TT RS

Make
Audi
Segment
Coupe

The inline-five is arguably the best-sounding engine out there with fewer than eight cylinders, but sadly, these sweet-sounding mills grow more rare with each passing year. Two of the last holdouts are both high-performance Audi RS models - the Audi TT RS, and the Audi RS3 - and in a rare treat, we get to hear both side-by-side as they blast down a straight track at full tilt, thanks to a new video.

Granted, the two cars featured here are anything but stock, the MRC-tuned Audi TT RS developing a total of 620 horsepower, and the Bevo-tuned RS3 producing a whopping 685 horsepower.

If you're wondering what goes into extracting that sort of power out of a performance Audi five-cylinder, in the TT RS's case, the answer is a TTE700 turbocharger, water/methanol injection, and a host of supporting upgrades like an upgraded throttle, intercooler, and intake plumbing. The RS3's parts list looks quite similar, being buoyed by the same TTE700 turbo and an upgraded intercooler and intake plumbing, but for this test, it's running a 20-percent methanol fuel mix instead of simple pump gas.

Of course, it's not just peak horsepower that counts for straight-line performance; weight is important, too. In that respect, the TT RS is close to a match for the RS3, tipping the scales at around 3,180 pounds to the RS3's 3,420 pounds.

In either car, with all-wheel drive and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, the straight-line performance is nothing short of spectacular. Both cars hit 60 mph in under 3 seconds on wet pavement, blasting through the quarter-mile in under 11 seconds, with the heavier, more powerful RS3 coming out slightly ahead in both tests.

To see how the two Audis stack up when it comes to a head-to-head drag race, you'll just have to watch the video.