Why not buy an RS3…?
Here we go then, I am fitting an RS3 DAZA engine and running gear in to my Mk7 Golf R!
But why not just buy an RS3…? Believe you me – this is a question that I have asked myself, as well as being asked by many when planning the MK7 Golf R / RS3 conversion. It’s something I pondered on for quite a while, and in the end it was a clear decision for me.
The RS3 is a phenomenal car with options galore, and I love them. They are the car which could be considered the top of the MQB tree – The ultimate VAG Group Hot hatch!! Many people suggest that it’s a shame they never made a Golf RS-R by fitting the 5 pot into the Golf. However the engine is an Audi development. It sounds like an RS engine, it goes like one and it is rightly so only available in one.
It is an MQB chassis though, which is shared by the Golf R so a swap is possible. Plus it is a swap that has been done before so were not reinventing the wheel here, just pondering on the options.
Doing it for the Noise
If you’ve never heard an Audi inline 5 cylinder motor on full chat then it is quite possible that you’ve also never heard of Michele Mouton, the rise of the Quattro and all things Group B. The Audi 5 pot was an engine that elevated the company to the top of the Rallying world, and cemented their place in motorsport history. It is quite literally an oddball behemoth of engineering…and all of that with quite simply the best soundtrack that is possible from man-made metal.
With such a rich history and level of success behind the engine, it is a crying shame that they eventually ceased production and the 5 pot era was no more. In recent times it had been Volvo that invested in the “odd” pot engines which even found their way in to a few fast Ford`s such as the Focus ST/RS.
It could be suggested that this entire RS3 conversion project is being hashed out purely for the noise. If the 5 pot warble doesn’t send shivers down your spine then you may never understand it. For me it is the ultimate motor noise, and I need it in my life.
Its Back!
In 2009 Audi resurrected the 5 pot engine design and poised itself to retake the crown with the production of the EA855 CEPA engine. This 2.5 litre 5 cylinder turbocharged engine was developed for the new Audi 8P RS3, a close variation of the 8P S3 – but with a big nod to the RS brand. This newer breed of 5 cylinder engines aren’t direct descendants of the old UR Quattro longitudinal engines, and actually share the design attributes with the TSI engines found in most VW Group cars – albeit with an extra cylinder. However by transversely mating them to the new 7 speed DQ500 dual clutch automatic gearboxes, the 5 pot legend has been reborn with the best automotive technology that Audi has to offer!
The 8P RS3 never really lit any fires, but an updated version of the motor made it in to the newer 8V RS3 in the form of the CZGB engine and then eventually was completely reworked in to the Ali block master piece that is the DAZA motor! That`s the one with all of the buzz around it.
That`s the one I want!
The Decider
Yes, I need the noise in my life. Yes, I love the 5 pot history. Yes, I could just buy an RS3…
There is another way of thinking about all of this though. Leave all of the RS heritage, the Audi development and brand loyalty to one side, and then consider that the RS3 is just the top of the range offering in the MQB line up of cars. It is still an MQB car though, and without that glorious engine package is nigh on exactly an 8V S3.
And if truth be told, if there was an MQB car that I would personally fit the 5 pot engine to… an 8V S3 wouldn’t be it.
No disrespect to the 8V S3 as it is a corker. But if given the choice then I`d choose the DAZA 5 Pot engine in a Mk7 Golf R. Namely a 3dr red one, which is quite handy for me…
So that’s it. I`m fitting a DAZA into my MK7R. `Ze Germans` didn’t build one, so I’m going to build one instead.
Wish me luck.
