Could the Audi RS3 Be Shown at the Los Angeles Auto Show?

Right now, Audi engineers are feverishly testing out the new RS3, a hot hatch that knows no equal. The video below shows the hyper-A3 undergoing Nurburgring testing in preparation for what we believe is a spring 2015 market launch. The 2.5-liter 5-cylinder turbo engine is still being used, as you can hear for yourselves, but it’s been bumped up to 367 PS and offers the latest fuel-saving technologies.

More crucially perhaps, Audi has found ways to make its FWD-based cars more fun. Sure, there’s still going to be some understeer, but the latest Haldex couplings can send up to 100% of the torque to the back wheels. Even the S3 is more engaging than the old RS3 now.

An RS3 in Los Angeles is kind of like a shot in the dark on our behalf. Audi has never sold this car in America. In fact, up until a few years ago, the US wasn’t too kin on hatchbacks in general. But just like VW gave in to public demand and launched the Golf R in 2012, so too should the four-ring brand sooner or later. And when it decided quattro hatchbacks are the way to go, the announcement needs to be made at a major motor show, like Los Angeles.

Of course, there are a few other possibilities. There’s the new R8, which we think isn’t ready yet (hasn’t undergone cold weather testing) and the second generation Q7. And let’s not forget the RS6 Plus, which was a hot topic when we discovered it being described on a UK dealer’s website.