For some, the RS3 offers the perfect balance of hot hatchback styling. The basic A3 is a handsome car, if not dripping with visual intrigue, but Audi's RS trimmings add a welcome dose of aggression. It sits low to the ground, the wheels fill the arches to just the right degree, and a subtle bodykit brings out the best in the A3's uncomplicated shape.
Alternatively, you'll see it as deeply unimaginative, and viewed head-on you'd be hard pressed to separate the RS3 from an S Line-kitted A3, or indeed many of Audi's larger products. It should age well, however.
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The new Audi RS3 saloon, launched at the 2016 Paris motor show, is arguably the more handsome of the pair. The boot balances out the shape quite nicely and the wide arches look even better here than they do on the pumped-up hatchback.
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