There’s always more to learn about driving, especially when you’re sitting behind the wheel of something wearing Audi’s RS badge. Late in 2024, just before the festive rush kicked in, Audi invited the media to sample its Audi Driving Experience at the legendary Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit in South Africa. It wasn’t just a day of loud engines and fast laps. It was a rare opportunity to explore how modern performance cars behave when pushed to their limits, and how Audi’s most extreme machines have evolved over four decades of RS heritage. The RS badge has now been around for more than 40 years, and while people joke that life begins at forty, what struck me most was just how broad the RS family has become.
These cars no longer fit into one neat box. They range from compact, playful sedans to fire-breathing V8 SUVs like the RSQ8 that share the same DNA with the Lamborghini Urus. Experiencing several of them in a single day made one thing clear: Audi isn’t chasing one definition of performance anymore — it’s offering many. At Kyalami, we focused on the fundamentals of driver training — high-speed braking, obstacle avoidance, cornering lines, and weight transfer — the things that let you really feel what a car is doing beneath you. But layered over all of that was something else: the distinct personalities of each RS model. Every one of them delivered its own lesson, its own way of going fast.
Audi RS3
The Most Playful RS (401 Horsepower)
If there was a hero of the day, it was the Audi RS3. Audi’s compact RS car may be the entry point into the lineup, but it never once felt like a watered-down experience. Powered by a 2.5-liter turbocharged five-cylinder producing just over 400 horsepower, it has a personality that’s impossible to ignore, and on track, it felt like a true “Pocket Rocket.” Its compact size and short wheelbase made it eager to change direction through Kyalami’s tighter sections. During the braking drills and cornering exercises, you could feel the Quattro system digging in as you powered out, giving you the confidence to push harder without constantly worrying about the rear stepping out.
While Audi has since rolled out a facelifted RS3 with sharper styling, a refreshed interior, and some fine-tuning to the chassis and torque-vectoring system, the heart of the car remains unchanged. My impressions come from the outgoing model, which is still one of the most engaging compact performance cars Audi has built. Inside, the RS3 keeps things focused rather than flashy, with a modern, tech-forward cabin that suits its driver-first personality. In the U.S., it sits at the bottom of Audi’s RS pricing ladder, competing with cars like the BMW M2 and the Mercedes-AMG CLA 45. What makes it special is the balance it strikes between chaos and control — wild when you want it to be, but never exhausting to live with.
Notable Features And Aspects
- The five-cylinder engine gives it a character no rival in this class can replicate.
- It feels small, light, and eager in a way the bigger RS cars simply can’t.
- It’s the RS that makes you want to go find the next corner instead of the next straight.
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Audi RS4 Avant
The Purist’s Performance Wagon (444 Horsepower)
The RS4 Avant approaches performance from a completely different angle. Where the RS3 is playful and loud, the RS4 is composed and deliberate. Powered by a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 producing around 444 horsepower, it blends serious pace with real-world practicality. We used the RS4 for learning the racing line around half the circuit, and it felt incredibly stable. There’s a planted, confident feel to the way it turns in and carries speed, which makes it ideal for building trust at higher velocities. It felt like a car that wanted to teach you how to drive properly.
The design reflects that purpose. It’s muscular without being flashy, and the wagon body gives it a sense of quiet confidence. Inside, the RS4 feels solid and well-built, with enough tech and luxury to remind you this is still a premium Audi. In the U.S., performance wagons remain a niche, but the RS4’s spiritual rivals include cars like the BMW M3 Touring (sold overseas) and the Mercedes-AMG C63 wagon in other markets. It’s for buyers who want something extraordinary without making a spectacle of it.
Notable Features And Aspects
- It delivers its speed with calm confidence rather than aggression.
- The wagon body gives it everyday usefulness without dulling the performance edge.
- It feels built for drivers who care about precision more than spectacle.
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Audi RS5 Sportback
The RS5 Sportback sits between the RS3 and RS4 in character, even though it shares its 444-horsepower twin-turbo V6 with the RS4. It’s sleeker, more polished, and more obviously styled as a performance luxury car rather than a hardcore tool. My hot lap in the RS5 was one of the highlights of the day. It felt fast, smooth, and controlled, delivering its power without ever feeling overwhelming.
It feels like the RS for drivers who want speed without stress. Inside, the RS5 leans more toward luxury. The materials, layout, and technology feel a step above the RS3, making it a more natural daily driver. In the U.S. market, the RS5 competes with cars like the BMW M4 and Mercedes-AMG C63. It’s for buyers who want serious performance, but also want to arrive at something that still feels elegant.
Notable Features And Aspects
- It blends serious pace with a more polished, luxury-leaning personality.
- The Sportback shape adds style without sacrificing real-world usability.
- It’s the RS that feels easiest to live with day to day.
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Audi RS6 Avant
The Modern RS Benchmark (591 Horsepower)
Even if you’ve never driven one, you know what the Audi RS6 is. It’s the car that turned performance wagons into internet legends. With a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 producing nearly 600 horsepower, it can match or even embarrass supercars in a straight line — all while still being able to carry a family and their luggage. It’s a big, heavy machine, but it’s also strangely beautiful in the way it delivers its power. That V8 is deeply addictive, and the RS6 carries its weight with far more confidence than you expect, even on track.
It will never feel as light or playful as the RS3, though, and if I’m being honest, it was the RS3 that stole my heart — simply because it felt ready for anything, anywhere. The RS6 looks as aggressive as it is capable, with flared arches, massive wheels, and a stance that makes it clear this is no ordinary wagon. Inside, it blends Audi luxury with RS sportiness, creating a space that feels both special and comfortable. In the U.S., rivals include the BMW M5 and Mercedes-AMG E63. But neither offers the same combination of speed and wagon practicality, which is precisely what makes the RS6 such a defining RS model.
Notable Features And Aspects
- The V8 delivers supercar acceleration in a family-friendly shape.
- It manages to feel both brutal and beautifully composed at the same time.
- Few cars in the world combine this much speed with this much practicality.
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Overlooked as families clamor for SUVs, modern wagons mirror core SUV strengths and, as these examples show, often add performance and efficiency.
Audi RS7 Sportback
Grand-Touring RS With Supercar Pace (591 Horsepower)
The Audi RS7 takes the RS6’s hardware and wraps it in a more dramatic, coupe-like body. It uses the same twin-turbo V8, but it feels more like a grand tourer than a family hauler. The RS7 is about presence as much as it is about performance. My heart still leans toward the RS6 — I’m a sucker for wagons — but I do appreciate the sleeker RS7. In many ways, they’re the same car, with the styling being the biggest differentiator.
The RS7 is sleek, imposing, and unmistakably expensive-looking. Inside, it leans heavily into luxury, making it the RS for people who want speed without sacrificing refinement. Its rivals include the BMW M8 Gran Coupe and Mercedes-AMG GT 63, but the RS7 stands out for blending supercar-level pace with true daily usability.
Notable Features And Aspects
- It carries the same firepower as the RS6 but in a sleeker, more dramatic package.
- The cabin leans more toward luxury than raw performance.
- It feels designed for drivers who want to go fast without shouting about it.
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Audi RSQ8
The Most Powerful Audi RS You Can Buy (631 Horsepower)
The Audi RSQ8 might be the most outrageous expression of Audi’s RS philosophy. Sharing its platform and much of its hardware with the Lamborghini Urus, it’s powered by a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 producing 631 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque. That’s enough to launch this full-size performance SUV from zero to 60 mph in around 3.6 seconds, a number that still feels absurd for something this tall and heavy. Taking it out for a brief drive after a full day of training was surreal. The launch control, the noise, the way it gathers speed — it’s a full-body adrenaline hit.
You’re constantly aware of the mass beneath you, yet the RSQ8‘s air suspension, active differentials, and Quattro system keep everything surprisingly controlled. It leans toward the firmer, more aggressive side of Audi’s performance tuning, which suits its character. It’s thirsty and unapologetically over the top, but it’s also more usable than you might expect. Compared to the Lamborghini Urus, it feels more restrained and better suited to everyday life, even though the performance is every bit as serious. In the U.S., rivals include the BMW XM and Mercedes-AMG GLE 63, but neither blends this level of brute force with Audi’s subtle, almost stealthy design in quite the same way.
Notable Features And Aspects
- It delivers supercar numbers in a full-size SUV body.
- The V8 and Quattro system makes something this big feel improbably quick and controlled.
- It’s outrageous in performance but surprisingly restrained in how it presents itself.
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What The RS badge Means Now
Driving these cars back-to-back made one thing clear: there is no single RS experience anymore. Each model serves a different type of performance buyer, from playful and compact to luxurious and dominant. What ties them all together is Audi’s ability to make huge performance feel approachable. Even on a racetrack, these cars never felt intimidating. They felt fast, capable, and — most importantly — trustworthy. That’s what the RS badge really stands for today. Not just speed, but confidence. And after reflecting on time spent at Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit, that confidence is exactly what stayed with me long after the noise faded.
Sources: Audi USA