Quote:
Originally Posted by DrFerry
I must've been asleep at the wheel. This one snuck by me after its launch last year.. I'm just now catching up on what Audi have achieved. I wonder if they offer a Coupe version of the RS3. 0-60 in 3.3 to 3.6 seconds, (depending on who's testing it) cheaper than an M3/M4 and all wheel drive (quatro). The 2022 RS3's Doug DeMuro score is intriguing due to its proximity to the 2021 M3 in his list.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wtwo3
It's not an M3/M4 competitor - it's an M2 competitor. If you're referencing Doug's score (which I personally don't put a lot of stake in), it's rated similarly to the F87 - The F87 beating it out in handling and fun to drive - the RS3 winning in practicality and comfort (you're comparing 4 doors to 2). Will be interesting how it compares to the G87. Beyond that, M cars don't typically focus on 0-60 metrics. They focus on handling and overall driving dynamics. I'm not taking anything away from the RS3 - it's a brilliant car, but I would never cross-shop that with an M3/M4.
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I didn't actually mean to infer to the reader that the new '23 RS3 was a competitor of the M3/M4, but I admit such a meaning could be gleaned. What is (was) intriguing to me is the RS3s proximity to Doug's M3/M4 score, though I don't put much stock in Doug's score(s) either. Given that Doug's RS3 score is right on top of the F87 M2, you're right the RS3 is perhaps more of a 4 door, all wheel drive, F87 M2 competitor (?). The G87 might eventually surpass the RS3 in all areas except for the RS3's quatro system and better aesthetics (looks) over the G87. I tend to think the G87 is one of the uglier cars BMW has ever made. But that's just me, since looks are subjective i.e. beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
In my experience, the "M" brand, and M cars in general, have tended to focus on all three of the metrics you mentioned i.e. 0-60 times, handling, and overall driving dynamics (and even practicality since many M car variants have four doors). I say this because, BMW M brand have decreased 0-60 times ever since 1999, at least for their M3 models, and that's been done even in the face of escalating curb weights. See chart below.
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https://autofiles.com/0-60-times/bmw/m3/
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https://www.zeroto60times.com/2018/0...of-the-bmw-m3/
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