Obviously, both are German. Both Bavarian, even. Each is a compact, two-row sports car, regardless of how you get to the back seats. They\u2019re priced within $5,000 of each other to start and within $4,000 of each other as tested. Both are fresh off a minor midcycle update. They\u2019re also, as we\u2019ll see, nearly identical in terms of performance. Yes, they look and drive differently, but they\u2019re simply two different means of achieving the same result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The RS3 gets the bigger update of the two<\/a> by a small margin: new front and rear bumpers, a new squared-off steering wheel, an optional RS Sport Exhaust, and a faster powertrain control module, which allows for finer control of the torque-vectoring, twin-clutch rear axle. Power remains the same at 394 hp and 369 lb-ft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The M2\u2019s updates are even harder to spot<\/a> but equally noteworthy. A 20-horsepower increase finally puts it on par with the larger, heavier M3 and M4. Automatic transmission models also get a 37-lb-ft boost in torque. All told, it now makes 473 hp and either 406 (with the manual transmission) or 443 lb-ft. It, too, gets a new steering wheel (fully round), along with a new curved widescreen display running the latest iDrive 8.5 software, a sharper head-up display, and a remapped throttle pedal. Oh, and now you can get it in wild colors like Twilight Purple Pearl Metallic<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n