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2018 Audi RS3 Sedan Spied Testing On the Nurburgring

Slated to be launched in the United States in August 2017 for the 2018 model year, the Audi RS3 Sedan will rival the likes of the Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 4Matic and BMW M2. This is the first time our photographers caught the RS3 Sedan doing what it does best.
2018 Audi RS3 Sedan 24 photos
Photo: Stefan Baldauf/SB-Medien
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As expected, the 2018 Audi RS3 Sedan borrows many of its styling cues from the 2017 Audi S3 and the 2017 Audi A3. If I may state the obvious, it looks as if somebody shrunk the A4, then enhanced it with go-faster bits and bobs.

Outside, for example, the high-performance compact sedan boasts a honeycomb mesh grille and a set of thumping great intakes at the sides of the low-slung front bumper. The Matrix LED headlights are complemented by sleek LED taillights, while the rear bumper incorporates two oval-shaped exhausts.

It’s a sharp looker, I’ll give Audi that, but there’s more to the RS3 Sedan that just the pretty face. Under the sheet metal, the German bruiser hides a 2.5-liter 5-cylinder turbo engine sourced from the TT RS. The thundering powerplant boasts 400 horsepower and 354 lb-ft (480 Nm) sent to all corners through an S tronic 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

The quattro all-wheel-drive system comes as standard, of course, as is a traction control system that manages torque distribution so that the driver can accelerate with minimal slip off the line. In the TT RS’ case, the powertrain enables the two-seat model to sprint to 62 mph (100 km/h) in just 3.7 seconds.

On the optional front, the 2018 Audi RS3 Sedan is expected to offer carbon-ceramic brake discs for the front wheels with eight-piston calipers, as well as Audi magnetic ride adaptive damper control. As standard, top speed will be limited to 155 mph (250 km/h).

For those peeps who want to go even faster, Audi will be much obliged to rip them off with a box that reads “Dynamic package plus.” Tick that from the options list and you’ll see the RS3 Sedan hit as much as 174 mph (280 km/h).

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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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