2008 Audi S3 Sportback Photos, engines & full specs

Audi introduced the second generation of the A3 in 2003, and its customers already knew that an S3 would follow, but there were actually two of them: the three-door and the five-door versions, the latter being called Sportback.

The German automaker understood its clients' needs and offered the A3 with rear doors for those seated in the back. Thus, suddenly, the premium compact hatchback had the edge over its main competitors, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Moreover, to make this lineup more profitable, the Ingolstadt-based car manufacturer added the sporty S3, which provided not just fun at the wheel but also enough room and doors for a family of four.

Since the car had to provide more room for those seated in the rear, the Sportback (5-door) version was 79 mm (2.75") longer than its three-door sibling but with the same wheelbase. Both vehicles shared the same front fascia with the singleframe grille. This sported seven vertical chromed slats and was flanked by new headlights with seven LEDs for the daytime running lights. As a design signature for S-models, the door mirrors sported an aluminum look.

Inside, the S3 boasted sports bucket seats with high-bolstered areas for better side support during high-speed cornering. The dashboard was typical for Audi, with two wide dials for the speedometer and tachometer and two smaller gauges mounted on the upper side of the instrument cluster. There was also a small TFT display for the onboard computer. In addition, inside the rev counter, the automaker placed the S3 logo. The same badge was also noticed on the steering wheel. Audi left enough room in the back for passengers, with better headroom than in the three-door version.

Under the hood, Audi installed a two-liter turbocharged engine with a direct-injected fuel system. It was paired as standard to a six-speed manual, while a six-speed automatic (dual-clutch) was on the options list.