THERE are hot hatches - and there are hot hatches...

The more pedestrian ones offer suitably souped-up performance compared to the regular family cars they're based on while others really are in a league of their own and might better be described as ‘super hot hatches'.

Audi's RS3 is most definitely in the super hot category and arguably could lay claim to the title of being the ‘ultimate hot hatch'.

At its heart is a 2.5-litre engine delivering a massive 340bhp, a lot of power for a car of such relatively small size.

To keep all that power under a degree of control the RS3 is equipped with Audi's quattro four-wheel-drive system, which is just as well, as that kind of power going through the front wheels could present more than a few challenges.

As well as delivering blistering performance the RS3 looks the part too. This one came in a bright red that really ensured it stood out, aided by some stylish bodykit to reinforce its sporting nature.

It even had a set of unusual matching red alloys, which I have to confess I wasn't sure of, in the way one might have reservations about wearing a pair of red shoes.

That said they did grow on me a little - drawing as many admiring glances and comments as the car itself - and it got plenty.

My only gripe would be that they looked like the sort of wheels that if they got damaged might take quite a bit of work to repair or restore.

The RS3 is only available in five-door Sportback form, there's no three-door option.

The closest a three-door Audi hot hatch gets comes in the shape of the S3, which costs around £9,000 less and is powered by a 2.0-litre engine delivering 265bhp.

So is the RS3 worth that much more? The answer is ‘probably yes' when you consider it completes the 0-62mph sprint more than a second quicker in a time of 4.6 seconds.

Just to put that in perspective that's faster than a standard Porsche 911 or even a Carrera S.

The quattro four-wheel-drive ensures the RS3 has plenty of grip and does a lot to make for a thrilling drive that really takes some beating.

The reassurance it offers when all that power is at your disposal ensures you can have plenty of fun without being overly worried about the prospect of ending up in a hedge.

Even so, driving it does require a degree of caution as it's all too easy to find you're going very fast before you know it.

As its based on the five-door Sportback, a slightly larger and stretched version of the standard three-door A3, it offers a fair measure of practicality too, meaning as well as offering near supercar performance it will also double up very nicely as an everyday family motor.

Just the sort of versatility that's required if you're planning on persuading your partner it makes perfect sense next time it comes to buying a new car.