### Audi RS3 Rallying Chassis: A Tale of Two Cars Imagine a car that's been stripped of its safety nets, left to its own devices on a slippery slope. The Audi RS3, with its reputation for precision and performance, is no stranger to the world of rally racing. However, when the going gets tough, the tough get going – or in this case, the RS3 gets its anti-lock braking system and stability control yanked out from under it. Behind the wheel of the RS3 at the Team O'Neil Rally School, instructor Wyatt Knox takes the car on a test drive, but it quickly becomes apparent that the RS3 is out of its element. The car's chassis, designed for the smooth, flowing roads of Europe, is ill-equipped to handle the rough, uneven terrain of a rally course. "Is the chassis designed for performance driving?" Knox asks himself. The answer, he concludes, ...
### Audi RS3 Rallying Chassis: A Tale of Two Cars
Imagine a car that’s been stripped of its safety nets, left to its own devices on a slippery slope. The Audi RS3, with its reputation for precision and performance, is no stranger to the world of rally racing. However, when the going gets tough, the tough get going – or in this case, the RS3 gets its anti-lock braking system and stability control yanked out from under it.
Behind the wheel of the RS3 at the Team O’Neil Rally School, instructor Wyatt Knox takes the car on a test drive, but it quickly becomes apparent that the RS3 is out of its element. The car’s chassis, designed for the smooth, flowing roads of Europe, is ill-equipped to handle the rough, uneven terrain of a rally course. “Is the chassis designed for performance driving?” Knox asks himself. The answer, he concludes, is a resounding “no.”
To get the RS3 to perform at its best in snow and ice conditions, Knox and his team pull the fuses for the car’s anti-lock braking system and stability control. But, as they soon discover, this drastic measure comes with its own set of consequences. The car’s electronically controlled all-wheel drive and suspension systems fail, leaving the RS3 to rely solely on its front wheels for traction.
The result is a car that’s both exhilarating and terrifying to drive. Knox takes the RS3 on a series of drifts on the icy skid pad, but the car’s lack of traction and stability make it a wild ride. “It’s like the car is saying, ‘Hey, I’m not sure what’s going on here,'” Knox jokes. “I’m trying to correct it, but it’s not having it.”
In the end, Knox and his team are forced to put the fuses back in and deal with the driver assist electronics, which reine in the RS3’s wild behavior. It’s a sobering reminder that, while the RS3 is an incredible machine, it’s not invincible. And when it comes to rally racing, where the roads are rough and the conditions are unpredictable, the RS3’s limitations become painfully apparent.
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