Audi RS3 Revealed

The Audi RS3 arrives - a year after we expected it

This took a bit longer than we expected.

Back in September 2009 we reported that Audi would be taking a very hot A3 – the Audi RS3 – to the Frankfurt Motor Show. We heard that courtesy of an Audi dealer in Cape Town who Tweeted that they were looking forward to seeing the Audi RS3 at Frankfurt. One clanger dropped.

But it didn’t happen despite the detail in the Tweet, which said: “Looking forward to the unveiling of the new Audi RS3. 2.5L five-cylinder turbocharged engine, 4WD & 335Bhp. See it at Frankfurt Motor Show”. But here we are more than a year later and Audi has just revealed the Audi RS3 with exactly the specs the Cape Town Audi dealer let out of the bag in 2009. So the story was right, just a little premature.

The Audi RS3 will be the most powerful regular production hot hatch when it arrives next month, although it will need to be to make its mark as the 4WD makes it a bit of a bloater at 1575kg – 60kg up on the S3.

The RS3 is also quite subtle. It appears only to be coming as a five-door (just like the 2012 Focus ST?) and has little in the way of go-faster bits beyond a titivated grill and big chrome-trimmed brake vents up front. The wheel arches are a bit more bulbous to take the widened track, but this looks very much the A3 rather than a be-winged and be-jewelled shouty-fest.

Despite tipping the scales as a bit of a heavyweight, the RS3 manages to get to 62mph in just 4.6 seconds, noticeably faster than anything else in its class, although the forthcoming BMW 1-Series M Coupe may run it close.

The Audi RS3 will be available from mid-December 2010 at around £40,000.

By Cars UK