2013 Audi S3
- Thread starter Snake Pliskin
- Start date
davejinx
Registered User
Hi all,
Just wanted to say hello! Apparently, according to my profile, my last post on this site was "missing the s3.... 8th December 2008".
5 years ago seems like a long time.... Well, after a 5 year break, I've decided to order myself a new S3. Deposit is down, BMW goes tomorrow.... Then the long wait till March begins.... I'm still at the point of being able to tweak my spec (I can't actually decide what colour I want!).... but only for a couple more weeks!
Anyway, took out the 5 door a couple of days ago.... FUN
2 too many doors for me but still had a lot of fun on the Cornish backroads, even the officer of the law I passed 'at speed' gave me a grin!
Looking forward to seeing others reviews as their new cars are delivered & its nice to be back!
Cheers
Ivan
Just wanted to say hello! Apparently, according to my profile, my last post on this site was "missing the s3.... 8th December 2008".
5 years ago seems like a long time.... Well, after a 5 year break, I've decided to order myself a new S3. Deposit is down, BMW goes tomorrow.... Then the long wait till March begins.... I'm still at the point of being able to tweak my spec (I can't actually decide what colour I want!).... but only for a couple more weeks!
Anyway, took out the 5 door a couple of days ago.... FUN
2 too many doors for me but still had a lot of fun on the Cornish backroads, even the officer of the law I passed 'at speed' gave me a grin!Looking forward to seeing others reviews as their new cars are delivered & its nice to be back!
Cheers
Ivan
Silky-S3
Is loving his new 8V S3!
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Ladies and gents. Meet Panther Black.
Still not feeling it, even on the RS6!
the_lecht_rocks
Registered User
Silky-S3
Is loving his new 8V S3!
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paullowther
Registered User
LOL, this is what floats my boat:
I do like estoril, it was my initial choice.
What I found however is panther looks better in real life than the pictures and estoril looks better in pictures than real life.
paullowther
Registered User
the_lecht_rocks
Registered User
my original choice, but a bit pimp, whereas the panther with sports seats looks dark and moody...
paullowther
Registered User
Aha, I've still got lunar silver seats in mine. I did try and add the sports seats, but was a bit late.
Not too fussed as I think the contrast between dark out and light in will look good but yeah, if I could i'd have gone super sports.
You've managed to get that contrast by keeping the chrome whereas I went black styling.
Needed something somewhere to break up the car.
the_lecht_rocks
Registered User
yes, the chrome mated to the stitching on the super sport seats will break up the black well. Also, I'll be getting a nice alloy wheel for the winter treads, bit that's another story....
agreed re: estoril - I also think the colour is better suited to bigger cars like the rs6 that need "toning" down
paullowther
Registered User
Speaking of alloys, will the bigger alloys on the saloon fit straight into the hatchbacks without any other work required? I think the saloons are 19's!
the_lecht_rocks
Registered User
yes. Will run 35 section tyres though. Increase in turn in and connection but harsher ride quality (marginal).
paullowther
Registered User
That could well be an option for me then. I do like the s3 saloon alloys and I think that audi made a mistake putting 18's on the hatch. Anyone know why they did do this? Is it because the longer wheel base of the saloon compensates for the harsher ride?
the_lecht_rocks
Registered User
I strongly refute your last remark Rt Hon Mr Paul Lowther (Panther Party)! lol If the above pictures look, as i am sure many other fans of estoril blue will agree, resemble flawless perfection to a camera lens then to the human eye which is approximately 576megapixels i fail to understand how it can look better in pictures than real life?
Yes comrades!!
I picked up my new S3 SB this evening, my last car was the 8P S3 SB
3 words that can only describe this new car and difference from the 8P...............OH. MY. GOD.
It was pitch black when i picked it up, so i will try get some pics tomorrow at work as it was only drizzling tonight.
First off here is my spec...
S3 SB
S-Tronic
Glacier White
Panoramic sunroof
Black roof rails
Privacy Glass
LED lights
Super sport seats
B&O sound system
Interior light pack
Advanced key
Sat Nav
Folding mirrors
Acoustic rear parking sensors
It was start stop traffic the whole way home but i took it out for 30 mins tonight when the roads were quieter...
The handover was quick and efficient, when i arrived the car was in the showroom under a brand new sheet which was promptly pulled off, to which all the staff ran over to look at the super sport seats as they have not seen them yet. This was Leeds Audi and i can't recommend them enough, ordered my car 9th August took deliver 30th October and was originally quoted first week of December. Salesman - Jonathon....top bloke..
The drive
The very first thing i noticed was the MASSIVE improvement in steering feel, much more responsive and turns in alot quicker, and then as i increased the revs the very apparent and beautiful boomy exhaust note. I won't be taking it over 4k revs but i can tell you the car feels like a powerful diesel in low revs - very very torque-y.
The ride is magnificent, absorbs every bump in the road, feels VERY comfortable but stiff and planted at the same time, again another big improvement from an already brilliantly riding 8P.
Cabin and driving position - out of this world.
Super sport seats - gorgeous to look at and without a doubt the most comfortable racing / bucket type seats i have ever sat in, i was actually shocked by this because the 8P bucket seats look amazing but are very rigid to sit in, the new ones are alot more springy and cushioning, SO glad i spec'd these things.
Interior light pack - alot more subtle than in the pics, and well worth the money, makes the b&o speakers and cabin an even more beautiful place to be, just very classy.
S-Tronic - The first ever automatic i have owned, i'm ridculously impressed by this transmission even though i haven't opened the taps. Gear changes are smooth and lighting fast, even heard a little "boom" on a few upshifts, actually took me by surprise.
LED Lights - i know this is a big one for alot of people on here - first of all your money has been very well spent. I live in an area that requires alot of dark country lanes to get to, had the full beam on tonight and the best description i have read is the daylight comparison, they are extremely bright, they light up the tarmac and trees so much it's hard to keep focus on the road ahead as you tend to start to admire the tone and sheer clarification of them, they are definitely very different to standard xenons.
Given my short time in the car there is not much else to say at this point, it looks stunning, the pano roof, black rails and privacy glass blend in very well with the glacier white and titanium alloys, without being biased it is the sportiest S3 i have seen so far.
Any questions just feel free to ask.
Cheers!
I picked up my new S3 SB this evening, my last car was the 8P S3 SB
3 words that can only describe this new car and difference from the 8P...............OH. MY. GOD.
It was pitch black when i picked it up, so i will try get some pics tomorrow at work as it was only drizzling tonight.
First off here is my spec...
S3 SB
S-Tronic
Glacier White
Panoramic sunroof
Black roof rails
Privacy Glass
LED lights
Super sport seats
B&O sound system
Interior light pack
Advanced key
Sat Nav
Folding mirrors
Acoustic rear parking sensors
It was start stop traffic the whole way home but i took it out for 30 mins tonight when the roads were quieter...
The handover was quick and efficient, when i arrived the car was in the showroom under a brand new sheet which was promptly pulled off, to which all the staff ran over to look at the super sport seats as they have not seen them yet. This was Leeds Audi and i can't recommend them enough, ordered my car 9th August took deliver 30th October and was originally quoted first week of December. Salesman - Jonathon....top bloke..
The drive
The very first thing i noticed was the MASSIVE improvement in steering feel, much more responsive and turns in alot quicker, and then as i increased the revs the very apparent and beautiful boomy exhaust note. I won't be taking it over 4k revs but i can tell you the car feels like a powerful diesel in low revs - very very torque-y.
The ride is magnificent, absorbs every bump in the road, feels VERY comfortable but stiff and planted at the same time, again another big improvement from an already brilliantly riding 8P.
Cabin and driving position - out of this world.
Super sport seats - gorgeous to look at and without a doubt the most comfortable racing / bucket type seats i have ever sat in, i was actually shocked by this because the 8P bucket seats look amazing but are very rigid to sit in, the new ones are alot more springy and cushioning, SO glad i spec'd these things.
Interior light pack - alot more subtle than in the pics, and well worth the money, makes the b&o speakers and cabin an even more beautiful place to be, just very classy.
S-Tronic - The first ever automatic i have owned, i'm ridculously impressed by this transmission even though i haven't opened the taps. Gear changes are smooth and lighting fast, even heard a little "boom" on a few upshifts, actually took me by surprise.
LED Lights - i know this is a big one for alot of people on here - first of all your money has been very well spent. I live in an area that requires alot of dark country lanes to get to, had the full beam on tonight and the best description i have read is the daylight comparison, they are extremely bright, they light up the tarmac and trees so much it's hard to keep focus on the road ahead as you tend to start to admire the tone and sheer clarification of them, they are definitely very different to standard xenons.
Given my short time in the car there is not much else to say at this point, it looks stunning, the pano roof, black rails and privacy glass blend in very well with the glacier white and titanium alloys, without being biased it is the sportiest S3 i have seen so far.
Any questions just feel free to ask.
Cheers!
Last edited:
Danners78
Registered User
nice thanks for the info re: led lights, im thinking of adding them if its not too late - unfortunately ive got 4-5 months to wait, annoying. I saw a white s3 with a pano roof in audi slough and it looked really nice but im set on a misano red one, and stuck with a manual as I don't like autos.
I never really considered the s3 until I looked into it more as I couldn't see why it was a lot more than a golf gti - sure it had a lot more power but still. test drove one and I could see why. the fit and finish and quality were leagues ahead
NotquiteWelsh
Registered User
I agree, I also had an 8P S3 before, but the 3dr and the difference is very noticable. I find it much more poised than the 8P and the grip is something else. I also found that it feels better than the demo car from the dealer that I had on two occassions.
Please do enjoy and post some pics.
paullowther
Registered User
Don't get me wrong, I do love estoril and in the right light it's my favourite colour. I imagine under a forecourt at a petrol station at night it will look epic.
With regards to the camera... It's not merely the amount of megapixels that a camera has that depicts the quality and outcome of the image. There are many phones now with over 20mp, which is by far enough to capture a picture with relative clarity, but cameras worth £2000+ can also capture roughly the same amount of mp but produce a much better image.
Other things come into play such as temperature, white balance etc... That can change the way the colour appears.
All I'm saying is that colour lends itself well to being photographed whereas the black doesn't, It's hard for most cameras to process blacks because of the power required to capture the slight variations in contrast and then display them. Blacks quite often require a lot of post processing. Using a technique known as HDR will help being out the blacks as it captures the image in a range of exposures and allows us to show the darkest and lightest parts of the image together, but it's relatively complicated to get right.
Camera quality is more to do with the optics than anything else these days, once you get over a few MP it makes little difference to quality if the optics are letting it down anyway.
Congratulations Johnnyb ,
Make sure you post day time photos including a full side shot please from about 20 metres away to get a good idea of what it looks like from a bit of a distance . Not many glacier white photos on this forum and especially not many full side on shots from a distance.
This is the colour that I am looking at ordering in the next week here in Australia , but can't fully comprehend what it will look like as the S3 is not available in the country yet until late December. Thanks
Make sure you post day time photos including a full side shot please from about 20 metres away to get a good idea of what it looks like from a bit of a distance . Not many glacier white photos on this forum and especially not many full side on shots from a distance.
This is the colour that I am looking at ordering in the next week here in Australia , but can't fully comprehend what it will look like as the S3 is not available in the country yet until late December. Thanks
Yes- congrats JohnnyB - loved reading your write up - it got me quite excited ! Great to hear a good review on the Super Sport Seats as I ordered those on looks alone and an assumption that they would deliver the goods. Also the LED headlights info - I think you are the first that has given us feedback on these. Having seen them on an S3 show car - I ordered them on their striking looks, and my confidence in them being better operationally was well placed 
(Only 121 days to go now for me!)
(Only 121 days to go now for me!)
Ladies and gents. Meet Panther Black.
Woooow best pic yet of it... It's gorgeous!
Good find
Itguy
Registered User
Oh no, I hadn't thought about working out how many days to go... 128 for me, assuming 8th Mar delivery from a week 7 build date. I'm trying to think of what to do other than think about the new car to pass the time in the build up.
Get fit, loose weight etc etc.
Noooo.... image quality is primarily down to sensor size. Whilst smaller sensored (i.e. phone) cameras are OK at web sizes, you need something larger than you can fit in a phone (even the Nokia which is quite good) for a image of high "quality" - whatever that is....
Not saying that smaller sensored cameras aren't able to take good images, just that it's easy to get the images to fall apart by making them too large or pushing them outside of their - rather narrow - comfortable light boundaries.
Silky-S3
Is loving his new 8V S3!
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To help me - I am building a new garage for my new S3 - despite the efforts of the weather I am well underway and reckon I should be able to get it finished and kitted out for 1st March
- one thing leads to another and all that!
Itguy
Registered User
Thought i'd add some photos of the demo we drove at Derby, every thread loves pics!
the_lecht_rocks
Registered User
that actually looks ok in white, but white cars do look a bit "Zanussi" if they're square edged, such as the new S3 shape.
Loving all the discussions - thanks everyone.
It may be because I've ordered my new S3 in Phantom black with black styling kit that I've noticed a lot of you are fairly negative about the car in black... would be interested to see some photos if any of you camera geeks can reproduce (HDR etc lol) a good shot to show off the lines in black? my current A3 (2.0TFSi S-Line) is in black and I think it looks fab so the new car hopefully will look even hotter!
So this is my spec...
S3 3-door
S-tronic
Phantom black
Black styling pack
Privacy Glass
Titanium matt alloys
Pano sunroof
Technology pack
Comfort pack with parking system plus and park assist
Xenon plus with adaptive lights
Advanced key
Heated adjustable folding door mirrors
Non smoking pack
B&O sounds
Tyre pressure monitor
Have I missed anything?? (apart from the drugs to go in my drug dealer looking car lol)
Provisional build week - 4
Delivery 1st March (fingers crossed)
It may be because I've ordered my new S3 in Phantom black with black styling kit that I've noticed a lot of you are fairly negative about the car in black... would be interested to see some photos if any of you camera geeks can reproduce (HDR etc lol) a good shot to show off the lines in black? my current A3 (2.0TFSi S-Line) is in black and I think it looks fab so the new car hopefully will look even hotter!
So this is my spec...
S3 3-door
S-tronic
Phantom black
Black styling pack
Privacy Glass
Titanium matt alloys
Pano sunroof
Technology pack
Comfort pack with parking system plus and park assist
Xenon plus with adaptive lights
Advanced key
Heated adjustable folding door mirrors
Non smoking pack
B&O sounds
Tyre pressure monitor
Have I missed anything?? (apart from the drugs to go in my drug dealer looking car lol)
Provisional build week - 4
Delivery 1st March (fingers crossed)
paullowther
Registered User
Where abouts do you live mate? Huntingdon Audi have a used phantom black s3 going for £40k. I also believe there is a panther black at Northampton... I think it's Northampton anyway!
Hi Paul. I live in Plymouth so a bit too far... but I have seen the photo of the Huntingdon one... in fact I spoke to them and they said it's a £37k car that they're trying to see for £40k - boo to that!
Plymouth have a red SB in their show room but it isn't for me (even though I know it's a popular choice for a lot, just my opinion), and Exeter has a white one which looks great.
Oh I forgot to add the interior light pack to my spec
Plymouth have a red SB in their show room but it isn't for me (even though I know it's a popular choice for a lot, just my opinion), and Exeter has a white one which looks great.
Oh I forgot to add the interior light pack to my spec
the_lecht_rocks
Registered User
Doesn't the parking system plus & park assist have a reversing camera included? (I guess I should know this!?)
Sports seats and LED lights would defo like, but had to draw the line at £36k (inc orange wheels discount of 9%)
Not sure I need hill hold assist with an automatic?
Good call though - all the options that I would like in an ideal (no cost) world!
Sports seats and LED lights would defo like, but had to draw the line at £36k (inc orange wheels discount of 9%)
Not sure I need hill hold assist with an automatic?
Good call though - all the options that I would like in an ideal (no cost) world!
You're totally right... found this in the brochure...
"The optional reversing camera adds to this a small camera in the boot lid, providing a 130° view to the rear, displayed on the Multi Media Interface screen"
"The optional reversing camera adds to this a small camera in the boot lid, providing a 130° view to the rear, displayed on the Multi Media Interface screen"
Battlekrapz
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I was told my s3 was put on the truck this morning, it has left the factory a couple of hours ago . I'm so excited, i should be driving it in a week or so.
I'll make sure to take pix of it when i do get it.
. I'm so excited, i should be driving it in a week or so. I'll make sure to take pix of it when i do get it.
