What reaction does your RS3 get?

[MBK]

I had one of those great thumbs up and nods of approval moments from a Mazda 3 MPS (with Corksport - a mazda tuner?- stickers) driver this morning in the slow ebb and flow rush hour traffic. I like those little moment of appreciation between car enthusiasts.

So that got me wondering what reaction does your RS3 get?

Here are a few common reactions to my RS3:

Upsets: anything with a 316-20 and usually d badge who seem intent on inspecting the hatch in slow traffic. Clarkson is so wrong about all the reps moving to Audi, general BMW driving behaviour remains unchanged in my experience especially the lower powered stuff.

Really upsets: a local 'perma-tan' BMW 1M owner who just glares at me whenever we pass - we always seem to be going in opposite directions which is a shame. I find it so funny I've taken to returning his 'death stare' with a cheery wave and a couple of S mode crackles of downshift and brief squirt of throttle. Lucky looks can't actually kill.

Exorcist head spin moment: A Corsa VXR lookie-likee at the petrol pumps. Seriously I thought one young lads head was actually going to spin clean off as he clocked the car and mouthed 'rrRssS three' excitedly to his passengers. Highly amusing, lots of grins, a friendly wave and they were on their way.

Nods of appreciation: on the upside like this morning I've had quite a few nods of appreciation from a variety of Jag R's and other Audi's in particular TT's. I'll excuse the one TT TDi who attempted to demonstrate the power of soot! Awkward.

 

[JonnyG]

I'm completely debadged front and rear and get very little reaction now ... just how I like it !!

One or two in the know have turned their heads to look at the wheels, presumably to check out the brakes which still have the RS3 badge on.

Before debadging I did have an unfortunate encounter with a load of chavs in an old A3 who came up behind me at some lights in Leeds and saw the RS3 badge. They were then intent on getting in front of me by swerving lane to lane, undertaking cars, and generally being a bunch of idiots

 

[Zak0123]

If I ever see an RS3 in the A3 1.6TDI the driver gets a thumbs up and a head nod, if I see them in the TTS they get a rev at the lights and a head nod respect to you guys and your ride!

 

[A3simon]

I get a lot of head turns and folk looking at the car when parked with it being the colour it is its pretty obvious it's not a standard A3

 

[robbiemac]

Good, bad and ugly........ Had too many too mention. Car provokes reactions even when I'm at a dead-stop, nicest moment was actually from a pedestrian in London; he was crossing the road and stopped in front of my slow moving car wolf whistled and gave me a huge brapppp brapppp gangster finger pistol........ glad the doors were locked to be honest, funny though.
Challenges....... man it's everyday if you fancy it, most of the time I can't be @rsed.....
Some kid in a Citroen with more lights on it than a Christmas tree, bright orange thing looked like a training shoe; tried, failed.... The end.
Almost every Audi S3 driver without exception has given me proper dirty looks every time I've nodded or given a polite wave wtf...... Cool post MBK

 

[Nathan_jones2002]

I owned a corsa VXR before the S3 I've got now, the corsa used to draw way more attention for the wrong reasons... Chavs in the saxos, clios and 206s wanting to race. It was called the VXR effect...

the S3 is slightly different, I get BMWs doing the same now, I don't race and won't race to silly speeds, only up to the speed limit if the roads are clear just to prove a point...

The S3 gets a lot of attention when at the pumps or driving past people in towns and things, I think the colour plays a big part.

 

[CarrG]

I must be the odd one out nearly a year old and nothing! I need to use it more but get no "I know what that is look".
Only once a guy in work said "Nice car, Is it diesel"!!!

Think I like it that way...

Mark your interior looks very special, bet that gets noticed alot.

 

[RYes3]

Almost every Audi S3 driver without exception has given me proper dirty looks every time I've nodded or given a polite wave wtf...... Cool post MBK

I thought that was just me!! Honestly, some of them look at me like I pi**ed in their corn flakes!?!?

 

[45bvtc]

My Cornflower blue RS3 gets very little attention; OK, an occasional open-mouth look from younger (well they all are for me, aren't they) drivers but that's all - and as there'll be no more RS3s then that's OK for me - a proper Q-car!

Most seem think it an A4 rather than an RS3, and that's OK for me.

Maybe it's the boring all-over blue colour, and that's OK for me too!

 

[robbiemac]

I thought that was just me!! Honestly, some of them look at me like I pi**ed in their corn flakes!?!?

ha ha..... cool..... will stop feeling sorry for myself now. Daytona S3 08 plate in Manchester yesterday, was getting into mine and he slowed down to look as he passed, I gave him the friendly nod and he looked like someone had smeared cheese under his nose......
When I see an RS4 I just stare wide eyed and smile........ But that's me ho hum....

 

[wickedstef]

Down south (M4 corridor) you have too many Porshes, M3, M5, to notice mine and looks like everyone drives an A3 of some sort. Coming from a Megane RS 225 which makes more of a statement, I'm almost stealth. I like it at the lights though...

 

[MBK]

I must be the odd one out nearly a year old and nothing! I need to use it more but get no "I know what that is look".
Only once a guy in work said "Nice car, Is it diesel"!!!

Think I like it that way...

Mark your interior looks very special, bet that gets noticed alot.

Thank you, the interior does get comments from passengers yes and all positive so far too. The main interior comment is the lip on the bucket seats which I've now taken to warning people about. The ladies complain there is no elegant way to get in and out of them and us lads need to be aware of the 'nutcraker' effect as evo magazine coined it during the long term test of the Megane 250 with Recaro's.

 

[CarrG]

Remember seeing it at Bath looked amazing, brave at first I thought.

They said it was very rare.

Laugh at the lady comments. I once gave, shall I say an "older" lady a lift home from work.
.....very embarrassing having to get out and help her out of the bucket seat!

 

[gemmo30]

The best i got was when i heard the rubbish men outside....
"mate is that a real RS3?"
"yeah mate"
"f**k me"

I find that no one pulls up alongside me at lights they tend to get behind me. I guess they dont want the embarassment!!!

love it!!!

 

[Sticks]

i get swamped with racing drivers in ford focus's, i know their racing drivers because the need for speed stickers give it away,

 

[Nathan_jones2002]

I thought that was just me!! Honestly, some of them look at me like I pi**ed in their corn flakes!?!?

give me a wave or a nod and I'll wave back... If I could afford an RS3 I would have one... I'll get the S3 as powerful as a standard one though... Lol

 

[Sticks]

give me a wave or a nod and I'll wave back... If I could afford an RS3 I would have one... I'll get the S3 as powerful as a standard one though... Lol

why spend £££'s modding it to near death? sell it add all the mod money up to and just get an rs3 job done ,

cat d one floating about for 20k odd

 

[MBK]

Even our Postman got in on the reaction act today, it's a sunny spring day here and I was out polishing* the RS3. He stopped for a few moments and said "Lovely car that, I wish mine shined like that, I admire it every time I'm on the round". It's great to get such positive reaction and for people to enjoy the RS3, it makes such a change from the often jealous reaction to nice car in the UK, a friend had a can of Tango thrown into his convertible Ferrari for example. I feel the same way as the postie when I see a car someone takes pride in whether it's a Corsa (It was one of my first cars and I really do like the look of the VXR Nurburgring!) a Porsche or something more exotic.

*Polishing the car - for an interesting take on what psychiatrists think of car polishing look up Dennis Friedman's The Unsolicited Gift - Why We Do What We Do, it's a shocker!

 

[robbiemac]

not a great reaction tonight..... Pulled for 'excessive excelaration'..........! :busted_cop:

 

[MBK]

not a great reaction tonight..... Pulled for 'excessive excelaration'..........! :busted_cop:

Oops...but as your sig wisdom says!

Looking on the funnier side - excelaration - I wasn't aware excessively speedy use of a Microsoft product was an offence plod was interested in!

 

[robbiemac]

Oops...but as your sig wisdom says!

Looking on the funnier side - excelaration - I wasn't aware excessively speedy use of a Microsoft product was an offence plod was interested in!

they were in a Focus ST..... Wanted to ask him how he found the car's performance etc... decided against it.

 

[MBK]

I agree, best to play the very sorry your officership card in those circumstances.

 

[RYes3]

I agree, best to play the very sorry your officership card in those circumstances.

Definitely not the "you would never had caught me in that thing!" card

 

[monkeyboy_marcus]

not a great reaction tonight..... Pulled for 'excessive excelaration'..........! :busted_cop:

Is "excessive acceleration" an offence, is it defined or at the PO's discretion? I'd have thought that you can be pulled for exceeding speed limits but how quickly you reach that limit is not enforceable... Assume/hope that you just got a slapped wrist?!

 

[robbiemac]

Is "excessive acceleration" an offence, is it defined or at the PO's discretion? I'd have thought that you can be pulled for exceeding speed limits but how quickly you reach that limit is not enforceable... Assume/hope that you just got a slapped wrist?!

yep..... You're right you cannot be prosecuted for getting up to the speed limit...... however this could be construed as dangerous driving or the favourite 'Driving without due care and attention' I did give it a boot-full however I was within the speed limits and did apologise.... there's ten minutes of my life I'll never get back

 

[steviedee]

why spend £££'s modding it to near death? sell it add all the mod money up to and just get an rs3 job done ,

cat d one floating about for 20k odd

It doesn't take that much to get RS3 power from an S3

 

[45bvtc]

It doesn't take that much to get RS3 power from an S3

BUT it's so much more than the power Steve, it's the way it's applied and stopped!

 

[steviedee]

BUT it's so much more than the power Steve, it's the way it's applied and stopped!

Yeh! you are right, the constant 4x4 and the extra cylinder makes so much difference.

 

[quattro81]

Yeh! you are right, the constant 4x4 and the extra cylinder makes so much difference.

I might be wrong here, steviedee, but I think mr 45bvtc is probably referring to the epic brakes, and the wall of torque delivered at about 1700rpm from the variable geometry turbo - something the s3 can only dream of for the time being... The rs3 is so much more than a power to weight ratio, in fact (a little surprisingly) it has the worst power-to-weight of all the RS models cars, yet is quicker at any given speed than all of them

 

[Nathan_jones2002]

why spend £££'s modding it to near death? sell it add all the mod money up to and just get an rs3 job done ,

cat d one floating about for 20k odd

insurance, tax, plus I wouldn't want a cat D... My s3 cost £20k put £3k into and it will be at a safe and useable 360bhp.

where as an RS3 in as good a condition as the S with similar miles is £36,000(trust me, I know, I looked). I know the RS 3 will deliver power better being a 2.5ltr 5 pot and sound better but I have got as good as I can comfortably afford at the minute...

Maybe an RS 3 in a few years...

 

[quattro81]

Insurance is cheap.. Tax isn't mega because they're not ridiculous on emissions, but a modified anything will be expensive to insure...?

 

[monkeyboy_marcus]

I might be wrong here, steviedee, but I think mr 45bvtc is probably referring to the epic brakes, and the wall of torque delivered at about 1700rpm from the variable geometry turbo - something the s3 can only dream of for the time being... The rs3 is so much more than a power to weight ratio, in fact (a little surprisingly) it has the worst power-to-weight of all the RS models cars, yet is quicker at any given speed than all of them

Impressive figures, kick-*** car! Surprised by the difference between the TTRS and RS3, not what I would have expected.

 

[quattro81]

Impressive figures, kick-*** car! Surprised by the difference between the TTRS and RS3, not what I would have expected.

that is the one set that is probably a little unfair, as those are the figures for the manual ttrs... The s-tronic version is a little quicker. And that's not taking into account the TTRS plus version

 

[45bvtc]

Yeh! you are right, the constant 4x4 and the extra cylinder makes so much difference.

You really do need to go and try one Steve, back-to-back if possible.

We did 270-miles around Wales in ours yesterday (Cannock, Shrewsbury, Chirk, Llangollen, Betws-y-Coed, Capel Curig (all A5), Beddgelert (saw another RS3 in White-or-Suzuka), Porthmadog (all A498), Black-Rock Sands, Harlech, Barmouth, Dolgellau (all A496), Mallwyd (A470), Welshpool, Shrewsbury (all A458), and back down the A5 to Home: absolutely brilliant piece of machinery; the engine, gearbox, and brakes are the best I've ever experienced on a road-car. I've done similar Welsh road blasts before but none as enjoyable/fun/fast as in this animal, really!

And meg-comfort too, with standard seats.



Go try an S3 back-to-back with an RS3 Steve; I did, and came back ****** shaken!

4-days later I'd found one (this one) and paid my money down.

7-days later it was (and is) in my garage; and will be for a long enjoyable time.

And I have been back and driven my S3 again - and there really is little to compare the driving experience (I do prefer the 3-door body, however).

PS: John-O-Groats via the Kingdom of Fife later in the year Steve, and back home via the West coast...

 

[RYes3]

I too had the same experience. Bought a brand new S3 in May of last year, loved it for 5 months, really did think it was the best car I had owned.... then one day I test drove the RS3! Within a week I had one!

No doubt a fast S3 would be great, but the way the RS3 package is put together is insanely good and a much better driving experience!

 

[the_cueball]

Serious question here:

I keep seeing and reading that the RS3 doesn't handle very well as standard... has a lot of understeer etc, etc, yet the owners don't seem to agree, and are (mostly) happy with it.......

Rose tinted specs, or are the "professional" car reviewers being a bit hard on it?!?!?!

 

[45bvtc]

Serious question here:

I keep seeing and reading that the RS3 doesn't handle very well as standard... has a lot of understeer etc, etc, yet the owners don't seem to agree, and are (mostly) happy with it.......

Rose tinted specs, or are the "professional" car reviewers being a bit hard on it?!?!?!

Like most things in life cueball, you just need to try one.

The engine, gearbox and brakes are amazing...

And the ride and handling, around the Welsh dry/damp stuff yesterday, superb.

An amazing tool!

 

[RYes3]

Serious question here:

I keep seeing and reading that the RS3 doesn't handle very well as standard... has a lot of understeer etc, etc, yet the owners don't seem to agree, and are (mostly) happy with it.......

Rose tinted specs, or are the "professional" car reviewers being a bit hard on it?!?!?!

It's a good question and one that I probably shouldn't answer as I have the upgraded front wheels i.e. 8.5J 255's. I have never had any under steer issues, in fact the back end seems to let go before the front in the rain.

I think a lot of people have seen one particular review, by arguably a very pro BMW reviewer. It's worth remembering that in that review a comment was made that when you press the S button the suspension was terrible...... Unfortunately for him nothing in the suspension changes with the press of that button I believe the car was also quicker round the track than the BMW round the track too?? Strange conclusion really!

It is an old chassis however and no doubt there are better handling cars out there but the overall package I find to be sensational!

EDIT: Did I mention the sound???

 

[the_cueball]

Like most things in life cueball, you just need to try one.

The engine, gearbox and brakes are amazing...

And the ride and handling, around the Welsh dry/damp stuff yesterday, superb.

An amazing tool!

Not interested enough, I'm not into hatch backs... and the ones I have seen on the road... well Shania Twain said it best TBH...

Just thought I would ask as I saw the thread, get some responses from people that actually own the car, and as I said, not a "professional" trying to sell a magazine, TV show or internet site...

It's a good question and one that I probably shouldn't answer as I have the upgraded front wheels i.e. 8.5J 255's. I have never had any under steer issues, in fact the back end seems to let go before the front in the rain.

I think a lot of people have seen one particular review, by arguably a very pro BMW reviewer. It's worth remembering that in that review a comment was made that when you press the S button the suspension was terrible...... Unfortunately for him nothing in the suspension changes with the press of that button I believe the car was also quicker round the track than the BMW round the track too?? Strange conclusion really!

It is an old chassis however and no doubt there are better handling cars out there but the overall package I find to be sensational!

EDIT: Did I mention the sound???

Yeah, that was the one I was thinking of... thought he may be a little BMWish... :lol:

As I said, was just wanting to hear from some actual owners....

I couldn't hear the one in Glasgow over the sound of my V8...

I'm sure it's great though, how could it not be.......

cheers...

 

[RYes3]

Yeah, that was the one I was thinking of... thought he may be a little BMWish... :lol:

cheers...

I actually like his reviews but I found the RS3 v 135M review strange. The RS3 kills it off the line in the drag race and the BMW only makes ground up over 130ish. I think he portrayed that as a victory for the BM... personally I don't see it like that lol.

It's obviously each to their own, I find it strange that so many people like to hate on the RS3 (not saying you are by the way ), not sure what it is really, it's just a great car.