Topic: First Drive: 2015 Audi S3

[sailor723]

No Manual Trans = NO BUSINESS FROM ME ..... Looks like I am going after the TL SHAWD 6MT....

Don't do that....I hear those Acura's squeak and rattle a lot. 

[Fobroader]

No Manual Trans = NO BUSINESS FROM ME ..... Looks like I am going after the TL SHAWD 6MT....

Don't do that....I hear those Acura's squeak and rattle a lot. 

Bwahahahahaha....I mean...that's not nice

Sent from my Galaxy S3

[mixmanmash]

Sounds like they took a trick out of Toyota's hat by having both direct and port fuel injection.  Besides the benefits listed in the article, it should solve any concerns people may have in regards to carbon buildup in DI engines.

interesting (carbon build-up)...this morning on the way into work, i had to "give-er" to get ahead and into the other lane so some enthusiastic acceleration was called on...there was a new Accord riding my tail too, so when i kept an eye on it in my rear-view mirror, i noticed what appeared to be some black smoke coming from my tail pipe...now, it could have been some dusty stuff from the road i suppose, but my gut feeling was my car belched out some carbon when i floored it...is that bad, or is it just cleaning out the combustion chamber (so, perhaps it is good to do that once in a while)??...the RPMs got up to about 6k, so the VTEC was kickin in yo (sorry, had to add that last part  ).

Lol.  Not sure why it would do that on your listed vehicles.  My guess is it decided to run rich momentarily.

Now, if it truly was a Honda VTEC that belched out some black under full throttle, that's pretty normal.  Honda seems to setup the ECU to run pretty rich in VTEC engagement.  At least it was this way on older VTEC engines.

[Northernridge]

Small, affordable, stylish, legit Euro sporting sedans…an emerging segment? Seems so.

Could the segment be the spiritual successor of the 3 Series?

^^
It can't be a spiritual successor to the 3 Series with front-wheel biased AWD and without a manual (however good the auto and AWD may be). Making it small and spartan and racking up the price is a good recipe for me to look elsewhere.
GTi R sounds like a bargain with much better interior.

I dunno…I was literally thinking spiritual and not mechanical successor. I think the next generation of enthusiasts could really take to these little front-wheel biased AWD sedans. Especially when they drive circles around their RWD counterparts.

[whaddaiknow]

Small, affordable, stylish, legit Euro sporting sedans…an emerging segment? Seems so.

Could the segment be the spiritual successor of the 3 Series?

^^
It can't be a spiritual successor to the 3 Series with front-wheel biased AWD and without a manual (however good the auto and AWD may be). Making it small and spartan and racking up the price is a good recipe for me to look elsewhere.
GTi R sounds like a bargain with much better interior.

I dunno…I was literally thinking spiritual and not mechanical successor. I think the next generation of enthusiasts could really take to these little front-wheel biased AWD sedans. Especially when they drive circles around their RWD counterparts.

The ATS fills those shoes both spiritually and mecahnically better than the S3, IMHO. I would personally choose the ATS 3.6 over the S3.

[JacobBlack]

Big points for GreenGs! Audi confirmed this morning to us by email, that pricing will begin at $44,000. The article has been updated.

Also, we'll get it Q3/Q4.

[JohnnyMac]

I could care less if they don't bring over the manual but would have liked to seen a hatch version. Although I do like the looks of the sedan as its a smaller S4. Would like to see both cars side by side.

here is a long wait though. Europe won’t get theirs until February 2014; expect Canada to be a little later. Pricing for that market has been announced at 40,000 Euros which converts to CDN$56,535.

Considering the S4 starts at $53K this will have to come in cheaper.

If you want this in a hatch version all you have to do is go to VW.  They'll be offering the Golf R which will have the same engine setup on the same platform.  It will probably be around the same price as the last one so high $30k's but probably will offer only the manual like old one.  Seems like the perfect car to me, especially since the last one was so good and the new one will have a bunch more power, better chassis, and lighter.

[dirtyjeffer]

Lol.  Not sure why it would do that on your listed vehicles.  My guess is it decided to run rich momentarily.

Now, if it truly was a Honda VTEC that belched out some black under full throttle, that's pretty normal.  Honda seems to setup the ECU to run pretty rich in VTEC engagement.  At least it was this way on older VTEC engines.

oh, running rich causes the carbon?

it isn't a Honda, it was my Rio5, but my Rio5 does have dual continuous variable valve timing (as do many other cars nowadays).

[JohnnyMac]

you know, i've been reading over and over again that audi can't make the business case for bringing the manual yet subaru, honda, toyota, acura etc all can afford to bring manuals.   esp when you consider that the s3 is aimed directly at the enthusiasts you would think this decision should be a no brainer in terms of building their brand.....by the way the sport back is coming but it's going to be a e-tron.

I'm guessing you haven't read that Porsche is considering changing all their 911's to automatics.  This from a company that prides itself as the leading sports car producer.  We all have to face it, automatics are going to take over in all segments and manuals are going to be hard to come by. 

[Snowman]

you know, i've been reading over and over again that audi can't make the business case for bringing the manual yet subaru, honda, toyota, acura etc all can afford to bring manuals.   esp when you consider that the s3 is aimed directly at the enthusiasts you would think this decision should be a no brainer in terms of building their brand.....by the way the sport back is coming but it's going to be a e-tron.

I'm guessing you haven't read that Porsche is considering changing all their 911's to automatics.  This from a company that prides itself as the leading sports car producer.  We all have to face it, automatics are going to take over in all segments and manuals are going to be hard to come by.

I have driven a PDK and I can understand why, its awesome. I have been driving manual cars for +30 years and love it but I can fully understand the desire to own the latest technology and advantage to PDK offers over an manual. I bet my next new car won't have a manual and I will get over it.

[Northernridge]

Seems like the faster/more powerful the car these days, the less likely it is to have a manual…or two-wheel drive. Or, oddly, to be light weight.

[Fobroader]

Seems like the faster/more powerful the car these days, the less likely it is to have a manual…or two-wheel drive. Or, oddly, to be light weight.

Thats very true, AMG mercs are the some of the most powerful vehicles out there, but they are all slowly going AWD and weigh as much as the island of Manhattan....saying that...I still want them  You also have to look at the demographics of whos buying the really fast, powerful hardware, its old(older) men that can afford them. Most of them cant be bothered to shift or have physical problems that prevents them from operating a clutch repeatedly in traffic.

[Solstice2006]

Big points for GreenGs! Audi confirmed this morning to us by email, that pricing will begin at $44,000. The article has been updated.

Also, we'll get it Q3/Q4.

It was quite obvious that the price was inaccurate, you can't convert euros to dollars ever.  He made a good educated guess.  Price between the GTI R, and the S4....

[dirtyjeffer]

I have driven a PDK and I can understand why, its awesome. I have been driving manual cars for +30 years and love it but I can fully understand the desire to own the latest technology and advantage to PDK offers over an manual. I bet my next new car won't have a manual and I will get over it.

the Euro spec TT-RS is available with a DCT (only manual is here)...despite giving up a little power (i think about 30HP), the DCT model is quicker, likely due to launch control.

[Snowman]

I have driven a PDK and I can understand why, its awesome. I have been driving manual cars for +30 years and love it but I can fully understand the desire to own the latest technology and advantage to PDK offers over an manual. I bet my next new car won't have a manual and I will get over it.

the Euro spec TT-RS is available with a DCT (only manual is here)...despite giving up a little power (i think about 30HP), the DCT model is quicker, likely due to launch control.

Yep, I might have gone for one it it was available here. They also have the TT-RS Plus that has the 360 hp and the DCT...that must be nuts.

[Fobroader]

I have driven a PDK and I can understand why, its awesome. I have been driving manual cars for +30 years and love it but I can fully understand the desire to own the latest technology and advantage to PDK offers over an manual. I bet my next new car won't have a manual and I will get over it.

the Euro spec TT-RS is available with a DCT (only manual is here)...despite giving up a little power (i think about 30HP), the DCT model is quicker, likely due to launch control.

Yep, I might have gone for one it it was available here. They also have the TT-RS Plus that has the 360 hp and the DCT...that must be nuts.

How does that DCT do with the launch control though?? The first gen Skyline was all fine and good till you used the launch control a few times and burnt the crap out of the clutch.

[tpl]

The 6 speed VW DSG does ok with launch control.  Two reasons I expect. 1) with only 200 bhp it can manage
2) with wet clutches they probably don't overheat. The 7 speed DSG does have problems with its dry clutches and from a couple of posts in here so does the Ford gearbox similarly.

As for the M3 DCT and the Porche PDK  I am sure that those manufacturers did some serious torture testing on those clutches.    I wonder about the DCT in my M-B.   I have no idea if it is wet or dry clutches and there is no launch control...although I'd bet a $$ that the CLA AMG does.

[Fobroader]

The 6 speed VW DSG does ok with launch control.  Two reasons I expect. 1) with only 200 bhp it can manage
2) with wet clutches they probably don't overheat. The 7 speed DSG does have problems with its dry clutches and from a couple of posts in here so does the Ford gearbox similarly.

As for the M3 DCT and the Porche PDK  I am sure that those manufacturers did some serious torture testing on those clutches.    I wonder about the DCT in my M-B.   I have no idea if it is wet or dry clutches and there is no launch control...although I'd bet a $$ that the CLA AMG does.

Well unless they are wet clutches, a dry clutch would be a hurting unit after launching a ~4000Lb car with 300+ horses, thats a lot of slippage. I have never looked into these DCT/PDK type of trannies, are they usually reliable?? I heard something about VW having an SB/TB on them and I know the Ford ones have a pile of consumer headaches.

[aquadorhj]

this thing looks almost exactly like an S4...  just a bit smaller..

i like it, and i might even be OK with automatic gearbox...  maybe if i made more money i would sign up for one...   

[Solstice2006]

I wonder if the A3 cabriolet will be more reliable than the VW EOS.... and it will be very interesting how the price it.  As the EOS goes from $39k to $46k, so if the S3 starts around $45k,  I don't think they will make it more than $48k considering it will have the A3 configuration but in convertible.  So will it steal sales from the slow selling EOS....  Are maybe the EOS will get discontinued?