Audi RS 3 Beats BMW M2 on Track: ‘It Defies Logic’

[Source: Driven+]

The BMW M2 has long been one of the benchmarks for compact performance cars, combining serious speed with the kind of playful rear-wheel-drive handling enthusiasts love. The Audi RS 3 has built an equally devoted following with its distinctive five-cylinder engine, quattro traction, and giant-killing performance. Put the two together on a racetrack and you have one of the more interesting performance-car matchups around. With the latest versions of both cars now quicker and more capable than ever, deciding which one is faster isn’t nearly as obvious as it might seem.

Driven+ recently posted a video on their YouTube channel that shows an Audi RS 3 and G87 BMW M2 together for a head-to-head track battle. On paper, the Audi looked like the underdog. Its turbocharged 2.5-liter five-cylinder produces 400 horsepower and 500 Nm (369 lb-ft) of torque, while the M2’s 3.0-liter S58 inline-six makes 480 horsepower and 600 Nm (443 lb-ft). The BMW is heavier, however, weighing 1,700 kilograms (3,748 pounds) compared with 1,565 kilograms (3,450 pounds) for the Audi.

The other major difference is how that power reaches the ground. The M2 is rear-wheel drive, while the RS 3 has quattro all-wheel drive and Audi’s RS Torque Splitter. As it turns out, that made for a very interesting fight.

The RS 3 Does More Than Win

The M2 initially established a best lap of 50.46 seconds. That’s plenty quick, and the driver praised its engine, brakes, handling and sheer fun factor. Cooler conditions and worn Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires also appeared to prevent the BMW from delivering its best possible performance. Then came the RS 3.

The Audi immediately impressed with its ability to rotate through corners and put its power down on exit. At one point, the driver marveled at being able to carry essentially neutral steering through a corner while applying power, calling what Audi had achieved with the car “incredible.”

Its first timed run produced a 50.00-second lap, already enough to beat the BMW. A second attempt dropped that to 49.88 seconds, giving the Audi a roughly six-tenths advantage. The reaction was even more impressive than the stopwatch. The RS 3’s handling received an 11 out of 10 and its fun factor a 12. Asked if it was really that good, the response was simple: “No, it’s better.”

“I can’t put into words how good this is,” the driver added. “It defies logic.”

This Isn’t the Old RS 3

Perhaps the most important takeaway isn’t that the Audi beat the BMW on this particular day. It’s what the test says about how far the RS 3 has evolved. The testers acknowledged that older RS 3s had a tendency to push into understeer, with the rear axle becoming involved too late to fundamentally change the car’s behavior. The current RS 3 is dramatically different. Its torque-vectoring capability helps rotate the car and allows the driver to get back onto the power earlier.

As the hosts pointed out, a few years ago it would have been difficult to imagine an RS 3 beating an M2 around a track. Now the Audi has done exactly that. The M2 remains a fantastic performance car, and different conditions or a faster circuit could produce a different result. But on this day, the 400-hp Audi didn’t just beat the 480-hp BMW. It left the people driving it wondering how Audi made an RS 3 this good.