2002 Audi S3 MTM

Guide price: £8,000 - £12,000

𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀

● Authentic & documented 326hp MTM big turbo conversion

● 89,000-mile three-owner S3

● Excellent colour/interior combo

● Major engine overhaul done two years ago

𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄

Remember the hot hatch? For a long time in the 1970s and 1980s, cars like the Volkswagen Golf GTI, Ford Escort XR3i and Peugeot 205 GTI routinely topped the motoring wishlists of thrusting young execs and nuclear families.

By the late 1990s however that hot hatch flame had died down to a bit of a splutter. The base version of the Mk4 Golf GTI had put on a load of weight but was barely more powerful than the Mk 1 GTI of 20 years earlier. The Peugeot had been killed off in the mid-1990s by high emissions and high theft rates. The Escort was long past its sell-by date and about to be superseded by the Focus.

Hatchback performance would eventually come back strong for Ford and VW fans, but in that dead zone at the end of the 20th century an unlikely hero rode in to the rescue of thrill-starved hot hatchers: Audi.

The release of their S3 in 1999 marked the first use of a small four-cylinder engine in an ’S’ designated Audi. The engine may have been small, but the power wasn’t. The 225hp and 210lb ft that the S3’s 20-valve 1.8 turbo petrol engine was putting out by 2001 was eye-popping for the time. It probably would have been too much power for the Type 8L A3 chassis if it hadn’t been for Audi’s magic ingredient, the one thing that kept high-powered Audis on the road when other two-wheel drive cars were going off it: all-wheel drive.

The combination of fierce poke and limpet grip turned that first S3 into a real weapon, but tuners quickly realised that there was plenty more to come from the engine and that the quattro system would give the chassis the stones to back up their efforts.

Bavarian outfit Motoren Technik Mayer (MTM) was – and still is – one of the most respected German tuning shops. They offered three stages of tune for the 8L S3: mapped, hybrid or big turbo. On offer here is a genuine, ultra-desirable and ultra-rare big turbo stage 3 car. The work was done by QS Tuning in Sussex, MTM’s sole UK agent, at just short of the 8,000-mile mark in June 2005. With the K26 blower, MTM exhaust manifold, wastegate, downpipe, injectors and remap, power went up by over 100hp to 326hp, with a corresponding torque boost. A stronger clutch was essential to cope with the extra shove, so MTM included an upgraded clutch kit in the package.

Full MTM stage 3 cars are super-rare in the UK because the conversion wasn’t cheap. Parts and fitting cost £7,500, no small amount even now, but a king’s ransom in 2005.

𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

The HPI check shows the date of first registration was on 6 September 2002 under the private plate C1 GJS. This plate was retained by the first owner when the S3 was sold to a member of the present owner George’s family in June 2011. That’s when the current age-related registration number of OW52 KXP was applied.

George became the third owner of the car in August 2017, at which point the mileage was around 74,000. Today the mileage is just over 89,000, showing that only 15,000 or so miles have been covered in the last six years.

George included, this is a three-owner car. It will come with a full service history, logbook, a complete set of MOTs, historical V5Cs and tax discs, number plate transfer documents, original user manual, and three keys. Crucially the document pack also contains the receipt detailing the MTM conversion work.

𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿

As you can see from the photographs, the black leather cabin is in very good condition.

𝗘𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿

When the phrase ‘superb build quality’ started appearing in magazine road tests it was generally referring to cars that had been bolted together by Audi. They pretty much cornered the market in it and you can still see the evidence here two decades after this S3 came off the line.

The British racing green paint is generally good. Besides the cosmetic scratches, minor paint corrections and alloy kerbing that you’d expect on a car of this age there’s some light rippling/blistering on the rear bumper, a tiny (2mm) speck of corrosion on the bonnet, and a 2cm hairline crack on the driver’s side door strip/protector.

𝗠𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹

The car is described by the owner as being in full working order. The last service was carried out at the end of July 2021. Although that service involved more than the usual oil change and filter – there was also a timing belt change, new water pump, and a complete cylinder head overhaul to include new head bolts, gaskets, all twenty valves and exhaust valve guides – that was two years ago, so the next owner might want to have a refresher service done on it when time permits.

The car has just had a fresh MOT, with the next one due 11 November 2024. The battery has been kept on a conditioner, but owner George reckons it’s due for replacement.

Tyres are P Zeros all round in good condition with plenty of tread and, importantly on a quattro, even wear on all wheels.

𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆

This is an exceptionally capable car in a great colour. The official and fully authorised MTM conversion makes it not only rare but also highly desirable. In 225hp trim the standard 8L S3 was good for 151mph and a 0-62mph time in the mid sixes. We’ll leave you to imagine what it can do with 326hp.

It might be old school but this car is ready to put plenty of modern metal in its place. The last thing they’ll see as you disappear up the road will be the distinctive MTM chrome tailgate badge. And underneath it all is a very practical 3-door hatch with that classic early Audi look.

George is only selling this MTM S3 because he’s run out of storage. It’s a heartbreaker for him but an exciting opportunity for you.

To arrange a viewing, please request this in the Q&A section. Once on the Q&A forum thread, you can click through to the seller's profile by clicking on their username and use the 'Email Me' function to arrange a viewing privately. This seller is located in Barnet, North London.