The question I'm left with when looking at the RS3 is this:
Do you think it was planned all along, and they just left it into the last year of A3 production to churn one out because it fitted in an empty window of Audi's development schedule.....
Or....
Was it a last gasp 'let's throw something together quick' to respond to rumours of an M1 from BMW.
Things like the failure to articulately capture the true ethos of th RS design concept, mismatched tyre sizes to improve grip and reduce under steer (rather than more advanced chassis trickery), and the 5 door only option position it in the 'let's raid the RS parts bucket and make a swansong model to respond to M1, but don't blow the budget as this platform hasn't got much life left in it development wise'.
I know the RS3 is going to be significantly better to drive than the S, but by buying the 'S' on this platform I'm managing to pocket a good chunk of cash for the facelift model S/RS which hopefully will arrive in 2-3 years, and won't be perched on near on 9 year old underpinning. You can feel the limitations in the 'S' chassis, so as the 'RS' isn't a bespoke platform whilst it's likely to be better set up / much quicker to go and stop, the common denominator for me was the analogy that unlike the M cars which undergo signifcant enhancements from the base models, how good could the RS be sharing underpinnings from an effectively 9 year old 8P2 base model?
I'm not knocking the RS, it's brilliant, especially given where the A3 starts out. I'm an Audi man through and through, and I've always loved and respected the RS cars. But for me right now whilst I can afford to pay for one, I'd just rather do S2+ on S3, live a richer quality of life with the savings. I think the RS needs a model evolution to really find its feet and become what so many of us think it should have been from the outset.
In 2015/16 I'd quite like a Mk3 A3 model RS3 with slightly flared arches, widened track, 5 pot lump, 3door coupe saloon bodyshell, quad exhausts and with 19" alloys in racing mica blue if Audi are listening!!!