Until now there hasn’t been a range-topper from the Four Ring brand to take on the likes of BMW’s M235i and Mercedes’ A45 AMG, but that is soon about to change. Audi has just announced full details of the upcoming RS3 Sportback.
Powered by Ingolstadt’s legendary five cylinder motor the all-new RS3 will boast no less than 270 kW and 465 N.m of torque making it the most powerful car in its segment. Thanks to the firm’s famed all-wheel drive system and seven-speed dual-clutch transmission the hatch can sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4,3 seconds. Top speed can be set to 280 km/h upon request.
Helping the RS3 to stand out from the crowd is a 25 mm lower ride height and 19-inch alloys. And in a first for this class of car, Audi will offer the option of carbon-ceramic brake discs.
“There is a long tradition of five-cylinder engines at Audi,” says Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Board Member for Technical Development at AUDI AG. “In the 80s, they turned Audi into a sporty brand, both in motor sports and in production. The new Audi RS 3 Sportback features the latest generation of our 2,5-liter, five‑cylinder engine – the most powerful production engine in the modular transverse matrix.”
The new Audi RS3 Sportback is expected to be introduced locally in the second half of 2015.
