Test drive Audi S3 2006 - 2008 hatchback

Let's go on the top three

The presentation of the new charged model from Ingolstadt coincided with the anniversary.
A decade ago, in the fall of 1996, the first Audi A3 CD car with a transverse location of the engine was light. Three years later, a lively S3 appeared. And in front of me is a new three, drawn by frisky horses. Well, let's go to ride!
Running in place
Even while the three is dutifully standing, waiting for the driver, it is easy to distinguish a modification with the letter S in the index according to some characteristic features from the usual A3. Single Frame branded with a red-black emblem
S-family is decorated with chrome, in the front bumper with a built-in spoiler, large air intakes, thresholds expand plastic overlays.
From the stern, the novelty of the S3 you unmistakably recognize by a dark diffuser peering out from under the bottom, and two silver ovals of exhaust pipes. Another pair of individual features external mirrors with an aluminum tint and 18-inch wheels shod in low-profile tires.
You step over the threshold with shiny overlays and logos of the model and fall into the arms of a sports seat. It was as if it was made under me hips conveniently on a long pillow, the back does not take his back (but does not constrain movements) developed lateral support. However, from my colleague of a good complexion for the whole test, I also did not hear a single complaint about landing. I lower my left hand to turn on the servants and adjust the seat and find there only adjustment of the lumbar backup. Tilt the back and pillow manually or order more expensive configurations.
The seat is adjusted, the steering column is adjusted, the hands are comfortable on the chubby steering wheel, covered with soft skin. This version is ordinary, there is no round, I slept well. Just to order for S3 offers a flattened bagel. Of course, it looks more spectacular, but the hands are still used to the right form. By the way, at the request of the client, the so -called bucket -shaped seats can also be delivered.
Touch!
Audi S3 snorts menacingly as a stagnant horse in anticipation of a cry. I release the clutch pedal and barely manage to raise the speed so as not to stall. But under the hood, a vaunted two -liter TFSI engine with excellent thrust at low speeds. Miracles did not happen to the motorists raised the power of to 265 horses, but the working range of up to two and a small thousand revolutions fell victim to the engine is very reluctant to spin, but then the car seemed to push. The tachometer arrow rushes sharply in a circle and, quickly twisting the first gear, the engine rests on the limiter. With such dynamics, you willingly believe that the S3 exchange the first hundred in just 5.7 s.
However, to the new character of a gasoline unit with direct injection and turbocharged, you will soon get used to then his naughty behavior and the explosive character begin to give pleasure. The developers brought the gear ratio of the box and reduced the moves of the handle to reduce the time to switch and let the sitting at the wheel feel like a dashing rider. However, you will not get used to it, now and then you get confused in neighboring programs, for example, you will tackle the third instead of the fifth.
  A quiet triple does not even happen in fairy tales. True, on the fact that the bells do not ring from Ingolstadt, the screams of the walk -in the riders are not heard here are completely different music. With an aplomb opera singer, his aria is drawn by an engine, which, apparently, specially put a voice, configuring the exhaust system. The sound does not cut the ears, but it does not caress the hearing for the perfect velvet timbre lacks a pair of liters of working volume. At speeds above 100 km/h, aerodynamic noises begin to penetrate into the salon, and road joints and small pits respond with a echoing clatter, as if hooves are knocking on the pavement. In addition, a hard sports suspension reports everything that falls under the wheel, not only with sounds, but also with shocks you feel even a small crack on the asphalt with your whole body.
AT FULL SPEED
But they didn’t finalize the suspension (they lowered the clearance by 25 mm, changed the characteristics of springs and shock absorbers), set up the steering electric power imprisoner under its sporting character, conjured over the engine so that some layman cynically stated that S3 had low smoothness or lacks torque At low speeds! No, you need to ride on the triples quickly and with the courage, only then you will get true pleasure. To do this, we were allocated an hour at the Munich airfield ... Naturally, far from the runway.
Brief briefing, acquaintance with the track. It soars the flag in front of the neck of the Eska forward! The three briskly gains speed, quickly switching (already used to it!) To the second and entering the turn. The car, screening with tires, remains on the trajectory specified by an understandable and informative steering wheel. You are finally convinced of the reliability of behavior after a snake from the cones, the car writes the right sinusoid.
I’ll just try it quickly. Before the next turn I slow down much later, the S3 begins to slide out with all the wheels, and a quick electronics come into effect, saving restrictive cones from the kicks.
After a couple of circles, we studied the track. It's time to press the treasured button and turn off this upstream of the stabilization system. It is a pity that the speed of passing the circle with the ESP turned on, because the electronic stopwatch can be displayed on the dashboard display. Nevertheless, I feel that now I’m going faster, although I have to work more with the steering wheel and gas, tucking the car into turns.
The organizers arrange small breaks to let the pronounced journalists cool a little. Here and here, like shooted sleeves, cones fly towards, tires scresh and screeching longer. I, too, overly accelerated on the straight line, have to slow down on the floor before the next barrier of cones. There was a familiar drooping ABS, and the pedal shake vigorously. It would be softer that I would like to do not put on the brake more from such vibration, but let it go quickly. But the rest of the electronics was made clearly by the anti -lock system to correct my oversights, and the disabled ESP, feeling the danger, woke up and took the baton.
Traditional Russian fun on triples today is no longer as popular as before. It is understandable, because people have other entertainments, more sophisticated and interesting. For example, a German three is a worthy replacement!
Audi S3 The smallest model of S is able to give great pleasure.


 
 
Maxim Sachkov

Source: The magazine "Driving"