This Audi RS3 Vs RS4 Drag Race Is Excruciatingly Close

The acceleration figures for these two cars are identical, so which will come out on top in a good old-fashioned drag race?

Matt Robinson

06 Jul 2018

Here’s a drag race we’ve been wanting to see for a while. We know that the 0-62mph times for the RS3 and RS4 are identical, and when we brought the cars together for a twin test a few months ago, there really didn’t feel like much between the two.

With 395bhp from a 2.5-litre inline-five the RS3 is outgunned by the RS4 and its 2.9-litre, 444bhp V6, but the ‘lesser’ Audi Sport machine is around 200kg lighter. Before watching this, we really weren’t sure which way this was going to go.

We don’t want to spoil the ending, either, so press play to find out the result. As a bonus, we also get to see a rolling-start drag race, and a brake test.

But regardless of the victor, which one would you rather have on your driveway?

Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.

Comments

RS4 sounds like a hippopotamus

CarThrottle too slow covering CarWow videos. Most of us have watched this already

Atleast they covered it

For someone who casually follows them, it’s good to be reminded of their existence.

RS3 is so much cheaper, probably handles better and sounds better.

It is unlikely that the RS3 will handle better than RS4, because RS3 has a transversely mounted engine with Haldex AWD (front-biased), while RS4 has a longitudinally mounted engine with Torsen AWD (rear-biased). In theory RS3 will experience way more understeer given the AWD system and weight distribution.