Photo: original image by autoevolution
We only have a few photos of the all-new RS3, but we can already tell that it's going to blow the roof off the hot hatch market. Just when you thought it was safe to order an A45 AMG, Audi comes along with a car that's noticeably faster and probably has a way nicer engine.
For now though, Mercedes has the upper hand in the hot compact car segment. The A45 AMG has a sedan brother called the CLA 45 AMG, which Audi has no answer to… yet.
Our sources tell us that the hugely impressive A3 clubsport quattro concept they revealed in May was actually a preview for the RS3 sedan and that the company wants to expand the RS range at an accelerated pace.
Development of the RS3 Sedan will start next spring and should take until 2016 to complete. The Germans will use the same 2.5-liter turbocharged engine, which currently makes 367 horsepower and 465 Nm (342 lb-ft) of torque. Mated to a twin-clutch gearbox, it should rocket the smallest RS sedan from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.3 seconds.
That's impressive when you consider that the RS7 Sportback flagship takes 3.9 seconds to reach 100 km/h and costs more than twice as much. We expect the four-door RS3 to retail from around €55,000 in Germany.
When launched, the RS3 Sedan will compete directly not only with the CLA 45 AMG, but also with a cool new car from BMW. As a direct successor to the legendary 1M Coupe, they will launch the M2. Yes, M2, baby!
That coupe will pack a 3-liter single-turbo engine tuned to produce 365 hp and 520 Nm (384 lb-ft) of torque. It will be quite light at around 1.4 tons and unlike the RS3 sedan, power goes to the rear wheels and a manual will be available.
The RS4 will be the first to arrive, somewhere around 2016. It's expected to drop the current 4.2-liter FSI V8 for a new 3-liter twin-turbo 3-liter V6 making around 450-470 hp. As some of you might remember, the first RS4 came with a 2.7-liter V6 biturbo, so this is actually a return to form.
Within a year, special edition RS6 Plus and RS7 Plus models are expected to come out, featuring the current 4-liter V8s, but tune to around 580 horsepower, according to the more conservative estimates. Further down the line, RS Q1 and RS Q7 models are rumored to join the hot SUV dogfight.
Our sources tell us that the hugely impressive A3 clubsport quattro concept they revealed in May was actually a preview for the RS3 sedan and that the company wants to expand the RS range at an accelerated pace.
Development of the RS3 Sedan will start next spring and should take until 2016 to complete. The Germans will use the same 2.5-liter turbocharged engine, which currently makes 367 horsepower and 465 Nm (342 lb-ft) of torque. Mated to a twin-clutch gearbox, it should rocket the smallest RS sedan from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.3 seconds.
That's impressive when you consider that the RS7 Sportback flagship takes 3.9 seconds to reach 100 km/h and costs more than twice as much. We expect the four-door RS3 to retail from around €55,000 in Germany.
When launched, the RS3 Sedan will compete directly not only with the CLA 45 AMG, but also with a cool new car from BMW. As a direct successor to the legendary 1M Coupe, they will launch the M2. Yes, M2, baby!
That coupe will pack a 3-liter single-turbo engine tuned to produce 365 hp and 520 Nm (384 lb-ft) of torque. It will be quite light at around 1.4 tons and unlike the RS3 sedan, power goes to the rear wheels and a manual will be available.
New RS engines on the way
The RS3 is only the beginning of a whole family of new performance Audi models, some of which will seem quite revolutionary. For instance, the new RS4 and RS5 are already being planned, likely in conjunction with an unconfirmed RS Q5 model. We're also 90% sure that the TT RS will bow at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show as well.The RS4 will be the first to arrive, somewhere around 2016. It's expected to drop the current 4.2-liter FSI V8 for a new 3-liter twin-turbo 3-liter V6 making around 450-470 hp. As some of you might remember, the first RS4 came with a 2.7-liter V6 biturbo, so this is actually a return to form.
Within a year, special edition RS6 Plus and RS7 Plus models are expected to come out, featuring the current 4-liter V8s, but tune to around 580 horsepower, according to the more conservative estimates. Further down the line, RS Q1 and RS Q7 models are rumored to join the hot SUV dogfight.
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