Back in May we told you a new RS3 would cost you $78,900 plus on road costs. Now, in August, Audi Australia has confirmed as much.
For now, there’s still no mention of the optional RS Performance Packs, but your local dealer will have all that for you now if you like. We expect the PR department will come good with a press release when the RS3 is launched here in October.
A brief listing of standard equipment is listed below.
Should you buy the $80K Audi RS3 and get that lovely 270kW/465Nm in line five cylinder, or save your cash and buy its baby cousin, the $55K 206kW/380Nm Volkswagen Golf R? Dan Prosser from Evo is here to tell you what he thinks.
The all-new Honda Civic Type R had an extremely long development cycle. It’s now been launched and has to go about living up to the hype Honda has generated.
Here Steve Sutcliffe from Auto Express takes the Type R to the tight Llandow Circuit in Wales to see how it compared with the Seat Leon Cupra 280 and the Renault Megane RS275 Trophy.
That’s all well and good, nobody would be surprised if the Type R was the quickest of that trio. But what if the Audi RS3 and BMW M3 are added to the list?
[Thanks to John for the tip]
It won’t be too long now until the Audi RS3 has its official Australian launch. In fact, if you ask nicely, you can probably sneak a preview at some dealerships already.
You already know the pricing so here’s a series of videos to help you get to know the new RS3 a little better.
Australian pricing for the new Audi RS3 has not been officially announced but plenty of local dealers will happily sign you up to buy their new 270kW/465Nm hot hatch. When they do the first figure they’ll put down is $78,900, that’ll be the base price, before on road costs.
At first that doesn’t seem too bad; mid-80s driveaway for an RS3 is okay value, maybe. But that’s before you start ticking the options boxes.
One of the two RS Performance Packs offered will add $6490, they include things like bigger wheels and tyres, better stereo, magnetic ride, carbon fibre interior bits and a fresh lick of paint for your brake calipers. If you want some extra driver aids, such as adaptive cruise control, you’ll need to tick the $1600 Assistance Pack.
The RS Design Pack, to jazz up your interior, will add another $1950. And if you want to customise the outside of your new RS3 then the extended styling packs (matt silver or gloss black) up the price by a further $1600.
More usual extras like metallic paint ($1495), crystal effect paint ($2015) and a pamoramic sunroof ($2535) are also likely to prove popular.
All of a sudden you could be looking at a six-figure sum for your growling five-pot quattro. And that’s before you’ve asked about ceramic brakes (front only) or racing style bucket seats.
Hmm.
Audi UK has gone first with details of the new RS3 Sportback and it’s very good news too. Powered by the charismatic 2.5 litre inline five cylinder turbo engine the new RS3 pumps out 270kW (367PS) and 465Nm to all four wheels via its quattro all-wheel drive system. That’s a 20kW/15Nm increase over the previous-gen RS3.
Coupled to a 7-speed S tronic transmission the RS3 sprints to 100km/h in only 4.3 seconds. Sub 4.5 second 0–100 times in a family hatchback!
And that’s not the best news, either. No, the best news is, as first reported on AUSmotive back in October 2012, the RS3 will be offered for sale in Australia. Expect it to hit your local Audi dealer in late 2015.
Featuring the expected RS cosmetic enhancements the new RS3 looks great with its aggressive front grille and spoiler. Large oval-shaped exhaust tips set-off the back very nicely and perhaps the only disappointment is the new style 19″ alloy wheels.
For now we only have four images to work with, but no doubt more will be coming from Audi AG very soon. We’ll bring those to you when we can, along with all the detailed press material we can get our hands on.
UPDATE #1: Audi AG press release added below.
UPDATE #2: 13 new pics now available after the break.
This S3 sedan bodied test mule has bee spied in Nekarsulm, the home of quattro GmbH. It’s the best sign yet that Audi is planning an RS3 sedan.
Firm details are pretty scarce right now and the closest thing we’ve got to an official comment on the existence of an RS3 sedan are a few hints from Scott Keogh, Audi of America boss, and Matthew Dale of Audi Australia.
Sedan or sportback, we just can’t wait to hear that inline five-pot in action once more.
[Source: Fourtitude | Thanks to Charlie for the tip]
An Audi RS3 prototype has been growling its way around the Nürburgring in recent days confirming what we already knew, that we can expect it to remain powered by a 2.5 litre turbocharged inline five cylinder engine.
Peak power should give 300kW a nudge, or perhaps even more, while in-gear progress will be a blast with at least 500Nm of torque. Let’s just hope Audi sorts out the handling and makes it better than its first RS attempt on the A3 platform.
The best news, though, is a tip from carsales.com.au suggesting we’ll be seeing the RS3 under the bright lights of the Paris Motor Show (4–19 October). We’re not totally convinced that will be the case but hope that it does prove true. If it does we should see something from official Audi by late September.
[Thanks to John for the tip]
We really like the sound of Audi’s inline five cylinder. It’s a unique growl that heightens the senses. And thankfully it seems Ingolstadt is intent on keeping its famed 2.5 litre five pot in the next-gen RS3.
Here’s a clip of an RS3 test mule being put through its paces around the Nürburgring. The body is pretty much standard S3—look to the A3 clubsport quattro for new RS3 inspiration—but there’s no mistaking this car’s five cylinder heart.
Peak power in the RS3 will have to be at least 300kW (400hp) just to keep people interested, but perhaps, like that clubsport quattro Audi will go well beyond 300kW.
Previously it has been suggested we might see the RS3 this year. Latest guesswork says we should expect the RS3 in Geneva next March. We’ll be waiting!
[Thanks to John for the tip]
Mercedes-Benz has returned serve to Volkswagen in the increasingly public battle for four-cylinder supremacy.
Recent concepts from Volkswagen and Audi have shown the Volkswagen Group is looking to push beyond the 300kW (400hp) mark with a revised version of its familiar EA888 2.0 litre.
Jochen Martin Schmid, AMG Powertrain Development engineer, has boldly stated Mercedes will win this battle.
“We cannot, and will not, let them get ahead of us,” Schmid declared. “If that means the start of a new power war for four-cylinder cars, then it’s the start of a new power war for four-cylinder cars.”
Schmid gets specific, too, saying the 2.0 litre used in the A45 AMG has more development potential.
“Theirs is based on the EA888, right? That’s a pretty old engine now and ours is a completely new concept with room for development,” he said.
The cause of these power games can be traced back to Volkswagen’s recruitment of Friedrich Eichler, the man who oversaw the introduction of AMG’s first four-cylinder engine, used in the A45. With 265kW/450Nm it currently holds rank as the world’s most powerful production-based four-cylinder engine.
Despite Schmid’s dismissal of the EA888 engine, Dr Ulrich Hackenberg, Audi Chief Technical Officer, is showing faith in his product.
“For production, we have to change the cylinder-head, because in the EA888 it has the exhaust manifold in the cylinder-head now,” Hackenberg explained when talking about the 309kW/450Nm TT quattro sport concept. “With this engine and its output, it produces too much heat in the head to keep it like that, so we have to change it.
“But, apart from swapping in some stronger parts, it can still be made within our production system.”
The net result of all this is the fact it’s looking like the A45 AMG Black Series, or whatever Mercedes has up its sleeve, will have to push beyond 310kW (415hp) if it’s going to win this war.
You know, it’s not all that long ago we used to salivate over the 309kW/430Nm 4.2 litre V8 in the B7 RS4. And soon we’ll be having that sort of power in a Golf-sized hatch. Keep fighting Mercedes and Volkswagen, keep fighting!
[Source: motoring.com.au | Thanks to John for the tip]
When we first saw the A3 clubsport quattro we became a wee bit excited. We wanted to think it was a bona fide RS3 preview, but some of its styling along with that staggering 386kW 2.5 TFSI are unlikely to make it down the production line.
However, Audi Australia spokesman Matthew Dale has told carsales.com.au that the concept model, currently on show at the Wörthersee festival, does paint a pretty good picture of the next RS3.
“The clubsport [concept] is a view into the future of the RS. The TT RS, RS Q3 and the previous RS 3 Sportback all use the 2.5 TFSI engine, and this [concept] shows you where it can go,” said Dale.
Although, it’s unlikely the concept’s headline stats of 386kW/600Nm will become reality. At the moment the best Audi has given us from the 2.5 TFSI is 265kW/465Nm found in the TT RS Plus. That said, we’d not be surprised to see the next-gen RS3 pony up 300kW or more.
Despite his earlier assertion, Dale also tempered expectations on the new RS3, before indicating Audi Australia would want the car. Of course, we’ve long expected the next RS3 will make it to Australia, but it’s still nice to see it now being openly discussed.
“We haven’t heard anything as yet—for any RS3 badged car,” he added. “But certainly if the factory was to come to us and say an RS3 Sportback or an RS3 sedan is available, we’d be the first ones to say yes.”
Hot diggety!
[Source: carsales | Thanks to John for the tip]
“We have pushed the limits in every respect with this show car: power, dynamics, sound, design.”
They’re the words of the impressively titled Prof Dr Ulrich Hackenberg, Audi’s board member for Technical Development. The concept in question is this balls out A3 clubsport quattro. It will be on public display for the furst time at the annual Wörthersee show. And, yes, Audi has indeed pushed the limits.
It’s based on the S3 Sedan, although with those flared guards, aggressive body kit and growling 2.5 litre engine there’s not much of the S3 Sedan remaining.
As is Audi’s wont with its show cars that engine is far from standard. In this case the 2.5 litre five-pot we came to know and love from the TT RS has been reworked to produce a staggering 386kW (525hp). Five hundred and twenty-five horsepower!
According to Audi the concept weighs in at 1527kg and with its 7-speed S tronic and quattro system it can knock off 100km/h in 3.6 seconds.
This show car is likely to be a massive tease, although we can live in hope that the next RS3 may take some of the styling tweaks, if not a fair portion of its totally corrupting power.
Yep, we want one too.