[G30M]

So the latest RS3 has a trick. Never heard of it before ....

Reverse staggered wheels/tires

Front 265 30 19
Rear 245 35 19

I don't know what AWD system it uses but there is a 2.1% difference in tire circumference using math.

[pikkagtr]

That's because it is a fwd car first and foremost
Transverse mounted engine and most of the weight in front of the axle required the wider front tires to deal with it.
The new haldex is better than the old one , which understeered all the time, now it only understeers most of the time
🤣

[heavyD^2]

They have been running that staggered setup for the last two generations. The weight of the 5 cylinder engine over the front wheels makes the platform understeer like a pig compared to even a Golf R. The wider front tires in conjunction with the new trick rear differential (last gen didn't have it and was terrible) make the car handle less poorly but make no mistake this car is more of a straight line machine than a track car.

[Burrcold]

Originally Posted by heavyD^2

They have been running that staggered setup for the last two generations. The weight of the 5 cylinder engine over the front wheels makes the platform understeer like a pig compared to even a Golf R. The wider front tires in conjunction with the new trick rear differential (last gen didn't have it and was terrible) make the car handle less poorly but make no mistake this car is more of a straight line machine than a track car.

Depends on what you consider to be a "track car". The new RS3 bested the M2 CS by 2 seconds on the Nurburgring.

[Red Bread]

Yeah, the RS3 with the Magna rear diffs does quite well on track. Also not sure I’d call it a straight line car, stock they’re not really that quick.

[G30M]

Originally Posted by Burrcold

Depends on what you consider to be a "track car". The new RS3 bested the M2 CS by 2 seconds on the Nurburgring.

And it sounds like a Huracan V10 esp with proper exhaust

[a5m]

Originally Posted by g21

And it sounds like a Huracan V10 esp with proper exhaust

This. They do sound incredible and seem to have a lot of tuning potential.

[lens]

Originally Posted by Burrcold

Depends on what you consider to be a "track car". The new RS3 bested the M2 CS by 2 seconds on the Nurburgring.

Well, the M5 CS weighs like 500lbs more and its 11 seconds faster.

Nurburgring lap times are outdated nowadays.

Average person isn't good enough to put down a laptime, they also probably can't push the car to it's limit.

[Burrcold]

Originally Posted by lens

Well, the M5 CS weighs like 500lbs more and its 11 seconds faster.

Nurburgring lap times are outdated nowadays.

Average person isn't good enough to put down a laptime, they also probably can't push the car to it's limit.

The M5 CS is way more powerful and has upgraded chassis tuning. So yeah I would expect it to be faster than an RS3. I'm not debating whether the ring is outdated or not, my point was that the RS3 still lapped it faster than a more powerful, and widely regarded as one of the best handling M cars ever in the M2 CS (someone at the very least it demonstrates that the RS3 is not a one trick pony regardless of the driver ability).

[BGM-M3COMP]

It’s a mini huracan. And those are engines are built tough.

I like those little mini v10’s lol

[///MPhatic]

Originally Posted by lens

Nurburgring lap times are outdated nowadays.

Average person isn't good enough to put down a laptime, they also probably can't push the car to it's limit.

Agreed, Nur times are worthless. They are more a measure of driver ability and most importantly consistency than anything else.

[lens]

Originally Posted by Burrcold

The M5 CS is way more powerful and has upgraded chassis tuning. So yeah I would expect it to be faster than an RS3. I'm not debating whether the ring is outdated or not, my point was that the RS3 still lapped it faster than a more powerful, and widely regarded as one of the best handling M cars ever in the M2 CS (someone at the very least it demonstrates that the RS3 is not a one trick pony regardless of the driver ability).

2 seconds can be anything though. It's not a big gap.

Could have came down to tires, weather, one minor mistake by the driver etc.


It's a good car, but both cars were driven by different drivers in different years, at different times.

[Burrcold]

Originally Posted by lens

2 seconds can be anything though. It's not a big gap.

Could have came down to tires, weather, one minor mistake by the driver etc.


It's a good car, but both cars were driven by different drivers in different years, at different times.

I get all of that. Regardless, I was just trying to point out that the RS3 is in fact a decent track car and not just good in a straight line, as someone else said. That's all. There's lots of track battles with the new RS3 on YouTube and anyone can see that it's not a one trick pony.

[Bootboot340]

Originally Posted by pikkagtr

That's because it is a fwd car first and foremost
Transverse mounted engine and most of the weight in front of the axle required the wider front tires to deal with it.
The new haldex is better than the old one , which understeered all the time, now it only understeers most of the time
🤣

Yes! Even in awd, most of the power goes to the front wheels. Not for me.

[heavyD^2]

Originally Posted by Burrcold

Depends on what you consider to be a "track car". The new RS3 bested the M2 CS by 2 seconds on the Nurburgring.

Tires my friend. Tires. The latest lightning lap, the M240i was over a second faster around VIR when both cars were shod with PZ4's. I don't want to downplay the capabilities of the M240i but it's pretty weak that an M-lite car tracks faster than an RS model all things equal.

https://www.caranddriver.com/feature...ning-lap-2023/

Lapping on the standard Pirelli P Zero PZ4s, a solid summer performance tire, the RS3 squirms under hard braking, the PZ4s whimper when leaned on, and the tail gets squirrelly when you get back on the power, particularly as the car unloads coming down the hill exiting Turn 10. Even so, a 3:01.9 outing on day one—3.7 seconds better than the previous-generation RS3—would typically be good enough to load it back on the hauler.

https://www.caranddriver.com/feature...ning-lap-2023/

The same pilot coaxed the M240i to a lap 2.4 seconds quicker than last year’s car on Pirelli P Zero PZ4s. That time came in small chunks all over the track.

This car had the RS3 beat until the Audi switched to its superhero tires, and the M240i’s time has substantially closed the gap with the last M2 Competition we ran (2:59.7).

[G30M]

Originally Posted by lens

Average person isn't good enough to put down a laptime, they also probably can't push the car to it's limit.

that's the thing about the new RS3 - the trick tires and trick rear diff means they will get very close. (same with X drive M2)

unlike a mid engine or front engine RWD which are much harder

[G30M]

Originally Posted by BGM-M3COMP

It’s a mini huracan. And those are engines are built tough.

I like those little mini v10’s lol

half a V10

[1stM]

It's to reduce understeer.

[G30M]

Originally Posted by heavyD^2

Tires my friend. Tires. The latest lightning lap, the M240i was over a second faster around VIR when both cars were shod with PZ4's. I don't want to downplay the capabilities of the M240i but it's pretty weak that an M-lite car tracks faster than an RS model all things equal.

https://www.caranddriver.com/feature...ning-lap-2023/



https://www.caranddriver.com/feature...ning-lap-2023/

also engine my friend - now i'm wondering if my 340 has the 240 engine or the supra engine ...

(not to mention the X Drive disconnects front axle most of the time so there (could be less drivetrain losses compared to 4WD audi - just a guess, don't know how the power distribution works in the RS3 - on the RS4 and RS6 it's full time 4WD)

Curiously, despite a 17 percent worse power-to-weight ratio than the Supra with the same B58 BMW turbocharged inline-six and a significantly taller roofline jutting into the airstream, the M240i closes the gap with the Supra down the Front Straight, leading us to wonder whether Toyota gets a second-rate tune.

[BGM-M3COMP]

Originally Posted by g21

half a V10

I know that’s why I said mini v10.

[Burrcold]

Originally Posted by heavyD^2

Tires my friend. Tires. The latest lightning lap, the M240i was over a second faster around VIR when both cars were shod with PZ4's. I don't want to downplay the capabilities of the M240i but it's pretty weak that an M-lite car tracks faster than an RS model all things equal.

https://www.caranddriver.com/feature...ning-lap-2023/



https://www.caranddriver.com/feature...ning-lap-2023/

Not sure what this proves. Those are good times around that track regardless of tire choice. I'm not comparing it to the M240i which frankly hits above its weight class, much like the M340i. Not sure why you would think it's so surprising that they would be so evenly matched...power to weight (actual) is about the same. So I say good company to be in lapping even times with the M240i xDrive. Nobody says that car can't handle and is only good in straight line do they?

[Cos270]

Originally Posted by BGM-M3COMP

I know that’s why I said mini v10.

That's not the same thing...