The Audi RS3 has always occupied a strange little corner of the performance-car world. It's essentially an A3 sedan stuffed with a ridiculous engine, big brakes, all-wheel drive, and enough performance hardware to embarrass significantly more expensive machinery.
That ridiculous engine is a key part of the overall appeal, too. Under the hood is Audi's turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-five, producing 400 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque. It sends everything through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and Quattro all-wheel drive. Audi claims a 3.9-second sprint to 60 miles per hour, which was seriously quick when the car arrived—and still is today.
