semi-slick tires, developed in collaboration between Audi and Pirelli, available to be mounted on the car from the factory, also played an important role in the Audi RS 3’s blistering Nürburgring Nordschleife lap time, designed with a motorsport-derived rubber compound and tread pattern with incredible grip and short braking distances, while being still ready for use on public roads. In 265/30 size at the front and 245/35 size at the rear, the special tires are excellent on both wet and dry tracks.
With an incredibly impressive 395 horsepower coming from its turbocharged 5-cylinder engine going to all four wheels, the Audi RS 3 is one of the most exciting compact cars ever conceived, and thanks to its painstaking performance-oriented engineering, it’s the fastest production compact car to ever lap the Nürburgring Nordschleife, and a legend among compact performance cars.
Image Source: Audi
