Last fall ROUSH Performance handed us the keys to the 2013 RS3 Mustang, so when they brought us a 2014 RS3 to test out and review, we obviously weren’t going to say no. With 575 hp of supercharged Coyote awesomeness under the hood the RS3 is definitely no slouch. A host of suspension mods including anti-wheel hop brackets, and big brakes to slow things down give the RS3 handling to match it’s horsepower and its great looks. 

Since we make regular trips to the local drag strip to test our own project cars, editor Mark Gearhart took the RS3 along for this week’s trip to the track. The RS3’s suspension system is setup more for hugging corners than hooking up on the drag strip. The twenty-inch wheels are also not selected with drag racing in mind. Gearhart though is no novice behind the wheel, and despite track conditions that deteriorated as the night went on, he was able crack out a best eighth-mile pass of 7.97 at 90.60. That equates to around a 12.19 quarter mile time slip. This was with a 1.90 sixty-foot time. Earlier in the evening, when the track was freshly prepped, the car had run a sixty-foot time of 1.837. We feel confident that with good track prep, and the right conditions, this car is easily 11-second quarter-mile capable on the stock wheels and tires, right off the show room floor.

That kind of performance starts putting the RS3 squarely into the performance zone of much more expensive cars when it comes to the drag strip. Gearhart secured a Go-Pro camera to his helmet, and caught the action as he made the best pass down the strip. Enjoy the video, and going for a ride in the ROUSH Performance RS3 at the drag strip.