TIME TO SETTLE ARGUMENTS - THE NEW 2023 BMW M2 VS THE 2023 AUDI RS3 - STRAIGHT LINE AND CIRCUIT.
Motoring rivalries have existed since there was more than one car on the road. As soon as two of the same thing appear, humans will pit them against each other to see which is best. Many years since this awesome automotive industry was created, some automakers ended up being in direct competition making cars that compete against each other. Some of these rivalries are unofficial and happen at the end user level, and we reckon that’s the BMW M and Audi RS’s origins. Moreso than at the automaker level, in our not-so-expert opinion. In more recent years the quality of sports models from BMW and Audi are on a whole other level, and the performance offerings are completely different but at the same have become direct rivals. In this case, it’s the Audi hatchback range-topper in the form of the RS3 versus the BMW M2 that has us all excited. Coming from the VAG side of life, seeing a turbocharged 5-pot with an all-wheel drive drivetrain taking on one of BMW’s best new offerings in the form of the turbocharged inline-six with rear-wheel drive promises some interesting action and results. The only downside to a test like this is that is if the Audi teaches the BMW some manners, BMW fanbois will then say the car should have been compared to the BMW M3 because that model is now available with power directed at all four wheels.
The BMW M2 is a beast of a car, it’s also (in our humble opinion) the best-sized M car made today. The M3 and M4 are amazing cars, but smaller and more nimble cars are the ones that make us happy. This all-new BMW M2 features a twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre inline-6 that’s rated at 338 kW with 558 Nm of torque that the automaker says is good for a 0-100 km/h dash of 4.2 seconds for the 6-speed manual and 4.0 seconds with the 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, sending power to the rears only. On the scales, it's 1 730 kg for the manual and 1 754 kg for the auto. Top speed is electronically limited to 250 km/h, but with the M Driver’s Package that rises to 285 km/h. It’s fast. The challenger in the form of what many argue is the best sports hatchback ever, is the latest incarnation of the Audi RS3. This one features that signature turbocharged 5-cylinder powerplant, found in a capacity of 2.5 litres. In the lighter (1 656 kg) hatchback we see a stock power figure of 294 kW with 500 Nm of torque, but in typical RS fashion, this is spread across all four wheels. There’s a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission in play. This can get it to 100 km/h in 4.2 seconds and up to a top speed of 295 km/h. Again, it’s fast. On paper they’re quite evenly matched, where one has more power it also has more weight, and the one with less weight has power going to all four wheels, which is why the cars can get to 100 km/h within the blink of an eye. The chaps at Throttle House have put together a brilliant comparison video of these two German sporscars showing exactly where each car shines, and where it doesn’t. We’re not too phased by the outcome, our lotto millions will go the way of the RS-badged beast.
Take a look at the YouTube video that should help to settle some heated performance car-related arguments around the all-new BMW M2 and the beastly all-wheel drive Audi RS3, arguably two of the most popular cars from the respective automakers with legions of fans supporting each side. This particular motoring scribe has always been aligned to the VAG stuff, and so the RS3 is where I placed my bets - was I wrong? Click to see: 2023 BMW M2 vs Audi RS3 // DRAG RACE + LAP TIMES| Throttle House
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