Up with the powerful
According to Hans Jürgen Abt anyone who values understatement is well served by the Audi RS3. This is particularly true if the car has been through the Abt workshops in Kempten. There it will have acquired one of three sets of wheels Abt offer in 19 inch format including tyres in 255/30 and 225/35 sizes. But this is just a bit of pep for the look. When it comes to the performance the intervention is more serious. Even the most rudimentary tuning boosts the output to 420 horsepower and 530 Nm or torque… the series version in comparison gives 340 horsepower and 450 Nm. But those who want their RS3 to be a real Porsche killer will go for the ‘Power-S’ option… giving not only the almost obligatory chip tuning but also adding a new turbo unit and intercooler… and as a result getting 470 horsepower and 630 Nm out of the 2.5 litre five-cylinder mill. This means a sprint time of exactly four seconds and the top speed shoots up to 285 kilometres an hour. This should be enough for the RS3 driver to show everybody else a clean pair of heels in the form of the car’s vanishing tail lights and the pipes of the Abt muffler.
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- A sprint time of exactly four seconds and the top speed shoots up to 285 kilometres an hour means that the RS3 driver can show everybody else a clean pair of heels in the form of the car’s vanishing tail lights and the pipes of the Abt muffler.
Quality at a price
It has always been the case that at Abt much is made of quality craftsmanship and it must be noted that the tuner is exemplary in its cooperation with VW/Audi in respect of maintaining warranty protection. However one is inclined to rub one’s eyes when confronted with the price list for the services provided by Abt. This is again an issue with the RS3 project. 3,800 Euros is a high price for the chip tuning which gets you 420 horsepower. Another 3,700 for the exhaust system is pretty steep, too. Nor is the 3,540 Euros for the set of wheels easy to stomach. In comparison the 8,900 Euros for the tuning giving the ultimate 470 horsepower seems almost reasonable, what with the re-build of the turbo system and all. At the end of the day, of course, there is the priceless feeling of taking the wheel of the most potent RS3 currently on the road.
