Photo: Audi
After a wait that seemed to go on forever, Audi has finally revealed the RS3 Sportback, a hot hatch cut from the same fabric as hot hatch legends. The performance of this machine is sure to give many BMW and Mercedes owners sleepless nights. Let's look at the specs!
Ignoring all the rumors about a 2-liter turbo with 400 hp being used on the RS3, Audi has kept the 2.5-liter five-cylinder and breathed new life onto it. It now produces 367 PS (270 kW) and 465 Nm (342 lb-ft) of torque, which is 27 PS and 15 Nm more than before.
Lower weight, a faster-shifting S tronic twin-clutch gearbox and faster-reacting quattro drive all contribute to 0 to 100 km/h sprints in 4.3 seconds. There's a pretty long list of cars this is faster than and it includes the basic Porsche 911, BMW i8, Alfa Romeo 4C, Audi R8 V8 and even the first Lamborghini Gallardo models.
Besides the bigger engine, the RS3 comes with a sturdier gearbox than the S3, wider tracks, stiffer suspension and a new body kit that will take some getting used to. A long silver blade now goes across the whole front bumper and rises upwards towards the headlights like canard wings on an airplane. Around the back, two huge oval exhaust tips have been integrated into a black diffuser, giving a butch appearance to the car.
We wouldn't be doing our jobs if we didn't talk about fuel consumption, which isn't exactly stelar, but it's acceptable. On the combined cycle, the new RS3 is supposed to do 8,3 - 8,1 l/100km, equivalent to 34.8 mpg UK or about the same as a base Porsche Cayman. CO2 emissions of 189 grams per kilometer means you're unlikely to win environmental awards. But who cares when you're winning drag races, right?
The new RS 3 Sportback will go on sale in the United Kingdom in March, just as it's presented in Geneva, and the first deliveries are scheduled for next summer.
Lower weight, a faster-shifting S tronic twin-clutch gearbox and faster-reacting quattro drive all contribute to 0 to 100 km/h sprints in 4.3 seconds. There's a pretty long list of cars this is faster than and it includes the basic Porsche 911, BMW i8, Alfa Romeo 4C, Audi R8 V8 and even the first Lamborghini Gallardo models.
Holy...
As for the top speed, it's limited to 250 km/h (155 mph), though customers can order the dynamic package and increase that to 174 mph (280 km/h), which is nice.Besides the bigger engine, the RS3 comes with a sturdier gearbox than the S3, wider tracks, stiffer suspension and a new body kit that will take some getting used to. A long silver blade now goes across the whole front bumper and rises upwards towards the headlights like canard wings on an airplane. Around the back, two huge oval exhaust tips have been integrated into a black diffuser, giving a butch appearance to the car.
In the real world
The cabin comes as standard with leather sport seats, a flat-bottomed steering wheel and contrast stitching, both of which are likely to help bump the price of the RS3 to around €50,000. You can also order carbon fiber trim for the dash. The two aluminum pedals and the footrest are the same as any VW Group performance car, but that's not really such a bad thing.We wouldn't be doing our jobs if we didn't talk about fuel consumption, which isn't exactly stelar, but it's acceptable. On the combined cycle, the new RS3 is supposed to do 8,3 - 8,1 l/100km, equivalent to 34.8 mpg UK or about the same as a base Porsche Cayman. CO2 emissions of 189 grams per kilometer means you're unlikely to win environmental awards. But who cares when you're winning drag races, right?
The new RS 3 Sportback will go on sale in the United Kingdom in March, just as it's presented in Geneva, and the first deliveries are scheduled for next summer.
Google News