The beast springs to life, revving up menacingly before settling into an ominous burble reminiscent of a 1980s rally quattro. It’s the growling timbre of Audi’s famed five-cylinder turbo-charged powerplant – as unmistakable as that of a whisky-voiced rock star warming up his vocal cords before his next performance.

A new iteration of a legendary Audi, a delightful and justly renowned photographer in Steffen Jahn, and a deserted proving ground all to myself – the day I got a preview of the 400hp Audi RS3 will stay in my memory for a long time to come. Read the feature here: Audi RS3 first drive