Photo: Manhart
Refreshed for 2022, the RS 3 is anything but vanilla. The beating heart of the most performance-oriented Audi A3 comes in the guise of a five-cylinder turbo, a 2.5-liter engine that produces 394 horsepower (400 ps) in Europe and 401 horsepower (407 ps) stateside. Prospective customers who still want more can always turn to Manhart for the RS3 500 package.
Based in the German city of Wuppertal, the go-faster company kicks off the list of improvements with the MHtronik Powerbox tuning module. The more aggressive mapping cranks things up to 493 horsepower, which converts to 500 ps, hence the upgrade kit’s name. Detailed specifications are not available at press time, not even the torque figure. As a brief refresher, the bone-stock Audi RS 3 is officially rated at 500 Nm (make that 369 pound-feet).
Pictured in gloss black with gold accents, the Manhart RS3 500 features RS3 500 decals on the front doors, Manhart bodyside decals, and two more gold-finished decals on the rear hatch or trunk lid. Obviously available in both five-door hatchback and four-door sedan flavors, the ominous-looking thriller is flexing 20-inch wheels featuring the signature gold rim stripe.
Dubbed Concave One, the double-spoke wheels fill the wheel arches perfectly thanks to a set of lowering springs. Mounted with Pirelli high-performance rubber, the Manhart RS3 500 sweetens the deal with gold-painted brake calipers. When it comes to aural pleasure, the exhaust now comes in the form of a stainless-steel system with electronically-controlled valves that should come in handy if you happen to have noise-sensitive neighbors.
Manhart isn’t willing to mention what kind of money it’s charging for these upgrades, but given the already-high sticker price of the RS 3, it shouldn’t raise any eyebrows. Over in Germany, the more practical hatchback is listed at 61,500 euros or 66,100 freedom eagles at current exchange rates. Audi wants 2,000 additional euros for the more elegant sedan. As for the U.S., only the sedan is available at $58,900 sans the $1,095 freight charge.
Pictured in gloss black with gold accents, the Manhart RS3 500 features RS3 500 decals on the front doors, Manhart bodyside decals, and two more gold-finished decals on the rear hatch or trunk lid. Obviously available in both five-door hatchback and four-door sedan flavors, the ominous-looking thriller is flexing 20-inch wheels featuring the signature gold rim stripe.
Dubbed Concave One, the double-spoke wheels fill the wheel arches perfectly thanks to a set of lowering springs. Mounted with Pirelli high-performance rubber, the Manhart RS3 500 sweetens the deal with gold-painted brake calipers. When it comes to aural pleasure, the exhaust now comes in the form of a stainless-steel system with electronically-controlled valves that should come in handy if you happen to have noise-sensitive neighbors.
Manhart isn’t willing to mention what kind of money it’s charging for these upgrades, but given the already-high sticker price of the RS 3, it shouldn’t raise any eyebrows. Over in Germany, the more practical hatchback is listed at 61,500 euros or 66,100 freedom eagles at current exchange rates. Audi wants 2,000 additional euros for the more elegant sedan. As for the U.S., only the sedan is available at $58,900 sans the $1,095 freight charge.
Google News