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(2023) AUDI S3 vs AUDI S3 (2001)

BBC Top Gear UK

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June 2023

Two premium hot hatches, 20 years apart. So what's changed?

- TOM FORD

(2023) AUDI S3 vs AUDI S3 (2001)

THESE TWO THINGS ARE NOT THE SAME

Correct and yet... not. If you want an example of technological evolution without dismantling expectation, then look no further than the Audi S3. The original appeared in 1999 and featured quattro all-wheel drive, a turbocharged four-cylinder and the kind of Goldilocks format that meant it could operate as a rapid, practical daily. That's the subtle green one. The 2023 version, here in chirpy Miami blue, also has the same basics, but drive one immediately after the other and you'll be surprised at just how little the overall vibe has changed in 24 years.

OK, BUT IS THAT A GOOD THING?

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