It’s official, at last! Audi has just released confirmed specs on the RS3 Sportback quattro. It is powered by the same 250kW 2.5 litre inline five cylinder found in the TT RS. Even the peak torque figure of 450Nm is the same. At this stage, though, it looks like the RS3 will only be fitted with a 7-speed S tronic; there is no mention of a manual box in the initial press release.
An aggressive front spoiler sets the tone for what is quite a hot looking hot hatch. Large 19″ alloys set off the car very well, too. They feature a slightly staggered formation, with 235/35 tyres up front and 225/35 at the rear (that’s not a typo). She’s a bit of a porker, though, at 1575kg it’s just as well Audi used carbon fiber reinforced plastic for the flared front guards, as the weight of the RS3 is nearing obesity for what is still a mid-size hatch.
Being an RS model this hyper-hatch features a “S” button which, among other things, opens an exhaust flap to release more of that awesome five-pot growl. It also enables the driver to completely disengage the ESP system.
Performance is up there, as you’d expect, and Audi claim a rapid 0-100km/h time of just 4.6 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited to 250km/h. Given the RS3’s numbers—performance and weight—its overall fuel consumption figure of 9.1l/100km is quite respectable.
Five exterior colors are available, but in the material released to date Audi are being shy with the details. We can probably make a well-educated guess, though. Red will feature, obviously, along with our guesses of white, silver, black and Audi’s signature RS metallic blue.
Inside is mostly what you’d expect from the familiar 8P A3 donor range. There is the new addition of “Aluminium Race” inlays, but the RS sport bucket seats in the press pics are an option. So, too, is the red contrast stitching. Silver contrast stitching will be standard fare.
There’s no mention of the car having a limited production run of 2700 vehicles as has been speculated. But it has been confirmed the RS3 will be released early next year with a European base price of €49,900. We expect Australian buyers will be doing well if they can drive away for less than $100K when the car finds its way down under.
All in all the RS3 Sportback looks the goods. Many, including us here at AUSmotive, will lament the lack of Coupé and manual transmission options. It’s unlikely that information is being held back, either.
Audi’s initial press information is available after the break, along with all 40 images released to date (click on the pics to launch 2000px super sizing).
