Audi RS3 Sportback (8P) | PH Fleet

Life is so manic at PistonHeads these days that I struggle to find the time to jot down some ramblings about my cars – but as I sit waiting for RJ12 HRF to have its MOT with no internet access, it’s the perfect opportunity for an update. It has been living up to its daily duties perfectly from running the kids around to track hack and everything in between.

Owning a racehorse might be cheaper to run and maintain though. My first service was the best part of a grand, I spent the same again on preventative maintenance covered in my last update, and the same again replacing the front brakes. It’s pretty much impossible to go into a garage and not spend less than four figures. RS tax ain’t cheap.

The two-piece front discs are £700 alone, nearly five times the cost of discs on the Megane it replaced. I wanted more stopping power over OEM so I tried the Ferodo DS Performance pads, but they were pants and went in the bin, so I forked out again for EBC Yellow Stuff pads, which I’m pleased to report are considerably better. Unlike a lot of other overservoed Audis, there’s plenty of modulation on the 8P RS3. The Yellow Stuff pads bite well from cold and perform even better once warmed up, and they’re ECE 90 approved for the road too, unlike more serious track pads.

I didn’t buy the RS3 intending to take it on track, but when I had an invite to go along to a day at Curborough sprint course, I couldn’t resist. It’s a short loop which we ran a single lap at a time, so it’s not particularly hard on the car or consumables, but still a great opportunity to really explore how capable it is. Suffice to say, it was absolutely rapid and sounded fantastic. Carrying a bit too much pace into the corners was the perfect place to marvel at its understeer, but hopefully that’ll be remedied for my next update.

The brakes just about held up but I don’t think they’d take much more punishment on track so I’d say the Yellow Stuff pads are perfect for the road but if you plan to take your car on track, you’ll need to look elsewhere. I then stupidly took up the offer to drive both a classic Subaru Impreza WRX STI Type RA V2 and a JDM Blobeye Impreza Spec C, which both immediately highlighted how inert the Audi is.

Sure, the Audi is faster, but the Imprezas put a smile on your face that the RS3 could only dream of. In fact, I’ll go so far as to say that the GC8 was possibly the most fun I’ve ever had in a car, although that’s the kind of bold statement I’m going to have to revisit in more depth another time. The things we have to do for the readers on PistonHeads, honestly. 

Nevertheless, as a daily proposition, I don’t feel too short-changed. For flying under the radar, picking up the kids from nursery without raising an eyebrow yet still being able to hurl down a B road with that five-pot sound track reverberating around you, the RS3 is hard to beat as an epic all-rounder. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a space in the garage firmly reserved for another Subaru one day (there is) but I’m definitely not crying myself to sleep. 

While the practical upgrade from a three-door Renault to a five-door Audi has been great for driving the kids around, I have struggled to pack in everything I’d like to for Sunday Services since the mighty Duster went back. Just when I was starting to think I might need to change to an estate for more space to pack in even more merchandise and equipment, our friends at Thule hooked us up with a set of WingBar Edge roof rails and a Motion 3 roof box.

So you have them to thank for even more flags and a wider range of merch at events. There’s only a small amount of wind noise cruising on the motorway and I didn’t notice any impact on fuel economy, so it seems like a win-win. Plus, roof boxes on hot hatches just look cool, don’t they? Uprated suspension parts definitely do, and these have been piling up since Black Friday. I’ve finally pulled my finger out to book in with Charles Gates Racing to get them all fitted, so I look forward to updating you on that next time. Oh, and it passed the MOT with flying colours too.

Car: 2012 Audi RS3
Run by: Ben Lowden
On fleet since: September 2023
Mileage: 67,395
Modifications: Milltek non-resonated exhaust system, EBC Yellow Stuff brake pads