Photo: Audi
A tidal wave of turbocharged goodness is about to come at us from Germany. While BMW is getting ready to launch the M2, a more affordable and compact alternative to the M4 that's sure to appeal to the younger audiences, Audi is busy with the RS3, its own 2.5-liter turbo monster with performance people expected only from a Ferrari a decade ago.
The 5-door RS3 Sportback has already been confirmed for production and is only a few months away from launch. But despite numerous reports, a sedan alternative has yet to be decided upon. You see, for the first time ever, the basic A3 is available as a sedan, meaning a CLA45 AMG. Fans are adament it should be built, but Audi is taking its sweet time with the project.
Speaking to Australian media at the company’s facility in Neuburg, the new boss of quattro division said there was more than a 50 per cent chance the RS3. The styling would be inspired by the now famous A3 Clubsport quattro concept car and power would come from a 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine. However, even if approved today, the RS3 Sedan would still take 2 or 3 years to go into production.
If the idea of waiting until 2017 for the small sedan of your dreams has left you with a very bitter aftertaste, Hollerwerger's interview manages to sooth that with some amazingly good engineering common sense:
“I think one of our aims is to go on with the tradition of the five-cylinder. Of course we showed also the one four-cylinder TT with 420hp (313kW). The problem is when you’re in daily use you need torque more than power and if you blow up these 2.0-lire four cylinder [engines] you get this problem of reduction of torque at low revs so we think the five cylinder is the best option.”
Bigger is better and you, sir, are very correct. But without without the RS3 sedan, we're afraid that America will never learn the joys of the 2.5 TFSI.
Speaking to Australian media at the company’s facility in Neuburg, the new boss of quattro division said there was more than a 50 per cent chance the RS3. The styling would be inspired by the now famous A3 Clubsport quattro concept car and power would come from a 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine. However, even if approved today, the RS3 Sedan would still take 2 or 3 years to go into production.
If the idea of waiting until 2017 for the small sedan of your dreams has left you with a very bitter aftertaste, Hollerwerger's interview manages to sooth that with some amazingly good engineering common sense:
“I think one of our aims is to go on with the tradition of the five-cylinder. Of course we showed also the one four-cylinder TT with 420hp (313kW). The problem is when you’re in daily use you need torque more than power and if you blow up these 2.0-lire four cylinder [engines] you get this problem of reduction of torque at low revs so we think the five cylinder is the best option.”
Bigger is better and you, sir, are very correct. But without without the RS3 sedan, we're afraid that America will never learn the joys of the 2.5 TFSI.
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