- Went around the Ring in 7 minutes 40.747 seconds
- Benefits from torque splitter, semi-slicks, and RS sport suspension plus
Be it for the big ballistic machines, or small practical compacts – Nurburgring is an impartial crucible. Setting a lap time of 7 minutes 40.747 seconds, the recently revealed Audi RS3 has dethroned the Renault Megane RS Trophy R by an impressive margin of 4.64 seconds in the compact class.
Racing and development driver, Frank Stippler was at the helm of the RS3 saloon which went around the 20.8kilometre loop. The newly introduced 'torque splitter' is supposedly the party piece on the new record braking baby RS sedan. Before the record-setting lap, Stippler's team only adjusted the tyre pressure in the Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R semi-slicks to the track conditions. These slicks are optional fitment on the road-going version of the RS3 though.
Audi believes credit for the lap record goes to the torque splitter which distributes torque flexibly between the rear wheels – controlled via a multiple disc clutch on each of the drive shafts. During dynamic driving, it increases the drive torque to the outer rear wheel with the higher wheel load. This means that on right turns, there is more torque on the left rear wheel and the opposite on left turns.
According to Stippler, the torque splitter ensures the most neutral handling possible with little oversteering or understeering in different driving situations thus enabling early acceleration possible upon exiting a curve, ensuing faster lap times.
Apart from the optional Pirelli semi-slicks, the record braking RS3 was riding with the 19-inch ceramic braking system, and the RS sport suspension plus with adaptive damper control. The latter individually and continuously adjusts each shock absorber to the road conditions, the driving situation, and the mode selected in Audi drive select. And the RS Performance mode is equipped with two setups for different racetracks.
We reckon Audi India will introduce this baby RS in India as well following the trail of the RS5 and other RS models like RS Q8 and RS7 Sportback. But we’ll have to wait for the standard A3 to arrive on our shores first.