|
From YourSITE.com Reviews & Road Tests At the tender age of 10, I made a solemn promise to myself that my first car would be an Audi ur-quattro, just like the one I watched rally ace Hannu Mikkola slip-sliding through forests and fields of ice on TV in the early ‘80s. The offbeat warble of the five-cylinder engine, those flared arches and angular proportions: I was hooked.
For a long time, I was convinced that this hole would be filled by a first-generation S3. It had the looks, the turbocharged engine, the all-wheel-drive system. And that all-important quattro badge, of course. Then I test-drove one. It looked as good on paper as it did in the showroom. But where was the character, I found myself wondering. Where was the burning need to jump in and drive that its boxy predecessor inspired in me all those years ago? It was therefore with some scepticism that I approached the second-generation S3 at the international launch in Munich, Germany. Scepticism, but also anticipation – it’s a truly captivating thing in the flesh, particularly in white. As with all these machined-looking, hewn-from-solid 21st century Audis, a simple, solid colour such as white only enhances the impact of the detailing. And detailing is what the S3 is all about; discreet flashes of power and aggression, not loud statements.
These take the form of the now de rigeur silver door mirrors, deeper side skirts, a reprofiled front bumper with enlarged honeycomb air intakes and a more prominent spoiler. There’s also a contrasting platinum grey diffuser built into the rear apron, out of which poke a pair of oval ‘S’ exhaust pipes. ‘S’-branded black calipers are also visible through the striking 18-inch ‘S’ alloys, which are wrapped in 225/40-profile tires to complete the visual package. The popularity of S-Line accessories may make it difficult for non-Audiphiles to spot the real deal at first glance, but then the same could be said of the original. Probably the most overt expression of performance open to the S3 buyer is the option of speccing it with Recaro bucket seats. They look organic, gothic almost – like something Sigourney Weaver might have stumbled across in original Alien film. Otherwise, the interior upgrade is typically discreet: a choice of black or silver headlining, ‘S’ dials and needles, aluminum-effect pedals, gearknob and air vents, and dashboard inlays finished in Piano black, (real) aluminum or birch wood grey. The red and silver S3 emblem also makes an appearance on the leather sports steering wheel, the instrument cluster, the gearknob and the doorsills. Discreet, as I said, but effective.
Audi’s flagship compact exec has always subscribed to the classic hot hatch philosophy: small car, big engine. But not too big. Why use the new flagship TT quattro’s 3.2 V6 when the group’s turbocharged 2.0-litre TFSI four-cylinder is capable of generating even more power? Peak power of 265bhp at 6,000rpm and a maximum torque payload of 258lb ft put the S3 in a league of one in compact hatchback terms. As does its performance against the clock: a 0-62mph time of 5.7 seconds makes this Audi a very serious performance car indeed – one that would leave a Nissan 350Z and a whole host of other bonafide sports cars trailing in its wake. Until it hits its electronically limited top speed of 155mph, at any rate. That this new flagship A3 is so rapid comes as no real surprise. But the paradigm shift in its fundamental character certainly does. Like Ian Fleming’s infamous superspy, James Bond, the S3 has evolved. The original was the four-wheeled equivalent of Sean Connery: subtle, smooth, impeccably dressed, but capable of acts of violence where Queen and country demanded it. This new one is pure Daniel Craig. Don’t get me wrong: it can do sophisticated as well as the next German hatchback. But for all its svelte overtones, refined road manners and handling finesse, the S3 is a thug in a Hugo Boss suit. One of the best lines in Casino Royale comes when Craig is asked whether he’d like his Martini shaken or stirred. “Do I look like I give a damn?” he replies. Quite…
Central to the car’s newfound attitude is the enlarged turbocharger turbine and compressor, which together generate a hefty 16.8psi of boost. To cope with the increased compression ratio (raised to 9.8:1) Audi has strengthened the block, fitted a more heat-resistant alloy cylinder head and uprated the pistons, conrods and bearings. A larger intercooler, larger fuel injectors and revised exhaust cam timings complete the upgrade. As always with the Ingolstadt brand, bombproof engineering is a given. Pulling away in a lower gear – second will do, such is the torque available – there’s more lag than you’ll find in standard 200bhp TFSI guise, a slight delay before the turbo spools up at 2,000rpm. Then an audible hiss permeates the cabin and the car lunges forward as the engine embarks on an energetic charge towards the 6,350rpm redline. The peak torque is spread over a very wide band – from 2,500 to 5,000rpm – but it’s well worth hanging in to every available rev. In the first three gears it feels explosively fast.
The version I drove had the standard-fit six-speed manual gearbox, which features a closer-ratio gearset and a shortened shift action. It works a treat, offering a nicely weighted action that combines with a fluid clutch operation to create an effortless, flattering driving style. At this point, Audi apparently has no plans to offer its twin-clutch DSG transmission to S3 buyers. Whether this is due to price – even a ‘base’ model S3 will set European buyers back 35,150 Euros (around $46,265 dollars) – or a commitment to adding as little as possible to the car’s 1,455kg kerbweight is unclear, but for my money it’s no great loss. I’m not sure that any automated shifter, even one as good as DSG, would fit in with the raw, involving character of this car. That’s right: ‘raw’. The car’s Haldex four-wheel-drive system does a fine job of transmitting all that twist force to the road, transferring up to 60 per cent of the engine’s torque to the rear axle where necessary. Torquesteer is also non-existent. But the S3 is still the most focussed of the high-performance Audis.
There’s that noise, for a start. Neither as sweet sounding as a V6 nor as subdued as the regular 2.0 TFSI, the S3’s emits a surprisingly vocal, almost gruff exhaust note at high revs. Add the whoosh of the turbo and you’ve got a soundtrack that wouldn’t sound out of place on an old-school hot hatch. The S3’s three-door body sits an inch lower on stiffened springs and dampers, which are connected to aluminum front wishbones with aluminum bearings via stiffened mounts. The result is a very taut feel, with negligible body roll and a ride that, while not exactly uncomfortable, is very susceptible to surface imperfections. You can feel every dip, rut and scar in the road. The pay-off, however, is unflappable high-speed stability and exceptional steering precision. The speed-dependent electromechanical steering (tuned for a more direct 16.2:1 ratio) could do with more feel. But the S3 carves through bends like a proverbial hot knife through butter. It’s nimble, quick-witted and alert, just like a true hot hatch should be. The addition of 17-inch brake discs and sports pads also transform the car’s retardation power and pedal feel. This thing really stops. As with all fast Audis, the handling won’t be to everyone’s tastes. Safety is still the prevailing trait at the outer limits of grip and traction, gently edging from a neutral four-wheel-drift into understeer as the chassis runs out of ideas. The sideways circus antics of, say, a BMW 130i simply aren’t on the cards.
The S3 leaves all that showboating stuff to others, though – it’s far too caught up in the job at hand, namely punching its way from point A to point B as fast as possible. Huge overtaking power meets big-car refinement and a claimed average fuel consumption of 31mpg. And that accelerative edge over its rivals widens to ravine-like proportions when you throw a wet road into the mix. Very much like my original ur-quattro. Like its big-screen, licensed-to-kill equivalent, the S3 comes armed with a brace of high-tech gadgets. Black silk Nappa leather upholstery, electronic climate control, Xenon Plus headlamps, a driver information system complete with lap timer and a sophisticated alarm system top the standard spec. To which the deep-of-pocket can add an R8-style flat-bottomed steering wheel, a combined cellphone and iPod interface, and a stadium-style Bose sound system with eight speakers, among other things.
The initial run of S3s will be delivered to European buyers in January 2007, with the first year’s production limited to 1,500 cars. At present, Audi US says there are no plans to launch the car in North America, which doesn’t take the three-door A3. However, this doesn’t mean there will definitely be no S3 for the U.S. Off-record sources say Audi AG has not yet committed to developing a 5-door S3, though doing so would be relatively low in development cost. Audi of America will not bring a 3-door S3. If Audi does build a 5-door S3, Audi of America would definitely look at the business case as the S3 would give the American A3 lineup some significant news between now and when the car is due for replacement in 2010.
© Copyright 2004 by YourSITE.com |
