Audi RS Q3 concept revealed

Audi has pretty much confirmed a RS Q3 will make it into production by revealing this concept model ahead of the Auto China 2012 show. The RS Q3 gets a full whack of five-pot power, too, with the 265kW unit from the TT RS Plus.

To ensure the handling does not make a complete mockery of all that power Audi has lowered the RS Q3 by 25mm. That seems like a lot, but the standard Q3 sits surprisingly high on the road, so it should still be okay for urban assault duties.

We think the RS styling tweaks for this concept are right on the money; it just looks fantastic. The Ordos Blue paint colour works really well. Inside, though, things get a bit more questionable. Let’s just say it’s an acquired taste and we hope we never acquire the taste.

Sure, question marks, for us, always remain over this apparent insatiable desire for SUVs. Market forces are at play here and Audi (plus other manufacturers) are merely responding to what the punters want. And if they want an RS Q3 then, good luck to them.

Last week we had a turn in a regular Q3 2.0 TFSI quattro (review on the way) and we reckon the addition of those two letters—R and S—could make the Q3 something quite special.

Check out the full release from Audi after the break, including a few more pics.

Audi RS Q3 concept

• Interpretation of a high-performance athlete with 265 kW (360 hp)
  
• Powerful 5-cylinder unit combines gasoline direct injection with turbocharging
  
• Acceleration to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 5.2 seconds and top speed of 265 km/h (164.66 mph)

At Auto China 2012 in Beijing, Audi is presenting a themed vehicle based on the Q3 – the RS Q3 concept. It interprets the character of the compact SUV in a very special way – systematically dynamic.

The blue painted Audi RS Q3 concept is a vehicle based on the theme of thrilling dynamic performance. Its engine, a 2.5 TFSI with 265 kW (360 hp) of power, and its body – lowered about 25 mm (0.98 inches) and widened with sharp visual details – explore the potential of the Q3 model series in a new way.

Brushed and polished aluminum trim frames the Audi RS Q3 concept’s single-frame radiator grille. Its black grille insert exhibits a new geometry – the honeycombs are slightly offset to one another deeper inside, creating a distinct three-dimensional effect. The lower area of the grille integrates another sculpted feature – a silver quattro signature. The headlights are slightly tinted; inside them, some chrome parts are dark or covered by panels of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP).

The bumper was redesigned; there are now powerful edges around the outer air intakes. They are subdivided into two segments – the inner sections have honeycomb screen inserts, while their outer sections, made of CFRP, have a smooth funnel shape. The front spoiler is also made of CFRP. Its lower section is matt black. The entire lower section of the bumper is coated with blue clearcoat paint.

The same combination of black and blue tinted areas is repeated on the sides of the Audi RS Q3 concept – on the trim strips of the doors and sills and on the add-on parts of the wheel housings. The door mirror housings consist of black CFRP, while matt aluminum trim frames the side windows. The roof spoiler runs a long way towards the rear; its middle section has been slightly shortened compared to its outer sections. It is painted in the body color Ordos Blue – a matt blue with a slight yellow tint.

At the rear, the lower bumper section has a sporty and angular style. The diffuser insert, which integrates the two large elliptical tailpipes in typical RS look, has been shifted far upward. Here too, Audi designers chose a combination of blue clearcoat and black CFRP. The rear lights and auxiliary lights in the bumper are tinted in anthracite and are made of clear glass.

Blue and black: the interior

In the interior of the Audi RS Q3 concept, which gets plenty of light through a glass sunroof, cool black is the dominant color – on the roofliner, floor carpet, floor mats, leather-upholstered instrument panel and on large areas of the seat upholstery, which consists of Fine Nappa leather. Dark blue Alcantara is used as a contrasting element on the seat covers.

The contrasting blue color is used in an inventive way in the CFRP decorative panels – the panel material was produced by weaving brilliant blue luminescent glass fibers into it. The steering wheel has large control stalks made of CFRP, which are framed by aluminum accents. Most of the wheel is covered with black Velvet leather – a leather that gives the hands a secure grip and repels dirt very well. In the door trim panels, there are surfaces in blue Alcantara.

The inside door handle has a perforated lightweight construction look as in every RS model. In the tachometer, Chinese characters replace the usual Arabic numerals. RS Q3 badges adorn the instrument cluster, the seatbacks, door sill plates and floor mats.

The styling of the engine compartment is also extremely sporty in appearance. A layered-carbon trim panel covers the area around the five-cylinder engine that sports a red valve cover, and two laterally arranged ventilation screens feed air to the engine. As is the practice in car racing, the cylinder numbers are marked on their spark plug covers. An aluminum housing holds the open sports air filter, and the filtered air tube is made of stainless steel.

Powerful: the drivetrain

The extremely powerful 2.5 TFSI in the RS Q3 concept combines two classic Audi technologies – gasoline direct injection and turbocharging. From 2,480 cc of engine displacement, it generates 265 kW (360 hp) of power. The car catapults itself from zero to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 5.2 seconds, and its propulsive force takes it to a top speed of 265 km/h (164.66 mph).

A seven-speed S tronic transfers the forces of the sonorous 2.5 TFSI to the quattro permanent all-wheel drive. Generally, it directs these forces almost exclusively to the front wheels. When slip is detected there, it can redistribute forces to the rear axle via a hydraulic multi-plate clutch with electronic control – instantaneously and variably.

The alloy wheels of the Audi RS Q3 concept continue the dynamic RS Q styling and have the dimensions 8.5 J x 20. The front surfaces are high-gloss, while the sides are sandblasted. The tire size of 255/30 is not exactly typical for an SUV, but certainly for an RS model.