Performance models from Ingolstadt have a reputation for being big on performance but a little short on fun and personality, and while that judgement is fair to an extent, there have been some truly stellar - and barking mad - moments in Audi Sport's history. After all, it takes a sense of humour to stuff a twin-turbo V10 under the bonnet of an estate car.
In 2024, you can bag a slice of that history for very sensible money if you venture into the classifieds. That C6 RS6 can be bought for as little as £14,000, while the company's very first RS model, the rare RS2, can be found for less than half the price of its present-day RS4 equivalent. Or if you're after something more modern, there are significant savings to be had with early examples of the latest-gen RS5 coupe or RS3 - both formidably fast machines with their own unique appeal. Here's what to look for.
AUDI RS3 (8Y)
A nearly new five-cylinder RS for less than the price of the latest S3
STEP OUT OF A VOLKSWAGEN GOLF R OR MERCEDESAMG A45 S and into an Audi RS3, and you'll realise what a profound difference an extra cylinder can make. The RS3 is where Audi's five-pot motor will see out its days - there will be one final RS3 iteration to replace the version shown here, which has just gone off sale - and that engine means it can trace its DNA back to the 100 of the 1970s, and later the mighty Quattro. Time will tell whether the RS3 will cement itself in history along with other Audi greats, but right now, it offers a unique and enticing hot hatch - or compact saloon - experience.
Denne historien er fra June 2024-utgaven av Evo UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra June 2024-utgaven av Evo UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
BEST BUYS BMW M CARS
THE PERFORMANCE CAR LANDSCAPE WOULD HAVE looked very different over the last five decades without BMW. Its M division, founded in 1972, has produced some of the best driver’s cars ever to hit the road, and in the process has provided a stream of benchmark models for its rivals to chase. In recent years, stricter emissions regulations, downsizing and electrification have seen some of those rival cars falter, yet by and large BMW’s M machines have remained strong. In fact, some rank among the greatest the department has made think of the eCoty-winning M2 CS and M5 CS while others are the only options worth recommending in their respective segments. Price tags have risen with performance, however, putting those latest offerings out of reach for many, but the marque’s popularity means there are numerous earlier M models available on the second-hand market for far more attainable figures. Here are four of our favourites.
TYRE 2024 TEST
Want to fit the very best tyres to your performance car? The annual evo Tyre Test identifies the cream of the current crop
HONDA ACCORD TYPE R
A liberal sprinkling of Honda Type R fairy dust on the late-'90s Accord produced an unlikely evo icon and a genuine performance bargain
TOY STORY
Where best to store some of Toyota’s most prized and valuable racing superstars? Under the wind tunnel at its Cologne HO, of course...
POWER PLAY
It develops 819bhp. It has no turbochargers, no hybrid assistance. Ferrari describes it as the most complete GT it's ever made. And it’s so proud of its mighty V12 engine it’s named the whole car after it. This is the 12 Cilindri
THE FIRST SAMURAIS
Japan has been responsible for many of our favourite driver's cars of recent decades, but their ancestors are often much less well known. We take a look at where the big manufacturers began their performance car journeys
DEFINITELY. NO MAYBE
Three Japanese performance icons - Lexus LFA, Subaru Impreza 22B and Nissan GT-R. Over three days on some of our favourite roads we explore what makes each uniquely thrilling, but also the car culture that unites them
1V3.0
F1, P1... and now W1. The next chapter in McLaren's Ultimate Series is the British firm's challenger to the forthcoming new Ferrari hypercar and a £2million, 1257bhp, hybrid-powered, technical tour de force
Thornley Kelham European RS
One man’s dream to build the perfect Porsche 911 has resulted inthis aaticMously restored and enhanced classic. We delve into the details and take it for a drive
Bentley Continental GT Speed
The new Continental GT is the most powerful Bentley ever, and the beginning of anew plug-in hybrid era for Crewe. But is it still a benchmark grand tourer?
