Audi RS3 vs Ferrari Roma

What's the difference?

If conventionally powered cars really are on the endangered list, it’s vehicles like the Audi RS3 that will remind us what we’ve lost. There’s so much fun to be had in this car, that you really need to take it to a track to tap into it safely and responsibly. And there’s the rub.

While there’s no doubting the RS3’s potential, neither is there any doubt that the driveline absolutely dominates the experience. In fact, we reckon the S3 with its more modest (but still ample) performance and friendlier nature is probably the smarter car for the everyday. It’s also cheaper by about $20,000 and while it lacks the aggressive looks, it’s still a charming car. Perhaps all the more charming for its easier-going nature and balance of abilities.

So why buy the RS3? Because it’s the one that will keep you entertained for longer if you’re a serious enthusiast driver. But if you don’t plan to use the car for track days, there’s a strong argument that the RS3 is way more car than you’ll ever need. Of course, that sentiment never stopped performance-car lovers, did it?

The Ferrari Roma is like a trained assassin in a Zegna suit - capable and clinical yet stylish and effortlessly superior. We believe there’s a replacement coming later this year and it will have to be doing well to top this superb machine.

While the overall shape of the RS3 suggests evolution rather than revolution, the RS3 treatment has led to a much sportier look. We still reckon the sedan is the pick of the two body styles, mainly because it looks a bit more aggressive. Certainly, though, an aggressive look is not something either version backs away from, and those deep, wide blacked-out honeycomb grilles front and rear give the thing lots of presence.

So too do the blistered fenders, allowing for the extra track width that gives the RS3 its unique footprint. The front track itself is 30mm wider, but the wider fenders also gave Audi the chance to do some creative aero-management. Unlike, say, the Toyota Supra, for instance, with its faux vents up each side, the RS3’s lower-front vents and aero-slits behind each front fender are fully functional, directing air into the engine bay and away from the brakes respectively.

Another really neat function is the LED daytime running lights’ one-act play when you unlock the doors. As the car unlocks its doors, the LEDs spell out `R’, `S’ and `3’in sequence. Blink and you’ll miss it, but it’s a lovely touch that some manufacturers will never understand.

If you’re looking for a flash Fazza with spoilers and vents at all points of the body, you’ve come to the wrong coupe.

The Roma is a subtle, beautifully balanced and delicately detailed two-door inspired by all-time Ferrari classics like the 250 GT Lusso and 275 GTB.

Its proportions are impeccable with complex curves and sweeping lines combining to produce an exquisitely pure shape.

Slimline LED headlights are divided by horizontal DRL strips, the broad bonnet incorporates a quietly muscular power bulge and the minimalist ’egg crate’ grille sits below a sharply chiseled nose.  

I’m a particular fan of the split wedge-shaped tail-lights, seamlessly incorporated into the upper deck of the rounded rear end. The active rear spoiler is also neatly hidden away in the leading edge of the boot lid. No shoutiness here, even the exterior badges are works of art.

Crack open the bonnet and the engine sparkles like a jewel in a display case. Scarlet red crackle finish on the intake plenums and cam covers make it pop like a firecracker. 

The interior follows a dual cockpit theme with twin curved sections divided by a flying buttress style console between them housing the gear selection gate and central media screen.

Flashes of carbon-fibre and chromed alloy add a touch of overt raciness, Alcantara on the dash and doors echoes the ‘mouse fur’ of Ferraris past and the contrast stitching around the cabin is flawless. 

The sleek front seats feel as good as they look, the typography of the Roma badge on the passenger side of the dash is super cool, and overall the interior is snug and ultra classy. 

Like the rest of the Audi A-series range, the RS3 is available in two body styles, a five-door hatchback and a four-door sedan. The five-door hatchback layout is the most practical of the two RS3 layouts, but both feature plenty of front-seat space and a rear seat that folds 40:20:40. 

Paddle shifters are mounted on the steering wheel rather than the column, so they move with the wheel. That can make it difficult to select the correct paddle in a hurry with lots of lock applied.

The Drive modes are operated by a switch low down on the centre-stack that is clearly designed for left-hand-drive cars. It’s too far from the driver and needs to be cycled through in one direction, rather than being able to select the next mode or the previous one.

Beyond that, the interior is a lesson to other car-makers on how to get an interior right. There’s a quality look and feel with the possible exception of the plastic trim below the passenger-side air-vents which looks and feels a bit cheap. There are plenty of cup-holders and cubbies around the cabin with two USB plugs in the front and two in the rear (for charging).

The RS3 loses some space compared to the regular A3 because of the performance hardware. Where the hatch can take 282 litres with all seats in place (1104L with second row stowed), the sedan can swallow 321 litres.

At close to 4.7m long, the Roma isn’t compact but its supercar stance comes courtesy of a close to 2.0m width and low-riding 1.3m height (with a 2670mm wheelbase).

The cabin is cozy, as intended, but at 183cm I still have ample headroom in the front. The rear is a different story with the two ‘+2’ seats serving as occasional emergency spots only or a handy option for smaller kids.

For storage there are slim but long pockets in the doors, a surprisingly generous glove box, a wireless charging pad under the centre console, phone-size slits on either side of that console, a single cupholder between the front seats with a lidded box (containing 12V and USB-A outlets) behind it.

There’s a recess for oddments on the transmission tunnel between the rear seats, and armrests either side in the back.

The boot holds 272 litres, which is enough for several soft bags, rising to 345 litres with the 50/50 split-folding rear seatbacks lowered. There are tie-down anchors, which is handy but be aware there’s no spare, only a repair/inflator kit.

Overall, not exactly SUV-like in terms of day-to-day practicality but at least on par with its key competitors.

At $453,000 before on-road costs, the Roma Coupe lines up almost directly with a trio of well-credentialled, well-equipped and ultra-fast 2+2 supercars - the Aston Martin DB12 ($455,000), Maserati GranTurismo Trofeo ($450,000) and Porsche 911 GT3 ($446,700). 

If you prefer a roofless experience, the Roma Spider convertible will set you back $520,300 (BOC).

And as you’d expect, the standard features list is impressive; the options list even more so.

Aside from the safety and performance tech covered a little later, highlights include 18-way power front seats, full-grain Frau leather trim, eight-speaker JBL audio (with digital radio), dual zone climate control, an 8.4-inch hi-definition central media display, a 16-inch (highly) configurable instrument cluster, adaptive cruise control and 20-inch forged alloy rims.

There’s also LED exterior lighting (including auto dusk-sensing headlights), Android Auto/Apple CarPlay connectivity, rain-sensing wipers and built-in nav, as well as Alcantara, chromed aluminium and carbon-fibre trim details. There’s more, but you get the idea.

And when it comes to options, the sky’s the limit with the likes of carbon-fibre everything, beefier audio as well as custom colour and trim options available through Ferrari’s ‘Tailor Made’ and ‘Special Equipment’ programs.

One popular addition is an 8.8-inch HD touchscreen for the front passenger (co-pilot?) displaying data on the car’s performance and status as well as allowing selection of music, sat-nav info and climate functions. Super cool and it will set you back $9500.

While the five-cylinder engine is more or less a carry-over from the previous RS3 model, the end result is still a pretty stunning one. With 2.5 litres of capacity, the turbocharged unit accounts for 294kW of power (the same as the previous model) and 500Nm of torque (up 20Nm).

The transmission is a seven-speed dual-clutch unit that is quite a familiar sight around Audi by now, and the all-wheel-drive system uses a centre differential with an electronic clutch-pack on each rear axle to give the car a Drift mode (although Audi insists you don’t refer to it in those terms) as well as torque vectoring with the ability to shift 100 per cent of rear-axle torque to the either wheel to maximise grip.

There’s now also an RS-specific exhaust system with an active flap to increase or tame exhaust noise according to which drive model is selected. The drive modes themselves stretch form Comfort to Auto to Dynamic, altering shift points, gear-shift aggression, throttle response and suspension firmness as well as that exhaust flap.

Brakes are enormous 375mm front rotors with six-piston calipers, that hardware forcing the fitment of a 19-inch alloy wheel (specific to the RS3) for brake clearance.

Enzo Ferrari famously said “aerodynamics are for people who can’t build engines” and notwithstanding the fact the Roma is slippery in the wind tunnel (Cd .30), its front-mid mounted 3.9-litre turbo-petrol V8 engine would surely meet with il Commendatore’s approval.

Sending drive to the rear wheels via an eight-speed dual-clutch auto transmission, this all-alloy, 90-degree unit features dual twin-scroll turbos, a flat plane crank, dry sump lubrication, direct fuel-injection and a single-piece cast exhaust manifold to produce 456kW from 5750rpm to the 7500rpm rev ceiling, and 760Nm from 3000-5750rpm.

Worth noting its 'front-mid' placement as the entire block is positioned low down and behind the front axle centre line.

Audi’s official combined fuel consumption figure for this car is 8.3 litres per 100km. Obviously, start using all that power and torque and that figure will grow significantly. Based on that, the car emits 190 grams of CO2 per kilometre, and with the 55-litre tank (which looks a bit small on paper) the range should still be around 600km between fill-ups.

The only catch with that is the high-tech nature of the engine means it requires the more expensive, Premium ULP at the bowser.

The Roma’s official (WLTP) fuel consumption figure on the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle is 11.2L/100km, the 3.9-litre turbo-petrol V8 emitting 255g/km of CO2 in the process.

Not exactly miserly, but even with that engine begging to be revved we saw an average of 12.9L/100 over a combination of urban shuffling, twisting B-roads and some freeway running.

A start/stop function is standard and with an 80-litre fuel tank on board, the Roma’s theoretical range is around 715km, dropping to approximately 620km using our real-world number.

First impressions are that this is a typical Audi in the way it fits together beautifully and is made from quality materials. The ergonomics – particularly the virtual cockpit - are spot on and it even smells like an Audi. Noise is well suppressed, the controls feel quality and the front seats are comfy. But from there, the overarching view is dominated by that powerhouse of an engine.

This isn’t just a quick car, it’s actually brutal in the way it builds boost almost immediately and then hurls the car down the road. To be honest, it’s almost too much, and the way the RS3 reels in the horizon will leave some drivers ignoring other sensory inputs in order to keep up with the car. Brutality breeds brutality, too, and the subsequent steering and braking inputs required when the throttle is pinned will not always be the considered, gentle type; they’ll often be gut reactions.

Thankfully, the rest of the driveline and platform has the smarts to make all this work. There’s awesome grip from the Quattro all-wheel-drive system and the car stays flat and steers in a fast, neutral but pin-sharp way. The dual-clutch transmission feels perfect for the engine, too, with ultra-quick shifts that become more aggressive as you ramp up the drive modes. Ride quality is good but we reckon there’s less bandwidth in the various drive mode settings than exists in the same system fitted to the S3 model we drove a few months ago. While the latter offered a broad range of suspension firmness, the RS3 seems to be a bit of a prisoner of its own performance, with Audi leaning all the drive modes towards a firmer setting in the name of body control.

That’s supported by Audi’s decision to offer us some race-tack laps in the RS3 to safely explore its high-end tendencies. At this point, the car emerges as a proper track-day proposition, all that power and control blending into a car that loves being thrown around a circuit. Perhaps the front seats could do with a little more side bolstering at track-cornering speeds, but overall, it’s clear that the RS3’s brief does, indeed, include a degree of race-track use.

Press the PS (Partenza Sportiva) button on the console, slip the manettino control on the steering wheel into ‘Race’ mode, left-foot brake (hard) and floor the throttle. Wait for the PS light on the dash, keep the accelerator pinned and lift off the brake.

Ferrari says the Roma will then proceed to accelerate from zero to 100km/h in 3.4 seconds, and in the interests of a thorough assessment I may have found a quiet light commercial area near Maranello, replicated this procedure and validated the claim.

Yes, even at 1570kg, with 760Nm of pulling power available from 3000-5750rpm, the Roma is exceptionally fast in a straight line. And the twin-turbo V8 that’s been so reserved and docile around town lights up to deliver glorious engine noise and a characteristic exhaust howl.

A flat-plane crank arrangement often makes a vee engine lumpier than a more conventional cross-plane design, but it will rev hard and fast, and in this case the compact size of the Roma’s twin turbos enhances throttle response even further.

Speaking of the turbos, variable boost management helps to smooth acceleration while keeping an eye on fuel economy and despite the flat-plane configuration this engine is perfectly civilised.

A tall top (eighth) gear makes for easy cruising but the tight B-roads and lesser highways we spent most time on didn’t allow for any high autostrada speeds.

But how’s this for a flex? Ferrari says the active rear spoiler will stay in its low-drag position until the car hits 100km/h, then pushing through medium and high drag (135-degree) positions as speed rises. But… “over 300 km/h, the spoiler is always in MD mode because in such conditions it is preferable to have a more balanced car”.

Suspension is by double wishbones at the front with a multi-link set-up at the rear and twin solenoid (magnetic) adaptive dampers all around.

Rubber wrapping the 20-inch forged alloys is top-end Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S (245/35 fr / 285/35 rr) and front-to-rear weight distribution is 50/50.

What that all adds up to is a comfortable, responsive and deeply satisfying drive experience. In standard Ferrari fashion the dual-clutch transmission is rapid-fire perfection, the steering is light but accurate and feelsome, while the in-cabin ergonomics are superb.

Push as hard as you dare in tight, flowing corners and the car just continues to grip and bait you to try harder. And if you do give in and start to run out of talent the ‘Active Yaw Control’ and limited-slip ’E-diff’ will step in to imperceptibly save your bacon.

Moving the manettino through its five positions - ‘Wet’, ‘Comfort’, ‘Sport’, ‘Race’ & ‘ESC-Off’ rapidly transforms levels of ride comfort, steering, transmission and engine response. You can also set the ride to Comfort with other attributes dialled up to 11 for a cross-country sweet spot. 

And when it comes to slowing rather than going, the Brembo brake set-up is circuit ready with vented carbon ceramic rotors all around (390mm fr / 360mm rr) clamped by six-piston calipers at the front and four-piston units at the rear. They take a while to warm up, but never feel anything other than mega. 

No surprise, ANCAP and Euro NCAP have not assessed the Roma, but you could mount a solid case that the car’s high-level dynamic ability is its greatest active (crash avoidance) safety system. 

Over and above that there are the usual anti-lock brake, traction and stability control systems (the latter is Ferrari’s adjustable SSC ‘Side Slip Control’) as well as AEB (with vehicle and cyclist detection), adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, lane departure warning, blind-spot monitoring and traffic sign recognition plus front and rear parking sensors.

Also worth calling out ‘FDE’ (Ferrari Dynamic Enhancer) which works in parallel with the SSC to help modulate lateral movement in extreme circumstances.

If a crash is unavoidable there are four airbags - dual front and dual side front (head). That’s an acceptable count in a 2+2 coupe, but it would be nice to see a front centre bag.

Service intervals for the RS3 are every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first. Audi offers capped-price servicing for the RS3 at $3580 which covers servicing costs for the first five years.

The car is covered by Audi’s five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty. The vehicle is also protected against body-rust perforation for 12 years.

As the name implies, Ferrari’s ‘7-Year Genuine Maintenance’ program means you won’t have to worry about servicing costs for the first seven years of ownership. Everything from labour and parts to lubricants and brake fluid is included in the free-of-charge package.

For reference, maintenance is recommended every 12 months/20,000km, which is a healthy distance and roadside assistance is complimentary for the first 12 months. 

Warranty cover is three years/unlimited kilometres, which trails the mainstream market but matches high-end competitors like Aston Martin, Lamborghini, McLaren and Porsche.