Audi RS3 vs Volkswagen Golf R – evo Deadly Rivals

On paper, the Audi RS3 and Volkswagen Golf R are separated by quite a significant margin.

While both boast four driven wheels, dual-clutch transmissions and both hail from the Volkswagen Group, the Audi has an extra cylinder, half a litre of extra engine capacity, more power (362bhp versus 297bhp) and extra torque (343lb ft against 280lb ft).

Any comparison, then, should be a foregone conclusion – since both sit on the VW Group’s MQB platform, and we already like the Golf, the better car is clearly the brawnier Audi. Isn’t it?

That’s what evo Road Test Editor, Dan Prosser, aims to find out in our latest Deadly Rivals video.

He takes both cars to Bedford Autodrome to separate their finer driving characteristics, and find out whether the Audi’s heftier price tag and 100kg kerb weight penalty mean you’re still better off opting for the Golf – evo’s current four-wheel drive hot hatch favourite.

Some of the observations may surprise you, but will the Golf be able to claw back its power deficit on the track? Watch the video above to find out.