A4Driver

I went to a local Cruise Night in my city tonight and met this guy who has a new RS3. The car was sweet -- 5-cylinder engine, 400 hp, 0-60 in 3.9 seconds.

But as nice as this car is, it is based on the A3, and is missing some of the upgrades found on the A4. Things like power seats, temperature control for rear-seat passengers, etc. And this is a car that cost $70k.

Now I know that the boy racers out there couldn't care less about the aforementioned options ... raw speed and handling are all they care about, and the RS3 has plenty of that. But if I'm spending that much on a car, I want all of the little luxuries, too. (I'd still buy this car if I could afford it. )

(Sorry for the crappy phone pix).






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VM

Is it possible the RS3 doesn't have power seats because they were trying to save weight?

plat27265

I believe the target market for the RS3 does not really care too much about conveniences and luxuries in this kind of performance car. Otherwise, why wouldn't Audi sell a luxo pocket rocket if there is demand for it?

That Audi 5-cylinder RS engine is hand-built by a small team of specialists. Someone has to pay for all that exclusivity and performance.

Another reason for the high cost is its much lower production quantity. Small volume, higher cost.

bob m

I think you have answered your own question. This is not a typical 70k luxury car, it's a 70k rocket. Few amenities/creature comforts, pure speed and handling.

superswiss

It all depends on what the car is supposed to be and who the target customer is. That's why there are sports cars and GTs. The former generally having a more spartan interior and lacking creature comfort and the latter compromising performance a bit but providing long distance comfort and luxury features with an interior more like a luxury car w/o compromising for performance sake. Not sure if I would consider the RS3 a sport car, but I think the main driver is more targeting a specific price point and it's not like the RS3 handles all that great from personal experience. The TT RS, which is built on the same platform, but costs more offers much better handling and power seats and I would consider it a sports car despite the added features. The interior is less roomy and the car is less practical so more in line with a sports car. If I recall correctly, the entire A3 line doesn't have power seats, so ultimately the RS3 is based on the A3 and it comes through despite the price tag. You pay for the performance and the RS badge, not for more luxury. For similar performance as the RS3, better handling and more luxury there is the RS5 and those in the ROW also get the RS4 for even more practicality.

JD15

The S3's standard seats have power, just not the Super Sport seats, which are the seats used in the RS. The base A3 loaner I had a few weeks ago even had power seats.

superswiss

Thanks for clarifying. It's been a while since I sat in an A3 or S3, but now that you mention it it's coming back to me. It's not unusual for the most sporty seats to be manual. It saves weight and allows for the seat to be adjusted lower.

VipinLJ