Audi RS 3 Sportback: more civilised than it appears The only kind of person who would be attracted to this car, you might suppose, would be the yahoo with the prison-yard strut who likes his car to be a declarative accessory, like the rottweiler beside him. We all know what to expect, after all, from a hatchback on 19-inch alloy wheels with a deep front bumper that looks like the class dunce's sagging lower lip. All our automatic bigotries are triggered by twin air intakes, flared carbon-fibre front wings and sill extensions, rally-style bucket seats and "aluminium look" pedals. "Who's fooling who?" you might be tempted to ask. All wrong. You couldn't quite call the RS 3 a sheep in wolf's clothing, but it is certainly more civilised than it looks. The RS 3 experience is like finding serious artistry under the skin of Mötley Crüe. It does not draw attention to itself when it is half a mile away. A Sport button can speed up the throttle response and make the exhaust note louder but, even so, the turbocharged two-and-a-half litre, five-cylinder engine in the RS 3 does its ferocious business with muted efficiency. You'd never guess it from the lack of percussive effects but the RS 3's acceleration from 0-60mph in little over four seconds is fractionally faster than the fastest Porsche Cayman R. This comparison continues in the RS 3's favour over its seven-speed, twin-clutch gearbox which is as closely similar to the Cayman R's as makes no difference. Like the Porsche's, the RS 3's automatic gearshifts are quick, deft and spot on. Audi's engineers have done such a terrific job on the driving dynamics of the RS 3 that it offers a truly exceptional combination of high-performance powers with refined and urbane manners. The letters "RS" on an Audi usually mean suspension settings so harsh that you should book a session with a chiropractor before a drive. Not so in the four-wheel drive RS 3, which remains as poised as a Country Life debutante while hurtling up to corners and turning in without disturbing a pearl. Even those bucket seats turn out to be perfect models of sophistication - comfortable, easy to get in and out of and firmly muscular in their support. The list price is £39,900 (plus extras), a lot to pay for an Audi A3 - especially as an altogether new A3 is due next year - but it may be more acceptable if you delude yourself into thinking of it as a Porsche. In one way, it's more exclusive than a Porsche: only 500 RS 3s are expected to be sold in total.