Audi is Q-car royalty. While it’s easy to think of the fast ones as bright green RS3s and overly carbon-fibred R8s, the S6 and S8 remain in the lineup as well (for now, at least). Both will offer towering performance, either from a V6 diesel or turbo V8, without drawing very much attention at all. Just how we like them. As the RS cars have (perhaps inevitably) become a bit shoutier over time, it’s reassuring to see S models pretty much like they always have been. All Audi needs to make now is a performance derivative that drives as well as an RS and looks like an S…
The modest-looking but mightily fast Audi has a long and illustrious history, of course, all the way back to the V8 of 1988. Talk about hiding a 4.2-litre light under an ordinary saloon bushel. The first RS4 probably counts, too, when not painted yellow, and similarly the original RS6. The D2 S8 and V8-engined S4 were masters of the genre: almost 350hp from stonking V8s that could have been any other Audi saloons. Genius. Shout out, too, to the first S5 for doing much the same thing, before the RS5 came along in a rather more rabble-rousing fashion. There’s a case to be made for all of them, of course, though even as the more affordable fast Audis they’re still not exactly cheap. So here’s something to consider. A 155mph Audi quattro that’s rare, will sound fantastic, looks innocuous to the point of unnoticeable, and could probably be bought for £5k. Interesting right? Welcome the A3 3.2.
The V6 S3 was always a rare car; it lacked the kudos of an ‘S’ badge that would follow a couple of years later (on an arguably more handsome, definitely better-to-drive hot hatch), and there was the VW Golf R32 to think about as well. Which was basically the same experience, again probably in more stylish attire, for similar (or probably less) outlay. But that was 20 years ago; the R32 has gone onto cult status, with the values to reflect it, while the Audi equivalent with that rousing V6 has been largely forgotten about.
And would you just look at this spec? Wheels that could have come off a 2.0 TDI, cloth with wood (!) inside, five doors, clear glass, and not even a badge on the back to give the game away. The twin exhausts aren’t anything special, either, and are familiar from other A3s - as is the quattro badge in the grille. The only thing that would give the game away is the growl from that modest pair of pipes. Perfect. As a 2008 example, too, it must be one of the last.
This is a DSG car (a £1,400 option back in the day), which might put some off, though there are very few manuals at all. And besides, there’s plenty to be encouraged by elsewhere, as this A3 3.2 wears its six-figure mileage very well indeed. Those tiny wheels and plump tyres (at least one of which is a Pirelli) look in good order, the silver paint is still sharp and the interior is a real treat: the font hasn’t worn off switches, the bolsters have held up well, and there are no nasty blemishes to the wood. You sense the two previous owners were really invested in keeping a niche spec as good as it could be.
It’s a shame the advert doesn’t provide any more detail (for the moment), though most of what you need to know will be in the images. Either a 3.2-litre A3 that looks like one with an engine half the size is absolutely brilliant, or completely daft. It’ll never be a driver’s car, and it’ll cost a lot to run, but then it is also only £5,995. For the speed and the sound and the spec of Q-car dreams, it’s hard not to be suddenly enamoured.
SPECIFICATION | AUDI A3 3.2
Engine: 3,189cc V6
Transmission: 6-speed dual-clutch auto, all-wheel drive
Power (hp): 250@6,300rpm
Torque (lb ft): 236@2,800rpm
0-62mph: 6.5 sec
Top speed: 155mph
MPG: 28.3mpg (NEDC combined)
CO2: 230g/km
Year registered: 2008
Recorded mileage: 117,005
Price new: £24,360 (2003)
Yours for: £5,990
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