In reply to docwyte :
Nope, I did not drive the Competition. Even though it might be worth it, comparable mileage, manual transmission Competition cars are about ~$8000 more expensive than the OG M2's. The fine folks at Car and Driver clocked the OG N55 M2 at o-60mph in 4.2 seconds, running the 1/4 mile in 12.7@113mph. By comparison, they clocked the S55 powered Competition at 3.9 seconds to 60mph, running the quarter in 12.4@114mph. $8000 is a lot of money for 3 tenths of a second and 1mph in additional trap speed, at least to me. It probably didn't help that the Competition gained around ~150 lbs, according to C&D's scales. It also appeared to lose the thigh support extensions in the seats, for some odd reason?!? It took 24 hours of negotiating and a lot of mental gymnastics to talk myself into getting an OG M2. I don't think I could have talked myself into spending an additional $8000+ for the Competition.
I've never driven the RS3, so I suppose I can't speak to it. However I have driven the TTRS, which, for all intents and purposes, is a similar car. I remember it being very fast and accelerating with a smooth, constant wave of torque. On paper, it seemed like a hell of a car. In real life, it left me cold. To be fair, when we drove it (probably about a year ago?), we drove it on the same day we drove a C5 Z06. My wife and I both agreed that the C5 Z06 was by far the more fun car, even if the TTRS was just as fast, if not faster at our elevation. When I told my wife that the TTRS was likely faster than the Z06 up here while driving it, she didn't believe me lol. She wasn't watching the rate of acceleration on the speed-o. There was just a lack of drama as the TTRS pulled seamlessly on what felt like a flat plateau of torque. It was so smooth that the sensation of speed didn't feel violent. Minus the limited small-coupe visibility, I'm sure it would have made a fine daily, but I didn't have as much fun in it as I was hoping for. I did like the 5 cylinder noises, though.
I've owned a MK6 GTI, a MK6 Golf R and a MK7 Golf R in the past (all manuals). The last VAG product I owned was my MK7 Golf R that I bought brand new in 2016 (MY2016). I kept it for a year, and then traded it in on a Focus RS (the Golf R was by far the better daily, but the Focus RS was WAY more fun!). I suspect my taste in cars has changed a bit over the years, as the last couple of MK8 GTI's I drove (one manual and one DSG) both left me cold, just like the TTRS. I respect how comfortable and seamlessly quick they are, but I don't find them to be engaging, so they turn me off. It also doesn't help that most of the MQB-based VAG chassis cars don't put my right knee into a comfortable position, which is a me problem, not a car problem. I would be curious to hear what you think about the RS3, if you get a chance to drive one, but I probably won't waste a salesman's time over a car I don't believe I would truly be interested in.
