Audi has pulled the curtain on the brand new S3 Sportback and S3 Limousine. A good moment to take a closer look at the market for used S3s and to highlight a number of interesting examples.
Audi S3 (8L, 2000) – € 5,950
Forget the busy and perhaps a bit garish lines of the current A3: it once started so wonderfully subtle. The first generation of the Audi A3 was very happy, where a sporty version, despite the clear exterior decoration, could still come out a bit surprising. After all, this S3 from 2000 does not shout that it is secretly very fast. And rap, he sure is. The famous blown 1.8 twenty-valve stomp out 210 hp and let that loose on, how could it be otherwise, all four wheels. With this, this S3 shoots to 100 km / h in 6.9 seconds and it accelerates to 238 km / h. Although there was no RS3 of this generation, this S3 is not the ‘top of the bill’. After all, from 2001, the S3 became even more powerful: 225 hp, with which 0.3 seconds faster on the counter was 100 km / h. The top speed was also slightly higher at 243 km / h.
Audi S3 (8P, 2009) – € 17,545
The second generation of the A3 was a textbook example of how Audi sometimes puts a design down, only to then introduce an almost endless stretch with subtle changes over the course of its life. In the meantime, this S3 from 2009 shows that it is an older car, but it still looks quite fresh. This is the first real S3 as a subtopper, because of this generation the first RS3 appeared a year later. You won’t be short of anything with the S3; the (by the way certainly not waterproof) 2.0 TFSI fires 265 hp at the wheels, via the six-speed S Tronic automatic transmission. Good for a 0-100 sprint that is over in 5.7 seconds. As usual, the top speed was limited to 250 km / h.
Audi S3 Sportback (8V, 2013) – € 23,850
The recently retired third generation of the A3 eventually settled with the three-door version. The five-door, the Sportback, turned out to be by far the most popular variant. It is therefore not surprising that this generation mainly sells S3s such as Sportback. Then you can of course go for a black or a white one, but then you are still a bit anonymous despite the fact that it is a delicious crack sample. No, take this blue one. A chic yet sporty color, fortunately also neatly accompanied by chrome accents. Not a black-accented version, as seems to be the ‘taste’ these days. 300 horsepower in the nose, to 100 km / h in 5.3 seconds and go with that bite. Incidentally, it was imported from Switzerland by the first owner. He will probably have had a very expensive fine on the mat there, because the government does not like these kinds of speed demons there.
Audi S3 Cabriolet (8V, 2015) – € 33,950
These days it is not tolerable in terms of heat, so the searches sometimes want to focus on open cars. Fortunately, the S3 was also available as a Cabriolet from the last generation! It should be your thing, but this color combination of a purple exterior and a light leather interior is quite stylish, right? Let’s just say something different. Just take that fabric hood down and get some fresh air. Just hope that some of your haircut remains when you let go of the 300 horses. The windshield behind your head should help you with that.
Audi S3 Limousine (8V, 2016) – € 35,950
Audi did not stick to the Sportback and Cabriolet with the outgoing S3, because the Limousine was also available as S3. For those who like a butt on their fast A3 just a bit more beautiful. To be honest, the Sportback is of course more practical, but as an S3 such an A3 sedan looks nice too. Compared to the two previous S3s, this one is a bit more ‘standard’ to see, with its black paint and black leather interior, but maybe that is exactly your taste. In any case, it looks tight and there is a chance that – even if the wheels do reveal it to some extent – some people will slap backwards when they see that you can accelerate to 100 km / h in 5.3 seconds. After all, it has the 310 hp version of the 2.0 TFSI under the hood, because it dates from after the facelift of 2016. It is also the most expensive car on this list, but that should not be a surprise given its mileage and year of manufacture. .