For the PlayStation generation, terms like 2-litre, turbocharged, four-wheel-drive instantly drum up some Asian four-door econobox tarted up to play racer on the street. Those from the Atari age would easily remind that generation rallying was a European and gentlemanly pursuit.

That much is clear at a simple glance at the Audi S3 with its clean body lines devoid of the unnecessary over-the-top elements so common to its rivals. No silly spoilers, just subtle aerodynamic aids littered around car culminating in a purposeful front grille and lower bumper ready to feed the boosted beast within.

Coddled in luxury and refinement would lead one to believe that there is compromise elsewhere. Raise the MMI’s screen out of the dashboard, select dynamic from one of the five modes available, at which point a prod of the throttle will erase that thought. There’s no compromise on the S3’s performance.

290bhp may not sound like much to the power-obsessed, but the S3 eats the 60mph sprint in 4.8 seconds aided in no small part by the 280lb/ft constantly available between 1,350 and 4,500 rpm. This all flows seamlessly through 6-speed S-tronic Dual Clutch gearbox. Quattro, Audi’s intelligent all-wheel-drive system maintains traction at license-losing speeds.