First photos & video: 2024 AUDI S3 8Y FACELIFT 333HP

[Auditography]

Here you go!

Video:


Some facelift highlights:

- More power +23hp, +20Nm

- Reworked ECU and TCU for better and quicker response 

- Torque splitter with drift mode

- Sportier front axle

- Optimised progressive steering
- Stronger and bigger brakes

- Better performance tyres

Photos:

[o1turbo30v]

how did they make it even worse, screams Hyundai/Kia to me

[XMetal]

how did they make it even worse, screams Hyundai/Kia to me

That's exactly what I was thinking. After seeing the 8Y for about 3 years now, I've still not grown to its looks and the facelift is making it worse.

[Nando7057]

I'm also on the fence about the refresh.

I'm wondering if there will be any other changes for the RS3 model, if there will in fact be an RS3 for 2025.

[Blankitha4303]

That's exactly what I was thinking. After seeing the 8Y for about 3 years now, I've still not grown to its looks and the facelift is making it worse.

I have a 2023 S3 and that facelift is horrible compared to mines. Bad enough I kinda got use to it but that one looks terrible the grills


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[jtbazz]

Its still must better than the 8V, the 8V was hideous. Only thing I like better on the refresh is the Alcantara interior trim.

[Blankitha4303]

Its still must better than the 8V, the 8V was hideous. Only thing I like better on the refresh is the Alcantara interior trim.

True on the Alcantara


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[jtbazz]

Like my 2023 much better but refresh interior is much much better. Cant wait to be able to buy that interior trim!

[VWVW]

Its still must better than the 8V, the 8V was hideous. Only thing I like better on the refresh is the Alcantara interior trim.

Like my 2023 much better but refresh interior is much much better. Cant wait to be able to buy that interior trim!

To each their own.

Exterior wise, I personally prefer the 8V and 8V facelift much better than 8Y prefacelift. I think the 8Y prefacelift looks very ugly. The headlamps are ridiculously large and out of proportion. The side skirt also looks tacked on. The 8Y facelift improves the 8Y prefacelift look, still not as good as 8V though. The new headlamps make them seem smaller and more in proportion with the new lamp graphics and internals. The RS3 does fix some of these things as its sideskirt design is way better than the S3 and the wider front makes the headlamps more in proportion.

Interior wise, 8V beats 8Y with material quality. 8Y facelift improves the 8Y prefacelift significantly and makes it more on par with the 8V.

The mechanicals of the 8Y facelift blows all of 8Y prefacelift and 8V out of the water.

[trebec]

Its still must better than the 8V, the 8V was hideous. Only thing I like better on the refresh is the Alcantara interior trim.

I'd happily disagree with ya, a lot. The way the front grille protrudes on the 8Y every time I see one I just think to myself why the hell does that stick out so far? That's not even mentioning the terrible button/interior design. I really don't see how folks can like that shifter tic-tac thing.

[jtbazz]

I guess that's why we are all different. To each their own. Its just something about the squished features of the 8v that turns me off. The angles are all wrong to me but that's just one persons opinion. Also, not sure how you could possibly thing the 8y grill sticks out. Its completely flat

[trebec]

I guess that's why we are all different. To each their own. Its just something about the squished features of the 8v that turns me off. The angles are all wrong to me but that's just one persons opinion. Also, not sure how you could possibly thing the 8y grill sticks out. Its completely flat

It's just how it looks in person. The 8V is far from ugly and is classic timeless Audi styling. The body lines all mesh together and its just so well done, it really looks a lot newer and modern than you would think. When it's next to a B8 S4 it just looks right. I dunno, the 8Y is a nice car, just not a fan of that grille and the interior.

[jtbazz]

I probably shouldn’t have used the word hideous, the blue one above is nice and love the wheels on it

[trebec]

I probably shouldn’t have used the word hideous, the blue one above is nice and love the wheels on it

Thanks, that's my car. I'm running spacers and 034 springs on factory wheels which the PO loved running into curbs. I've also switched out the grille to the RS style, couldn't stand the bars style grille.

[RudyH]

To be honest, its the same thing that a lot of GTI / Golf R owners go through between the pre MK8 vs MK8.

In pictures too, I hated the 8Y and MK8...until I saw it in person. Of the two model changes, I prefer what Audi did with the 8V to the 8Y, then VW did with the MK7 to the MK8. The 8Y is more so a revolution then an evolution when it comes to the design, and thats where the 8V owners have the problem. Then again, the 8Y is a revolution in many other ways as well over the 8V, beyond aesthetics.

For the 8Y, I personally like everything except,
- rear honeycomb side vents, and I am happy with the changes being done in the 8Y.5
- the matrix under the headlight, I wish I could code that off, the 8Y.5 looks more subtle
- for the 8Y.5 I don't like where the front badge is located now...but whatever, black optics + black badges = done
- the way the center screen and vents are laid out, I wish it was more like the C9 interior
- there are some materials I wish they did better on, and looking at the 8Y.5 they fixed most of it

Everything else is night and day better then the 8V...I could have bought a 8V RS3 for the same price / less than a 8Y S3, and still bought the S3 without even thinking twice about it. To be honest, I think too I am not 100% settled on the 8Y neither as the week before I was going to pick it up, I heard the leaks from Audi, and a month or so later the actual release - I do have a bit of regret not waiting for the 8Y.5, even if Canada doesn't get the RS3, I will still be trading in for a 8Y.5 S3.

[jtbazz]

Up to you but I would never take the depreciation hit just to get 20 more horsepower and some different material on interior trim. Get a JB4 for $550 and add 50+ horsepower and but the trim pieces when the 8y.5 comes out for another few hundred.

[VWVW]

To be honest, its the same thing that a lot of GTI / Golf R owners go through between the pre MK8 vs MK8.

In pictures too, I hated the 8Y and MK8...until I saw it in person. Of the two model changes, I prefer what Audi did with the 8V to the 8Y, then VW did with the MK7 to the MK8. The 8Y is more so a revolution then an evolution when it comes to the design, and thats where the 8V owners have the problem. Then again, the 8Y is a revolution in many other ways as well over the 8V, beyond aesthetics.

For the 8Y, I personally like everything except,
- rear honeycomb side vents, and I am happy with the changes being done in the 8Y.5
- the matrix under the headlight, I wish I could code that off, the 8Y.5 looks more subtle
- for the 8Y.5 I don't like where the front badge is located now...but whatever, black optics + black badges = done
- the way the center screen and vents are laid out, I wish it was more like the C9 interior
- there are some materials I wish they did better on, and looking at the 8Y.5 they fixed most of it

Everything else is night and day better then the 8V...I could have bought a 8V RS3 for the same price / less than a 8Y S3, and still bought the S3 without even thinking twice about it. To be honest, I think too I am not 100% settled on the 8Y neither as the week before I was going to pick it up, I heard the leaks from Audi, and a month or so later the actual release - I do have a bit of regret not waiting for the 8Y.5, even if Canada doesn't get the RS3, I will still be trading in for a 8Y.5 S3.

I see that we share very similar feelings about the 8.5Y (even the details that I found the 8Y matrix under the headlight to be hideous - I like the 8.5Y way more there; and how they fixed a lot of the interior woes).

Up to you but I would never take the depreciation hit just to get 20 more horsepower and some different material on interior trim. Get a JB4 for $550 and add 50+ horsepower and but the trim pieces when the 8y.5 comes out for another few hundred.

You seem to have forgotten about the biggest upgrade that the 8.5Y receives over the 8Y - the torque splitter. The 8V and 8Y have the Haldex and it has been so unreliable with the stupid activation pump filter clogging and the pump breaking down all the time. I have had to spend so much money fixing that stupid setup. As I said in my post above, as a 8V owner, I could see myself taking the 8.5Y as my next car but definitely not the 8Y.

[Dubonfire]

I see that we share very similar feelings about the 8.5Y (even the details that I found the 8Y matrix under the headlight to be hideous - I like the 8.5Y way more there; and how they fixed a lot of the interior woes).



You seem to have forgotten about the biggest upgrade that the 8.5Y receives over the 8Y - the torque splitter. The 8V and 8Y have the Haldex and it has been so unreliable with the stupid activation pump filter clogging and the pump breaking down all the time. I have had to spend so much money fixing that stupid setup. As I said in my post above, as a 8V owner, I could see myself taking the 8.5Y as my next car but definitely not the 8Y.

Just do the proper maintenance and you won't have problems with the haldex. Haldex is reliable and has proven effective (RS3/ttrs in the 8-second 1/4 Mile). Torque splitting diff is a party trick to impress your friends by doing donuts once in a blue moon and If you track your car just buy a real track car... a GTI or a RWD car.

The new 8.5Y is straight ugly.
Plastic grill front and back
atrocious headlight
Penis wheels
It's the same brake in North America we have the mk8R brake. In Europe certain models have smaller brakes
More hp... Most enthusiasts are tuning their car anyway.

Over the last 2 years, the price of an S3 increased by $7-8k(CAD) for the same model.

I paid $62k(CAD) Before Tax dec. 2021 for my 8y Technik fully loaded and now the same car is nearly $70k. I'm sorry but an Audi S3 is not a $70K car (CAD)

This model will be 73k at least in Technik trim for a 3xxhp car. its a joke

[VWVW]

Just do the proper maintenance and you won't have problems with the haldex. Haldex is reliable and has proven effective (RS3/ttrs in the 8-second 1/4 Mile). Torque splitting diff is a party trick to impress your friends by doing donuts once in a blue moon and If you track your car just buy a real track car... a GTI or a RWD car.

The new 8.5Y is straight ugly.
Plastic grill front and back
atrocious headlight
Penis wheels
It's the same brake in North America we have the mk8R brake. In Europe certain models have smaller brakes
More hp... Most enthusiasts are tuning their car anyway.

Over the last 2 years, the price of an S3 increased by $7-8k(CAD) for the same model.

I paid $62k(CAD) Before Tax dec. 2021 for my 8y Technik fully loaded and now the same car is nearly $70k. I'm sorry but an Audi S3 is not a $70K car (CAD)

This model will be 73k at least in Technik trim for a 3xxhp car. its a joke

The Haldex has been notorious for breaking down every 2-3 years in both the 8V and 8Y, depending on your luck and how you drive. Exterior and interior, the 8Y simply doesn't catch my interest. The 8.5Y is better in both areas but still isn't attractive enough to make me want to "upgrade". If my car dies, I would probably get the 8.5Y, but I wouldn't be excited to get into it. If I knew the 8Y and 8.5Y would end up like this, I would have gotten the final year 8V RS3 and keep it forever (even though it is still crappy haldex).

I agree for that pricing, one might as well go even higher for the 8.5Y RS3. I believe it will be available in Canada.