The 2022 Audi RS 3 makes its home on the track

As the number of electric vehicles began to increase, so did the number of vehicles that could achieve high speeds. However, there is a lack of fun cars, cars that delight the driver and arouse the soul. 2022 Audi RS 3 tries to fulfill that role From the expressive styling to the unique 5-cylinder exhaust note, everything that has changed seems to be a funny name. It’s not a perfect car by any means, with some very obvious flaws, but at its core it’s fun in a variety of ways.

I went to the Spring Mountain Motorsports Range in Nevada to get a sample of the new RS 3 in these series: on the track, on the street, and even on a short, illuminated drifting course after dark.

1-2-4-5-3

No, I did not forget to count. The numbers above indicate the firing sequence of the RS 3’s 2.5-liter Turbo-5 which gives it a unique sound. With the departure of the TT RS last year, it left the RS 3 as the only vehicle to carry a 5-cylinder banner.

The engine is a delight. It produces 401 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque, an increase of 7 hp and 15 lb-ft over the last RS 3 (and 7 hp more than the European version of the RS 3). Combined with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and all-wheel drive.

The Audi quotes a time of 0-60 mph with 3.6 seconds and this certainly seems to be achievable with launch control, but where the engine is most illuminated it is between 20 mph and 50 mph. The Turbo-5 is a bit old school in its power delivery. There is a definite gap but once the engine starts to stop it suddenly hits very hard. Transmission sometimes acts as an energy barrier. If left on its own device, it doesn’t go down fast enough under braking. Also, sometimes when trying to downshift using paddle shifters, the transmission will not kick until there is some gap at the bottom of the redline. But if you use the paddles long enough, the slingshots on the outside of the RS 3 corner burbles and stays awake.

Rear-wheel feel, with an all-wheel safety net

The slight increase in power does not make the RS 3 so different from its predecessors. This is another big mechanical change: a new electronically-controlled rear differential, which gives the RS 3 a unique feel compared to other Odyssey. It is mechanically identical to the one found in the new Golf R, but instead of sending 50% of the engine’s power to the rear wheel, the RS 3 can send it all and that power can be shifted to the left or to the right rear wheel.

In dynamic mode, the RS 3 sends as much power to the rear wheel, and it’s a fun mode for the road. It delivers most of the feel of a rear-wheel drive sedan and it was my favorite mode on windy desert roads in Death Valley, California. In this mode the RS 3 tends to be slightly overstear, in contrast to other RS ​​models which have a slight understar bias.

Audi also adds a new RS drift mode that I got to test on a short drift course at night. In this mode, with dialing traction control all the way, it’s almost unreasonable to pull out the rear of the car and perform donuts or long durable slides in a wide angle (without going out of first gear).

The differential is the brightest on the track in RS performance mode In this mode, the all-wheel drive system is set up to reduce both understar and overstar for faster and more stable cornering. This sounds very good to be true, but it’s amazing to experience. The only way to feel the car moving in any direction is to just stay on the throttle and pull things out on the RS 3.

Coming out of the long straight of Spring Mountain, there is a steep 90-degree right turn, then a slight right that opens into an ascent-descent through a small, off-camber chicken. After my first set of laps, I asked Audi’s professional trainer if the way to the rear of this sector was flat, and he assured me that “the car can handle it if you stay in it.”

I admired the way he subtly evaded my own talent assessment and put the blame on the car, so in subsequent laps I did just that. I noticed that the nose of the car started to push a little as I entered Chikne through the road on the left to the right. The throttle was pinned and instead of the Undertaker, the Differential worked its magic and I noticed a change of power at the rear end and the nose turned back to the right (without any extra steering input), which helped me explode at 15 miles per hour in the mountains faster than the previous lap.

This will not happen in a fully RWD vehicle as a rotation will occur if the vehicle gets into the throttle unbalanced. There is an argument that AWD reduces the purity of the driving experience, especially in the track environment, but it is good for me. I would feel most of the RS3’s rear-drive, but it does add AWD’s protective blanket to cover imperfections and provide maximum grip.

The new suspension helps the RS 3 to clearly reduce its power in that situation. For 2022, the Audi Magnetic Ride is ditched for a Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) system and a ground clearance that is 0.4 inches lower than the S3. The sensor measures how the body moves vertically with the wheel and in RS performance mode, the suspension wheel works to reduce bounce and keep the body level very tight at all times. In practice, this makes the RS 3 feel a bit softer in the corners than some other performance sedans. It has a noticeable body roll, but the wheels never turn and the powertrain is so good at scattering torque around that the fatless bleeding goes away as soon as you stiffen the throttle.

If RS 3 had an on-track weakness, it was the brakes. They had plenty of stopping power but the RS 3’s nose tended to be a bit squirrel under very hard braking. This is probably due to the nose-heavy weight distribution, but it allows you to brake earlier and climb to the top late, allowing the powertrain to be shiny as it reduces the force on the extended corner exit.

Put on your dance shoes

It is impossible to discuss the track performance of RS 3 without mentioning its new set of tires. For the first time in the RS model, Audi will offer a motorsport tire that is really meant for the track: the Pirelli P Zero Trophy. Originally the R-compound Semi-Slicks, the same tire that was used to set the RS 3. Compact car lap record 7: 40.748 in Nবারrburg.

In the dry 95-degree conditions of the Nevada desert, the tires were perfectly suited to the impeccable track surface of Spring Mountain; They are all heroic and sticky in the right way. After driving the Pirelli P Zero Street in summer tires I drove on the RS 3 track and the added grip converter proved to be. This allows the RS 3 to reduce all its power so clearly and the added bite makes the turn-in feel crisp and fast.

After all, these tires are the only 50 450 option although they are only available if you also equip Dynamic Plus and Black Optic Plus packages, most importantly adding carbon-ceramic front brakes and pushing speeds from 155 mph to 180 mph. You will also be indebted to Audi for a signed statement that you know what you are carrying with these tires because they are technically road legal, but we would not recommend that they be treated that way. They’ll have zero grip on the wet, so it’s a good idea to own a more suitable wheel set with everyday tires.

Run 3 RS every day

The RS 3s we tested on the road came without Trofeo Rs and ceramic brakes, which significantly reduced the performance envelope. But it’s still the first and foremost performance vehicle, and the RS3 won’t let you forget it. The brake pedal is very attractive, eager to put a lot of stopping power on the top of the pedal travel. Like the brakes, the suspension is exciting and even in its comfortable setting it still feels quite stiff. It’s busy, but fortunately not as livable as the old Audi TT RS.

Very, almost brilliantly furnished for the price of 2022 RS 3. It starts at $ 59,995 (with a 0 1,095 destination charge) and features a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster display, heated 8-way power front sport seat, napa leather upholstery, panoramic sunroof, parking sensor, and an adaptive 10-cruise. 10. Inch infotainment touchscreen with wireless Android Auto / Apple CarPlay. The concentration of this feature gives the Base RS 3 something you don’t often hear in this place of high-performance luxury vehicles: quality.

While the RS 3 is not a perfect vehicle, it is a perfect riot on the track (with Trofeo Rs) and still match the fun on the road with a delightful soundtrack. Perhaps automakers should pursue pleasure rather than perfection. The 2022 RS 3 has that

Audi has provided a flight, accommodation and track time in a house just off the track Motor authority Bring this first hand drive report for you.