Is a BTCC Audi S3 really an S3?
Posted by Awesome GTI on 26th Oct 2026
We've backed Dexter Patterson's Power Maxed Racing Audi all through the 2026 BTCC season. If you own an S3, you've probably watched those saloons and asked how much of that car is the one on your drive.
We dug into the rulebook. Here's the honest answer.
Power Maxed Racing announced the car as an Audi S3 Saloon. The BTCC's own launch report and Autosport's results list it as an A3 Saloon. Nobody's wrong here. The S3 is the sporty S version of the A3, and they share the same saloon body.
What your S3 and the race car share
The body. BTCC rules say the base car has to be on sale through UK dealers. So the race car starts as the same saloon shape you can order from Audi.
The engine recipe. Both run a 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder. Your S3 makes 333PS, which is about 328bhp. The BTCC quotes 350+bhp for its race engines.
The wheel size. Audi's launch spec lists 18-inch wheels as standard on the latest S3. The race car runs 18s too. Theirs are centre-lock race rims on Goodyear race tyres, mind.
What's completely different
No quattro. This is the big one. BTCC race cars follow the road car's drive layout. With a four-wheel-drive car, the way the engine sits decides which wheels get the power. The S3's engine sits sideways, so the race car is front-wheel drive.
The engine itself. The Power Maxed cars run the series' own TOCA engine, prepared by M-Sport. Same turbo and intercooler as every other car on the grid.
The gearbox. You've got a seven-speed S tronic. They've got an Xtrac six-speed sequential. One fewer gear, a lot more noise.
Brakes, suspension and steering. All spec parts. AP Racing brakes, double-wishbone suspension and Penske dampers, shared by the whole grid.
The brains. One Cosworth control unit runs the lot.
What that means for your S3
Here's the bit we love. Every car on the grid runs the same spec gearbox, brakes and suspension, and the series evens out power with its own turbo boost system. So what makes the difference on track? Grip, braking and set-up.
It's the same story on the road. Before you go chasing big numbers, sort out what keeps the car planted. Tyres, brakes and suspension first. Then talk to us about power.
You can browse our full Audi S3 (8Y) range or pop in and talk it through with one of the team.
And if you fancy seeing how far we took the BTCC look on the road, have a read about our PMR-inspired RS3 8Y show car.