2023 Audi RS 3, BMW M2 Battle It Out for Small Performance Car Glory
The brand new BMW M2 may be significantly more powerful, but it’s also less satisfying than the 2023 Audi RS 3.
These days, we live in what one could call the golden age of automotive performance, a time when one can buy all sorts of fast machines. This list covers the entire spectrum of vehicle types, whether we’re talking about traditional high-performance muscle cars and exotics all the way up to pickup trucks and large SUVs, and pretty much everything in between. Those seeking a small performance car with a bit of luxury also have some fantastic vehicles to choose from, with the 2023 Audi RS 3 and BMW M2 being among the best of the best, which is precisely why Throttle House pitted them against each other in a number of ways recently.
The BMW M2 has the benefit of being completely new, following a full redesign for the 2-Series on which it’s based. It’s powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six developing 453 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque, which flows to the rear wheels via either a six-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic transmission. Right off the bat, Throttle House notes that the manual “feels cumbersome” and the automatic “is dim-witted half the time,” which isn’t a good start.
In the other lane, we have the 2023 Audi RS 3, which takes a different approach with its turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-five that sends 401 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque to all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. It tips the scales at around 3,600 pounds, however, which is notably less than the M2’s curb weight of just over 3,800 – quite interesting given the fact that the latter model doesn’t have to deal with the extra weight that AWD components add.
TH notes that the 2023 Audi RS 3 is a “much more rewarding drive,” but aside from simple driving pleasure, what matters here is how the two stack up in terms of performance. To answer that question, we start out with a series of drag races, which the Audi kicks off with a win thanks to its massive traction advantage. In a roll race, the M2 uses its power advantage to motor ahead and take the win in that style of straight line test, though the car is clearly a bit more difficult to drive in that manner, too.
Out on the track, the RS3 managed a best lap time of 1:11.93, making it the 12th quickest car TH has tested to date, while the M2 wasn’t terribly far ahead at 1:11.19 – quite impressive given the fact that the Audi is down significantly in terms of output. At the end of the day, our hosts reveal that they would still buy the RS3 over the current-gen M2, which has seemingly taken a step back from generation-to-generation – bad news for BMW fans, indeed.
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