We remember the initial reaction to the RS4 downsizing to a 2.9-liter V6 wasn't that good initially. However, people quickly realized all that added torque made it much faster than before. It's got up against the BMW M3 numerous times, and in this case, the Bavarian car is the underdog. It's presented in base form, which makes about 20 HP less than the Audi.
But adding Tesla to the race is like bring guns to a savage land – you know the natives aren't going to survive. While the RS4 and M3 are constantly hunting for gears and engine revs, the Model 3 rockets ahead and never lets them catch up.
As interesting as switching to electricity may be, we still want something like the M3 or RS4 mixed into our automotive lifestyle. One is a Bauhaus rocket a tail-happy, joyful experience. Both are also likely to be future classics, which is usually not the case with battery-powered "devices." But you never know. Few people have seen a modified Tesla at a car meet, so it might have the wow factor needed.
And in the rolling race, one of the Germans redeems itself somewhat. But we kind of expected it to based simply on lightness. At higher speeds, the cars with gearboxes are obviously better, and range is never an issue either.
