Ok Ok Ok I know what you are thinking……...hairdresser car, yep what kind of man would own one of these, it's small so your mates will call you all sorts of names, but let me tell you something if your hairdresser pulls up in one of these he is going to be an angry bald guy that you probably don't want cutting your hair!
Thats right dont be fooled this car is an absolute machine, 295KW of total fun packed into about 15m2 , that's right the bald hairdressor has taste!
When I turned up to Continental Cars in Newmarket Auckland to collect our review car I had to wait for Nathan the senior sales person to come back from a delivery, so I spent 10 minutes wandering around the RS3 looking at the different angles and checking out the tyres and the wheels amongst other things. I took a close look at the Pirelli P Zeros that the car is shod with all round and noticed that there were a bigger size tyre 255s on the front and 235s on the rear. My first thought was opps someone has done a tyre swap front to rear and didn't realise that there were two different sizes on the car, this however is how Audi specs the car wider front tyres than rears, which is interesting and later on you will know why.
Nathan arrived and began to talk me through the details of the car, the first thing you notice when you are talking to the guys at Continental Cars is how passionate they are about the Audi brand and cars in general for that matter. He jumped in the car and fired it up for me, the smile on his face said it all, it was like it was the first time he had heard it start!
When you hear one of these cars start they sound like a race car, the exhaust crackles and pops like rice bubbles but way better.
After a bit of a overview I head off, as I accelerate out of Continental Cars I very quickly get the sense that this “hairdresser car” means business, a very light stab of the right pedal and I am at the speed limit of 50Kph. Audi quotes a launch control-assisted 0-100kph time of 4.1 seconds which is pretty quick.
In the seats you feel really comfortable, the front seats are nice and supportive without feeling like you are wedged in.
I wasn't really interested in listening to the stereo more the exhaust, but I did have a play round and the new Apple car play was awesome, easy to use and sounded great.
The dials and the dash are pure Audi, with the new digital display allowing you to choose what's important to you, I was keen to make sure that I had all the sports features ticked so I was running in dynamic mode which stiffens up the suspension, you can then configure the dash to your liking, with maps and if you are heading to the track even a lap counter!
Once you get out of the city and into the real New Zealand, where there are some of the finest winding roads around, you get to see just how much foresight the bald hairdresser really had.
This car turns into corners like its on rails, the larger size front tyres really make the car point, and it feels like it's being pulled into the corner. I am sure the Pirelli tyres and the 19 inch wheels are working hard but it's really quite something and you don't want to stop. Its almost to the point where you kind of want to stay off the main roads and just drive on back roads wherever you are heading.
At some point you have to find a gas station and then you actually realise you have to give it back, in one piece.
Overall this is one of the most exciting small cars that you can drive, it has power to burn, and will leave a lot behind you at the lights and those tight twisty back roads, but if you want to just amble around town it's got that covered as well.
Make sure you head down to Continental Cars in Newmarket and see the team as this little rocket is something you won't want to miss, I’m already missing it!.
