Drag racing a newer Audi S3 Sedan against an older but more powerful RS4 Avant doesn’t make much sense, as the latter would obviously win in most scenarios, or would it?
The people at CarWow decided to solve this dispute by putting the two against each other in a couple of drag races, from both a standing and a rolling start.
With 420 PS (414 hp / 309 kW) and 430 Nm (317 lb-ft) of torque produced by the naturally aspirated 4.2-liter V8 engine, linked to a six-speed manual gearbox, the B7 RS4 Avant has the power balance tilting in its favor. It hits 100 km/h (62 mph) in under 5 seconds and has an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph).
Also Watch: 2019 Audi RS4 Avant: Is It The Best ‘RS’ Model Ever?
The Audi S3 Sedan, on the other hand, is about 200 kg (440 lbs) lighter and uses an engine that’s less than half the size of that of its challenger, albeit with turbocharging and an S Tronic transmission. The 2.0-liter four-cylinder unit puts out 310 PS (306 hp / 228 kW) and 400 Nm (295 lb-ft) of torque. Flat-out, it does 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 4.6 seconds, 0.3 seconds quicker than the Audi RS4 Avant, and maxes out at 250 km/h (155 mph).
So, with the lighter construction and the ability to sprint to 100 km/h (62 mph) quicker than the super wagon, the Audi S3 Sedan is the favorite. But can a modern ‘S’ car really put an older ‘RS’ in its corner? Find out below.