A powerful tool is software. In the correct hands, it can provide a lot of force with little effort. A simple $1,200 remap on this 2017 Audi RS3 resulted in an additional 100 horsepower and faster shifts, nearly matching its larger, more expensive sibling, the RS7 Performance.
The small Audi now produces 500 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque from its turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-five engine. That’s a significant increase over the 400 horsepower it produced standard, but it still falls far short of the output of the RS7, which has an untuned twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 engine producing 630 horsepower and 626 pound-feet of twist.
Both cars feature all-wheel drive, but they use distinct technologies. The RS3 features a transversely placed engine, whereas the RS7’s engine is longitudinally installed. The RS7 also weighs 1,223 pounds more, levelling the playing field between the two Audis.
While the RS7 won the first drag race, the RS3 won the second, culminating in a third run in which the RS7 secured its victory… but only by a small margin. The larger Audi finished the quarter-mile race in 11.3 seconds, with the modified RS3 following closely behind at 11.5 seconds.
Millions of lines of code keep everything functioning well, from the infotainment system to fuel delivery, and updated code might unlock new features. $1,200 isn’t cheap, but it’s a simple method to get more performance out of a car without having to break out the tools and install new hardware.
