Expert opinion
The first Audi RS3 – the Sportback in the Typ 8P generation – arrived quite late in the car’s lifecycle, and was only available for three years or so. Even so, it made quite an impact. Using the 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbocharged engine from the TT RS, it packed quite a punch, with 340hp delivering 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds, making it faster than the original Audi RS4.
In 2015, the second-gen cars arrived, with 367hp and in 2017 this was upped to 400hp, while a saloon and cabriolet expanded the line-up.
In 2022, the fourth-gen model came along, with sharply creased styling inside and out and more modern tech… but its beating heart, as with every other RS3, remains that warbling turbocharged five-cylinder powerplant. And despite losing the option of manual gearbox, it has become one of best-rounded mega-hatches.