The wait is almost over, Audi fans – the all-new Audi RS3 super-hot hatch is just a few months away from reaching production. To make the wait for what's likely to be the fastest car in its class a little easier, we bring your exclusive footage of the car undergoing testing at the Nurburgring track in Germany.
Although heavily camouflaged, this prototype shares a great deal of its secrets if you have a trained eye. For example, the exhaust system is finally ready for production, large oval tips flanking either side of the rear bumper. Around the front, we notice LED headlights are fitted, which should be standard on this car, unlike with the cheaper S3.
And what about the wheels? Sure, they're the familiar 5-Arm-Rotor design, but look closely and you'll notice a matte black finish has been paired up with neon yellow for the outer edge. That's never been seen on any Audi before and should help the new RS3 set itself apart from the old one.
According to our sources, a new 2.5-liter TFSI turbo will be used in the 8V RS3, producing 367 PS (270 kW), which is 7 more than the A45 and crucially 27 PS more than the old RS3. With launch control, this 5-door family compact will be able to go 0 to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds, ridiculously fast when you consider a Porsche 911 Carrera 4S with a manual boasts the same time.
Sales of the new RS3 are scheduled to start in April 2015, with deliveries in Germany happening in June. That gives Audi plenty of time to fine-tune the car for track use and get rid of the understeer, maybe even prove Haldex-style quattro can let the tail slide out on ice if they so choose.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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