MOTOR magazine Past Blast
Audi S3
Words: David Morley
Photos: John Cadogan
Traction teaser
With twin-turbocharged V6s and 253kW V8s all running a S prefix, it's tempting to think that any Audi starting with 'S' is going to be a real headbanger's delight. Most Audis to have their 'A' replaced with a 'S' really have been balltearers.
So how come the littlest S-type Audi, the S3, was so... um... tame?
Here you had the same platform as the VW Golf (more or less) and we all know about the new Golf GTI, right? Well, actually, if you cast your mind back to the previous generation Golf GTI IV that coincided with the Audi S3 of late 1999, you'll recall that it, too, was a bit watered down.
But hang on a minute; didn't the Audi have all-wheel-drive while the VW was a taildragger? Yes, it did, but while the badges said 'quattro', the reality was a fair bit different.
None of this, however, is to suggest that the S3 isn't a worthwhile performance car for those who are also looking for a bit of prestige or comfort, and there's a good case for the S3 to be made on that basis. So what are you buying?
Okay, the S3 is, obviously, based on the Audi A3, which came along at a time when the Europeans were thinking long and hard about smaller cars than the mid-sizers they currently had corralled.
BMW gave us the truncated 3-Series-derived Compact and Mercedes-Benz the A-Class. Meanwhile, Audi jumped into bed with VW and pumped out the A3.
In its most basic form, it was a 1.6-litre front-driver with good build quality and a clean, smooth, classy look. But it wouldn't have tugged the skin off a rice pudding. A much better idea was the 92kW 1.8-litre version, with its five-valve engine lifted from the A4. It was still front-drive only, though, and while it was entertaining, it still wasn't exactly a stirring drive.
Which left the S3 with its turbocharged version of the five-valver cranking out 154kW, a six-speed manual 'box and all-wheel-drive suggesting that this version should get the wrinkles out. All the basic A3 stuff was there; the tight feel of the body, the high standard of fit and finish and the good balance of ride over suspension control. But something was missing.
It certainly wasn't specific output. One-hundred-and-fifty-four kilowatts is not messing about from 1.8 litres and, as usual with this engine, it was smoother than a baby's and wanted to rev like there was no tomorrow. It really was a sensational engine, and continues to serve Audi well.
The catch was that the S3 was a porky little bugger. Throw in the extra driveshafts, diff and the fact that it was a solid mother to begin with, and you were suddenly looking at the best part of 1400kg kerb weight. That lardiness combined with the engine's relative lack of bottom-end urge meant that you had to work it all pretty hard if you wanted to be home in time for the news.
While proper quattro involves driving all four wheels all the time, the S3 instead had an on-demand all-wheel-drive system. The set-up worked via an electronically controlled multi-plate wet clutch that was positioned between the gearbox's rear output shaft and the rear diff. As slip at the front wheels was detected by sensors, the computer gave the instruction to clamp the clutch together more firmly and send drive to the rear end.
When grip returned at the front, the brain backed off the hydraulic pressure, the clutch relaxed and very little torque went south. Audi reckoned that the shift in torque bias happened within 45-degrees of a turn of a front driveshaft. But no matter what anyone tells you, the reality is that the system was reactive rather than active. And even if it did funnel the torque to the back wheels in a hurry, it could only do so after the fronts had started to slip. It was a delay you could feel through the driver's seat.
Even when you were pumping max torque to the rears, the S3 was still primarily an understeerer. No surprises there, and even Audis with real quattro set-ups have generally been disappointing on a racetrack. But unlike those quattros, the S3's system was a disappointment on the road, too.
Are we being a bit harsh here? Maybe, because there was actually a lot to like about the S3, provided you weren't wanting a complete sports tool. Standard equipment levels were good, safety equipment was up there with the best of them and the basic A3 was probably about the world's best small car at the time. All of which just makes it a shame that the S3 wasn't the full enchilada.
If that hasn't put you off, then there are a few things you need to watch for when buying an S3.
The S3 needs its cam-belt changed at the appropriate interval. We've heard of a few five-valve Audi engines snapping their cam-belts and when they do, it's usually curtains for the rest of the engine as the pistons get all cosy with the valves. Check the maintenance records and if in any doubt, have the belt changed as a precaution. It's not a cheap or simple job, but it's a whole lot simpler and cheaper than replacing an engine.
The coil packs on the 1.8-litre engine weren't without their problems, either. There are four of them and replacement is the only fix if they give up the ghost.
Stick your head under the vehicle and check the gearbox very closely for leaks. They're not prone to it, but the experts reckon that a 'box that has started to leak is possibly on the way out. A knock through the steering can indicate a worn rack.
Some very early cars had rear ball-joints dying young, but these should've been fixed by now.
AUDI S3
FAST FACTS
BODY three-door hatch
DRIVE all-wheel
ENGINE front-mounted 1.8-litre 20-valve DOHC turbocharged and intercooled inline four
POWER 154kW @ 5800rpm
TORQUE 270Nm @ 2100rpm
COMPRESSION RATIO 9.0:1
BORE X STROKE 81.0 x 86.4mm
KERB WEIGHT 1400kg
WEIGHT/POWER 9.09kg/kW
TRANSMISSION six-speed manual
SUSPENSION struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar (f); double wishbones, coil springs, anti-roll bar (r)
LENGTH/WIDTH/HEIGHT
4159/1848/1415mm
WHEELBASE 2519mm
TRACK 1527mm (f); 1503mm (r)
BRAKES 312mm ventilated discs, (f); 256mm ventilated discs (r) ABS
WHEELS 17 x 7.5-inch alloy
TYRES Pirelli P6000 225/45 ZR17
FUEL 50 litres, PULP
PRICE $69,900 (Feb 2000)
EMMACHIZZIT?
These things are still relatively expensive (at about $70k new they were always pricey) but that's the price you pay for a European badge and the cachet of an Audi model beginning with S. While there's the odd cheapie out there for around the mid-30s, the real good stuff starts at around $40k and goes up from there.
WHAT ELSE COULD YOU BUY?
If it's Euro hot-hatch you need to get your blood pumping then we reckon a brand-new VW Golf GTI at 40 grand is a good deal (even though you'll have to join a six-month queue for a factory-fresh one), and is more fun into the bargain. Your call, though.
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