MTM S3 Clubsport: Will the 528 hp Kraftmayer beat the Audi RS 3?

Lots of lateral support, little comfort: the two Recaro Podium carbon shells with little padding cost 9,900 euros.

And Mayer wants to counter that with a pimped-up S3? When the S3 Sportback only staggered around the ring in 1:40 minutes? Six seconds faster than the series? How is that supposed to work out? But: Such almost unsolvable tasks are exactly to the liking of the tuner.

Back seat out, roll cage in

Back to the yellow S3 Clubsport. As the name suggests, a lot has been gutted and finely ground here. The S3’s rear seat flew out, making way for a rather sprawling roll cage.

Back seat away, brackets in, makes 1536 kilos. By how much lighter than the series? The RS 3 weighs 1572, the S3 1590 kilos.

More pounds were lost with the two Recaro Podium carbon bucket seats, whose very efficient-looking upholstery matches the car’s exterior color.

Outside? Huge tail unit at the end of the roof, lower and harder with extreme coilovers, sports exhaust system in series optics. brakes? Instead of the 340 (FA) and 310 (RA) discs, 356 discs should now ensure better deceleration.

Wheels? As with the current RS3, 265 tires at the front and 245 at the rear, Michelin Cup 2 on 9.5 and 8.5 x 19 inch MTM Nardo rounds. And so that the wider rollers on the front axle have enough room to play, Mayer didn’t start widening the fenders as he used to, but installed the entire RS-3 front directly.

The exhaust system is similar to the series, but is significantly larger and offers a much more robust sound.

So far so good. But that gets you a maximum of three of the targeted six seconds on the RS 3. A little more power was clearly needed.

And anyone who now thinks that the standard 310 hp two-liter four-cylinder is already pretty exhausted is mistaken. Perhaps the turbocharger is at its maximum.

528 hp and 630 Nm

It doesn’t matter, Mayer tackles the engine from the ground up and changes the following: new supercharger with a reinforced core assembly, enlarged compressor and turbine wheel, cast compressor housing and reinforced thrust bearings.

In addition, a larger intercooler, modified air supply to the air filter box, modified shift program for DS transmission including increased clutch pressure and large-volume exhaust system with 150 mm steel catalytic converter and particle filter. Sounds like a lot, brings a lot? On the data sheet yes. 528 hp and 630 Newton meters are an announcement.

Similar handling as in the RS 3

At the start of the launch, you simply notice the lack of displacement, the explosive device does not detonate quite as violently as in the RS 3. The fact that the larger turbocharger is also down there with the music is proven by the seconds faster intermediate sprints in elasticity.

At the Sachsenring, the MTM S3 Clubsport is only seven tenths faster than the RS 3, but six seconds faster than the basic S3.

Let’s get down to what this S3 Clubsport was built for: the racetrack. Will it be possible to overtake the new RS 3? In the first corners, handling is similar to that of the RS 3, honest and yet not boring.

The Michelins seem to stick a bit better, with the chassis it is much more stable in the springs, responds more precisely, defines its limits more clearly, is neutral on train and offers easily controllable load change oversteer.

The performance comes into play in the two power sectors, including more speed. is that enough? It’s tight, but the goal is reached with a lead of almost seven tenths. But wait, Mayer is already working on the RS 3!