Audi 8V RS3 Wheel Performance
In stock form, the Audi 8V RS3 utilizes a reverse staggered wheel and tire setup. The main reason for this is to help alleviate some of the understeer characteristics common on a front-engined AWD chassis such as the RS3. While installing a wider square setup will neutralize the handling characteristics, making the car push a bit more at the limit, overall grip and cornering speed will be greatly improved at the same time. Plus, the ability to rotate your wheels and tires will allow you to maximize your tread life. If you want to fully take advantage of your 8V RS3’s chassis and drivetrain, a set of Apex 8V RS3 wheels in a wide and aggressive fitment will allow you to do just that. You can check out all of our 8V RS3 wheel offerings available in our Forged VS-5RS and SM-10RS designs, as well as our Flow Formed SM-10, via our chassis specific 8V Audi RS3 Wheel & Tire Fitment Guide.
History of the 8V RS3
Before you finalize your selection for a set of 8V RS3 wheels, let’s first take a dive into the history of the 8V RS3, and what has made it such a special car in the eyes of enthusiasts over the years.
The 8V RS3 made its first debut in late 2014 and hit dealership showroom floors the following year. The 8V RS3 is based on the third-generation of Audi’s A3/S3/RS3 chassis and sold through the model years of 2015-2020, with a mid-cycle refresh in late 2017. While the 8V RS3 was offered with two distinct body styles, a hatchback and a sedan, North American markets only received the latter. Regardless of body style, all 8V RS3s were equipped with a potent 2.5l 5-cylinder turbo charged motor, paired with a lightning-quick 7-speed DSG transmission. Power was sent to all four wheels via Audi’s legendary Quattro AWD system, making for incredible traction off the line and in limited grip situations.
8V RS3 Chassis Dynamics
The 8V Audi RS3 is factory-equipped with massive 8-piston 370mm front brakes and a 19" wheel and tire setup in a reverse-staggered configuration. While the standard reverse-staggered setup provides the car with fewer understeer characteristics out of the box, the lack of being able to rotate the wheels and tires makes it less than ideal for track use. Taking into consideration the Quattro AWD system and front-biased weight distribution of the RS3, a rotatable square setup is a must to ensure even tire wear at all four corners. Shedding unsprung weight by downsizing to an 18" wheel will also improve upon the overall handling, braking, and acceleration characteristics of the car.
While 8V RS3 wheels are an important consideration once you already own one of these cars, there are quite a few other things to consider before purchasing an 8V RS3. Piston Heads wrote up a great used buyers guide for the 8V RS3, which highlights a lot of things to look out for while on the search for your ideal example.
* Designed to fit VW Golf center caps
Our new forgings weigh as much as 120 pounds before machining. To form such a thick blank we require special equipment capable of 10,000 metric tons of pressure. This extreme pressure increases the strength of the aluminum by eliminating porosity and improving the grain structure.
Many companies use 3rd-party blanks intended for non-motorsport wheels which can severely limit sizes, concavity, spoke design, and critical brake clearance. We designed our very own blank profiles from scratch to give us total control over the final product.
One of the most noticeable features of the SM-10RS is its use of side-milling on both sides of each spoke, creating an I-beam effect. Any excess material that doesn’t add strength is carved out using a precision CNC ball cutter. Side-milling is often deemed cost-prohibitive by others, but for true performance without compromise we believe it's essential.
Our forged Sprint™ wheels are lightweight without the strength compromises found on typical lightweight wheels. First, we carved out as much material as possible, then we purposefully added one pound back to reinforce critical areas, creating a stronger inner lip and a higher load rating.² What’s the point of a lightweight wheel if it’s fragile?
We conducted extensive Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to reinforce high-stress areas and to remove material where it didn’t improve strength. The result is a wheel that is exceptionally light without the strength compromises found on typical lightweight wheels.²
The SM-10RS is not just another style to choose from. We used Finite Element Analysis of bending loads to optimize spoke geometry for greater stiffness without increasing weight. In fact, the SM-10RS is nearly identical in weight to our popular VS-5RS yet almost 10% stiffer, and 25% stiffer than our first generation of forged wheels.
We don't rely solely on computer simulations or unverifiable in-house testing. We believe independent testing is critical to protect consumers in this unregulated industry. We chose STL, an independent lab in Ohio, to test our Sprint™ wheels far above JWL standards, including increases in testing duration, impact drop height, and total load.
Introducing the Sprint™ spec inner lip, with a unique channel profile that makes it even stronger than our previous designs. So even though our Sprint™ wheels are pounds lighter than comparable flow formed wheels, the inner lip is stronger.
More reinforcement
than our flow formed wheels3
From day one, APEX has been on a mission to build wheels that clear big brakes. Our new forged wheels are the product of everything we’ve developed over the past 10+ years, including an innovative high-clearance barrel design and vehicle-specific spoke profiles.
Our new forgings were redesigned to create extra deep, concave spoke profiles. Their new shape allows us to make any profile, from flat to deep and everything in between. Each one is optimized for a specific application using 3D laser scans of factory and aftermarket brake kits.
Whether it's a day at the track or months of street driving, repeated hard braking and acceleration can make a tire slip along the bead seat and go out of balance, causing vibration. Knurled beads help, but are less effective when painted over. Our forged line features unpainted knurled beads that stay sharp and maximize grip.
Track wheels need track tools. Don’t settle for wheels that require undersized tuner lugs or thin walled sockets. All APEX wheels accommodate over-sized race lugs and impact sockets to make swapping wheels lightning fast.
Socket Diameter Clearance
As track enthusiasts ourselves, we know how frustrating it is to try to locate and decipher wheel specs that have been hastily hammered into the rim or become unreadable over time. With our new Sprint™ wheels, we chose to invest a little extra and laser-engrave the specs on the barrel, in plain sight, making them easy to find and read. (You’re welcome.)
All SM-10RS wheels are purpose built for select vehicle applications. Very few applications require centering rings.
The majority of SM-10RS wheels come with a gloss black APEX cap which is interchangeable with your OE center cap*. Select JDM applications feature a capless center section. See vehicle product page for more details.
* Capless-center and centerlock wheels do not include APEX center caps. Certain unique fitments support an APEX center cap that is not interchangeable with the OE cap. See your vehicle-specific product page for additional details.
Wherever possible, APEX wheels are designed to be used with OEM mounting hardware* as well as high-quality wheel spacers, stud conversion kits, wheel locks, and more. See our Accessories pages.
*A small number of applications use conical mounting hardware in place of the OEM ball seat hardware. Visit individual product pages to confirm hardware type/compatibility.
All APEX wheels accept OEM and aftermarket Tire Pressure Monitoring Sensors and standard fit valve stems. If you don’t have sensors, then select from our metal stems available in multiple finishes.
All Apex Wheels come with a
lifetime structural warranty against defects in
workmanship and materials, plus a 1 year finish warranty.
Exchanges are fast, easy, and hassle-free.
See terms and conditions.
Curb rash or pothole damage on the street? Make an oopsie at
the track?
We’ve all been there. APEX is proud to offer 50% off replacement
wheels, no matter the damage.
See terms and conditions.
¹ VS-5RS vs. the original EC-7R, comparing side milling of 18x9” ET46 5x130 fitment.
² Strength and weight comparisons are based on an 18” BMW 5x120 wheel.
³ Comparing the amount of material reinforcement in our standard inner lip profile vs Sprint™ spec inner lip profile on an 18” wheel.
⁴ All wheels compared with equivalent 18x10” ET25 5x120mm / 72.56mm fitment