Tag: Car Reviews

Can putting a 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine from the Audi RS3 and TT RS transform the Q3 into a hot hatch shattering crossover? We got behind the wheel of the Audi RS Q3 to find out just whether the crossover/SUV can tackle the humble hot hatch.

No matter how much you moan, performance crossovers and SUVs are very much a thing. When once the humble hot hatch was every working man and woman’s dream, it seems that every manufacturer under the sun is racing to bring out the latest performance-orientated SUV. When I say every manufacturer, I really do mean it, even Ferrari is bringing out a fast SUV next year…

What is this Audi RS Q3 all about then?

Under the bonnet is the 2.5-litre, five-cylinder turbocharged engine that powers both the Audi RS3 and the Audi TT RS. In this trim, it produces a healthy, round 400hp, with 354ft lb of torque. This is mated to Audi’s famous Quattro system and 7-speed S tronic, dual clutch gearbox. Official figures are 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 155mph, not bad for something that weighs over 1700kg then!

In many ways, the Audi RS Q3 is very similar to the Cupra Ateca Abt SUV that we drove recently. They’re both four-wheel drive, both autos and both SUVS. But, the Cupra is lighter than the RS Q3 and in Abt form it’s just 50bhp short of it at 350bhp. The Cupra also feels just as sharp, if not sharper. So what are you getting for the extra £5k over the Abt Cupra Ateca?

I asked myself this question over and over again, because dynamically, the Cupra Ateca Abt is ahead of the RS Q3. But, it’s when you spend some time inside the Audi that you start to piece together where that money has gone. In truth, the Audi feels a nicer place to sit, a more luxurious tone exudes the cabin, with soft-touch plastics out of the way and replaced with materials such as leather and Alcantara. The digital cockpit is a brilliant piece of equipment from Audi, helping to simplify the controls but also putting the screen directly in front of you. From the instrument cluster you can flick between your music, see the satnav map, read various other bits of car-specific information and of course make calls etc. But the biggest draw towards the Audi RS Q3 is that engine, which not only sounds terrific, but goes like the clappers!

Audi RS Q3 – the drive

Pin the throttle and you’re thrown back into your seat, when you’re on boost. Surprisingly, under around the 3krpm mark you get a very laggy response. It takes time for that boost to wind up and propel you down the road, almost akin to a 90s Japanese car, which is odd for an engine that’s been reworked and retuned to meet the latest EU emissions laws. Those that have driven pre and post facelift RS3s have also reported that the latter car lacks the urgency the previous car had, and although never having driven the pre-WLTP car, I can believe it. Previously, you watched RS cars jump off the lights like a greyhound, but this one takes a moment or two to get into its stride.

Once you’re into its stride, though, its fast. The S-tronic gearbox is ultra-responsive in its shifts, making fast b-road blasts an absolute doddle. Don’t be fooled by the increased kerbweight and high centre of gravity, this is an impressively agile machine that can negotiate a quick road at a strong rate of knots. The benefit to having that higher ride height is the ground clearance, meaning on a b-road you never have to worry about undulations or potholes, the RS Q3 eats it up in its stride.

That Quattro system does induce understeer if you push it too much, but on the whole you’re given very high levels of grip that even the most novice of drivers can hustle over a back road at good pace. It’s a very easy car to drive quickly, enabling you to pin the throttle mid corner and allowing the computers to take over and work their magic. It does remove that sense of driving away from it, however, but that is to be expected in a car of this size.

The steering felt a little lazy in its lowest setting, but does wake up in sports mode, as does the exhaust. This car was fitted with the optional RS sports exhaust system, which wakes it up a touch and adds in that drama and character that would otherwise have gone unnoticed. Plus it means you actually get to hear that signature 5-pot noise. You also get black oval tips at the rear which helps set off the looks of the car. Speaking of which, it’s not a bad looking car, particularly for an SUV. It’s certainly on the more stylish side of most SUVs, which was only highlighted on long journeys where people were even offering a thumbs up… or was it a middle finger? One of the two anyway!

The brakes here were carbon ceramics, which worked well with such mass to deal with. Over the course of a good hour hooning, the brakes felt as strong as they were from the get-go. They do take a touch to warm up, and can give a slightly unnerving pedal bite initially, but once the car is warmed up, pedal feel becomes more natural and confidence inspiring.

Price wise, the RS Q3 isn’t cheap. This particular car with its optional exhaust, carbon ceramic brakes and various styling options came in at £66,055 on the road, which includes first registration fee, delivery charge and a road fund licence. If you want to PCP one, you’ll be looking at over £600 per month, too. That being said, you’re getting a car with bucket loads of performance, good practicality, and one that arguably has the snazziest interior on the market.

Verdict

The Audi RS Q3 is a hugely capable car, with its strongest pulls being that gorgeous five-cylinder turbocharged engine that will have you seeking out the redline thinking you are Walter Rohrl or Stig Blomqvist. Out of all of the performance SUVs, the RS Q3 is almost the only one that you can forgive for being performance orientated. In real terms, that Audi RS Q3 isn’t much bigger than the RS3 and delivers similar performance to it, but with a smidge more space inside.

It also features that brilliant Digital Cockpit, which has elevated Audi’s interior design to a new level and one that conquers across the market. But, that all comes at a price, and if you want one as good looking as this one, you’ll need to hover around the £60k mark, which gets you into all manner of cars.

Would I take one over a hot hatch? No. I still think the humble hot hatch offers more performance, but crucially, more thrills than that of a performance SUV. Would I be happy if this was my only car? Absolutely. It can certainly offer the performance, but also, has a switchable comfort side that a hot hatch could only dream of.

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If ever there was ever a car to remind you that the bare necessities in life can often be the most rewarding, then the Lotus Exige Cup 430 is that car.

The Lotus Exige has seen quite the transformation from its beginnings some 20 years ago. Starting life as a more focused, faster version of the already brilliant Lotus Elise, it has transformed into a model with its own identity, completely separate from the Elise and sitting just below the range-topping Evora GT410.

That statement became all the more apparent when the Exige ditched the 1.8-litre four-pot engine in favour of a beefier, 3.5-litre supercharged V6, pushing power to over 300bhp. Now weight did increase over the Elise, topping the scales at around the 1100-1200kg mark, depending on which model you chose.

Now, then, this Lotus Exige Cup 430 is the ultimate iteration of the Exige, both in performance and price. In fact, this Exige is the quickest production car that Lotus has benchmarked around its own test track at Hethel.

It’s fairly obvious to see why. As the name suggests, peak power now sits at 430bhp and has a kerbweight of 1100kg… 0-62mph takes 3.7 seconds, mainly due to limited grip off of the line and the traditional six-speed manual setup, thank goodness. Top speed? 180mph.

Forgetting about those facts and figures for a second, just take a look at it. It’s obvious from the off that this is a serious machine. That splitter sits low, kissing the ground pretty much wherever you drive, the diffuser has deep, sharp fins to help direct airflow, that wing would sit right at home in a Fast and Furious movie and those 17 inch alloys at the front and 18 at the rear look superb, offering a thick sidewall for better traction on those Michelin Cup 2 tyres. They are staggered, as mentioned, the fronts only offering 215 width tread, while the rear offers a colossal 285 wide section. It’s clear to see from standing at the front, out edges of the car and your eye line follows the edges towards the wide rear hips that accommodate those rear wheels.

You could spend half a day studying its angles and aerodynamic features, it’s a mightily impressive car to stare at, which means wherever you drive, you’ll have people staring at you. Finished in this metallic green alongside black wheels helps you stand out from the crowd even further, not like you needed it…

Lotus Exige Cup 430 drive

Enough of the boring stuff. The Lotus Exige Cup 430 reminds you that less is more, and those famous words by Colin Chapman ring true, again. Its combination of strong power and light weight makes it cover ground ferociously fast.

Once you’ve clambered over the tub that takes up almost half of a regular door entry, slid down into the seat and strapped yourself in, you immediately feel like you’re in a car that won’t want to do a daily commute, let alone a quick trip to the shop.

Fire it up for the first time and you’re greeted with a deep groan from the titanium exhaust. Here, things do quieten down a notch; from factory, the exhaust valves are set to closed, without any option to open them up at low revs. That’s a smart move if I’m honest, which isn’t something I’d usually say. It makes day-to-day driving a far easier task as you don’t end up with your ears ringing by the time you arrive at your destination. But, drive past 4500rpm and the valves open, and boy are you rewarded. The Lotus V6, originally taken from a Toyota Camry, has to be the best sounding car on the market (have a listen here) at the moment, which is only intensified by that titanium exhaust. It’s purposeful, shouty, high-pitched towards the top end, and ultimately has every single strand of hair on your body standing to attention.

As we all know, Lotuses aren’t built for straight line performance, but you’d be mistaken for thinking they can’t cover ground over a straight line at a ridiculous rate of knots. For me, second and third is all the gearing you need on most roads, third will take you up to over 80mph without a sweat, and second will give you whiplash if you aren’t ready.

But, the corners are where things get decisively mind-blowing. Chuck the front end into a corner and it will bite, and bite, and bite. It seems that no matter what speed you’re doing, you will be able to make the corner, which is testament to this Ohlins suspension setup. Body roll isn’t a term that Lotus understands, it stays firmly planted even flowing through a tight switchback section of road. The ride is stiff, but at the same time, surprisingly compliant. You do feel the bumps, but it’s not back-breaking and offers an OK level of comfort over distance, despite having carbon fibre bucket seats. I travelled non-stop for three hours and didn’t feel the need to jump out and stretch the legs.

Interestingly, Lotus doesn’t offer a limited-slip differential on the Exige; simply put, their engineers don’t feel that the additional weight offset against the increased performance, and I agree. The grip offered from its chassis, aerodynamics and 285-wide rear Cup 2s are enough to keep you pointing in a straight line no matter what you do to upset it. In fact, it could live with 500bhp no problem.

The traction control system features machine learning, whereby it constantly reads and understands slip levels to maintain upmost grip. Some might be disappointed with the addition of said electronics, but they’re so unintrusive, without reading the manual, you’d have no idea it existed. Switching to race mode turns off the traction control, but on the road, it’s not needed. On the topic of driving modes, there is also a sport mode that offers slightly shaper throttle response and crucially opens the valves on deceleration at lower speeds to give you a nice, deep, but subtle burble that feels far more authentic than any other on the market.

There isn’t any power steering here either and it’s all the better for it. There is tonnes of feel chucked back through the steering wheel, enough for you to feel tiny undulations in the road that you didn’t know existed. It also means that the steering is ultra-responsive and precise and the tiniest of steering inputs is all you need. Speaking of small, the steering wheel itself is tiny, it’s like driving a go kart, and that’s fantastic!

The manual gearbox is of course welcomed, but sadly isn’t as smooth as hoped. The exposed linkage is a nice touch, not only does it save weight again, but it also adds to the overall image that this car portrays, and that is to go fast. First to second felt particularly clunky and at times need a double de-clutch for it to be happy.

A special mention here goes to the brakes. Wow. Stand on them and you may as well have thrown an anchor out of the back. Those AP Racing front and rear brakes are strong, very strong, and that’s heightened by the car’s overall low kerbweight. The pedal feel is nice and modular, not feeling bitey at the top end that a lot of modern cars tend to have. In fact, you really do need to step on the pedal when you’re pushing on.

The most surprising aspect, however, is just how easy it is to drive. You’d think something that has been honed in on track and pealed right back to the bare bones (you have to option the radio back in!) would be a difficult to car to drive and therefore less enjoyable, but I’d be willing to bet that this performance is accessible to even the most amateur of drivers with little experience.

Verdict

The one thing I haven’t mentioned is the price. Yes, this is for all intent and purposes, £100,000. Now some would argue that’s a hell of a lot for a car that has next to nothing in terms of creature comforts. But, take a moment and think about the package you’re getting. This is a car that could happily live with a Porsche 911 GT3 RS on track, a car that’s some £50,000 more. More importantly, you’re getting a car that reminds you of what a sports car should be. It should make you feel special, it should make you smile every time you drive it, and it should surprise you with just how bonkers its performance is. Its back-to-basics driving, but in a package that’s very much focused on performance.

No, it’s not as pretty inside as say a Porsche, but what it offers is an experience that the Porsche cannot match, and that’s unique. It’s a car that will obliterate all on track, and then happily pootle on home. We have to thank Lotus for building driver’s cars in an era where the mundane is scarily close. So thank you Lotus.

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