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2014 Audi S3 Sedan 
Audi has finally pulled the covers off of the new Audi A3 Sedan and with it, the German automaker also introduced its S-variant, the equally new S3 Sedan. Oh joy. Scheduled to meet the world at the New York Auto Show, the new S3 is already getting quite the attention from a lot of people in large part because Audi hasn’t had a small sports sedan in its line-up in a long time. So you can say that the new S3 has a lot of expectations attached to it, in large part because you can never have enough people clamoring for a German sports sedan that they can actually afford. Mercedes went ahead and revealed the CLA-Class earlier this year, so it was only the right time for Audi to join the German sports sedan party in America. There’s a sentence we never thought we’d write. If you’ve been waiting for this day to come, well, wait no longer because details of the new Audi S3 Sedan can be found after the jump. Full story
2015 Audi A3 SedanAt the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, Audi unveiled the A3 Concept sedan, but the unveiling of the production version took longer than we expected. After we brought you a series of spy shots of the A3 prototypes, today the new A3 sedan made its world debut at the 2013 New York Auto Show. The new A3 sedan retains much of the design elements we have seen in the concept version and adds numerous innovative features on the A-segment: signature Singleframe grille and available full-LED headlights. The new Audi A3 sedan will go on sale on the U.S. market showrooms in the first quarter of 2014. European customers will be able to enjoy it starting this summer. In there the new A3 sedan will start at €25,000 - about $32,000 at the current exchange rates. Updated 03/27/2013: This review has been updated with the official details, images and specs. Hit the jump to read more about the new Audi A3 Sedan. Full story Spy shots: Audi A3 Convertible caught testing The next-generation Audi A3 Convertible was caught testing for the first time back in January and now we get to see the car in action again. This time, Audi engineers were caught driving it around in Germany. As these new spy shots reveal, the next A3/S3 Convertible looks like a little brother to the A5 Convertible - a smart decision made by Audi considering the current generation is not the prettiest in its class. The new A3 Convertible will be based on the A3 sedan set to be unveiled in just two days at the 2013 New York Auto Show, minus a pair of doors of course. Rumors suggest that the future A3 Convertible will be offered with one TDI and two TFSI engines, with power ranging from 122 to 180 horsepower, while the S3 version goes up to 300 horsepower. Up to this point there are no indications on whether Audi will offer a RS3 Convertible or not. Expect the new Audi A3 Convertible to arrive later in September at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
2013 Audi RS3 Sportback by Schwabenfolia
SchwabenFolia has been responsible for a pair of tuner projects this past week. Fresh off of its new program for the Chevrolet Camaro, the aftermarket specialist has a new one in the oven, this time for the Audi RS3 Sportback. As is always the case with SchwabenFolia, important attention was paid on giving the car a new skin, which in this case is the rather fancy matte Gorange Metallic foil. The gold and orange combination works better on the RS3 than the original Suzuka Grey Metallic finish it had. We don’t know about the €2,350 price tag ($3,060 at the current rates) you have to pay to get that work done, but if money isn’t an object, then it’s a pretty slick way to spruce up the sports hatch. In addition to the new body color, the aftermarket company also tinted the RS3’s taillights and put some shine on the black roof, the front lip, and the Audi logo on the grille. On the inside, SchwabenFolia also dressed up the interior with new bucket seats that carry the driver’s name and, curiously enough, the Nordschleife logo. All of this comes in at only €1,450 ($1,900). Finally, a performance upgrade, for just €5,450 ($7,100) was also done on the RS3 featuring a RAGE 2.5 exhaust system developed by F-Town Street with dual 80 mm (3.14-inch) tailpipes. The result is an output increase to 425 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque, a significant spike from the standard 340 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque from the car’s 2.5-liter five-cylinder turbocharged engine. 2013 Audi A3 Sportback g-tron
Audi’s fifth world debut for the 2013 Geneva Motor Show is the A3 Sportback g-tron, which is based on the A3 Sportback and powered by CO2-neutral fuel, Audi e-gas. The model will be put on sale towards the end of the year. The model was previewed by the TCNG e-gas project unveiled back in 2011 and Audi promised a production version will arrive in the upcoming years. The e-gas necessary for the new model will be produced at Audi’s plant in Werlte (Emsland district of Lower Saxony), Germany. The model is based on the 1.4 TFSI version of the A3 Sportback, but with modifications made to the cylinder head, turbocharging, injection system and the catalytic converter. The two tanks under the luggage compartment floor can each hold seven kg (15.43 pounds) of e-gas and they deliver a range of 248.55 miles, plus an additional 559.23 miles when gasoline is added. Hit the jump to read more about the Audi A3 Sportback g-tron. Full story 2013 Audi A3 e-tron
Audi is preparing to make a big step into the electrification of the drivetrain, with the unveiling of a very cool A3 e-tron plug-in hybrid at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. The model can be driven in in three different modes: combustion engine, electric drive or in hybrid mode. The new A3 e-tron combines a 1.4 TFSI engine with an output of 150 horsepower, with an electric motor that generates a total of 75 kW (100 horsepower). With a total output of 204 horsepower and a peak torque of 258 pound-feet, the A3 e-tron will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 7.6 seconds and will be capable to hit a top speed of 137 mph. In electric mode the A3 e-tron has a driving range of 50 kilometers (31 miles) and can hit a top speed of 80 mph. In plug-in version it delivers a fuel economy of 156.81 US mpg and emits only 35 grams of C)2 per km (56.33 grams per mile). The hybrid drivetrain is combined with a six-speed e-S tronic, which transfers the power to the front wheels. More details will likely be revealed at the Geneva Auto show, and we’ll update you as soon as Audi releases these details.
2013 Audi AS3 Sportback by ABT Sportsline
Just yesterday we learned the official details on the next-generation Audi S3 Sportback and today the German tuner, ABT Sportsline, has unveiled a neat tuning package based on the standard A3 version. The tuner worked on improving the exterior and the interior of the A3 and a series of stout updates under the hood. The aerodynamic package starts with a large front lip spoiler, a new ABT grille, plus new fender inserts and side skirts. The rear receives a new skirt set and a new spoiler that houses an all-new exhaust system with four tailpipes. The car sits on a set of light-alloy wheels sized 18 or 19 inches, depending on the customer’s wishes. The tuner also offers new springs lower the car’s ride height by 35 mm (1.37 inches), plus a new brake system with large discs: 345 mm (13.58 inches) in diameter. Our favorite update, however, is under the hood. Every available A3 engine can be tricked to deliver more power. The 1.4-liter four-cylinder TSFI engine goes from 122 to 160 horsepower and peak torque goes from 147 to 184 pound-feet of torque. The 2.0-liter diesel version goes from 150 to 170 horsepower and peak torque goes from 236 to 265 pound-feet. ABT is also working on the 1.6-liter TDI and the 1.8-liter TSFI, and we will get that information to you as soon as the kits are complete. Full pricing list will be announced at a later date. 2014 Audi S3 Sportback
In an attempt to keep us busy until the convertible version will finally join the S3 lineup, Audi has unveiled the initial details on the Sportback version - a model set to make its world debut at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. What’s the difference between this and the standard S3? Well, the number of doors of course: the new Sportback has four doors and offers increased space for families while maintaining its sporty nature. Except for the extra doors, the new Sportback version will pretty much remain identical to its three-door brother, meaning that customers will continue to enjoy the same performance numbers. You’ll have to consider that as the new Sportback is a little bit heavier, the 0 to 60 mph sprint will take 0.1 seconds longer. Talking about weight, Audi managed to shave an impressive 154 pounds from the car total weight - when compared to previous generation. This result has been achieved by using weight-saving materials like an ultra-high-strength steel passenger cell and light aluminum wings and bonnet. Hit the jump to learn full details on the new Audi S3 Sportback. Full story 2014 Audi S3 Convertible
Shortly after Audi unveiled new generation A3 hatchback at the 2012 Geneva Motor it has been rumored that a convertible version will arrive in just a few months time. If until now all we had were rumors, today our spy photographers have caught the car testing for the very first time. To make it even better this is not just the standard A3 Convertible, but the even more powerful S3. The new generation A3 Convertible will be based on the A3 sedan version we have caught testing the other weeks, meaning that it will be a little bit prettier than the current generation: you should imagine something like a smaller A5 Convertible. In fact this is a move everyone expected, considering the current generation A3 Convertible is not the prettiest thing we have seen. Expect the new Audi S3 Convertible to be unveiled at the end of 2013, most likely in Frankfurt. Full story Spy shots: Audi A3 Sedan Caught Testing in the Cold We knew a production version of the Audi A3 sedan will be brought onto the market right after the A3 Concept sedan has been unveiled at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. Of course today we finally have the proof: the model has been caught during cold winter testings. The sedan version of the will be built on Volkswagen Group’s flexible MQB platform, which will make the model significantly lighter than the current hatchback version. Under the hood we will see the same engine as in the rest of the A3 lineup, but rumors suggested that the 408 horsepower 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine found in the concept will also be offered. The new Audi A3 sedan will go on sale on the US market at the end of 2013. It will also be offered on markets like China and Europe and will target models like Mercedes CLA and the previously rumored four-door version of the BMW 1-Series. | Audi A3 latest reviews:Audi A3 tuning:
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