Audi will be bringing the new generation A3 hatchback to the 2012 Geneva Motor Show in March, leading the way to the unveiling of the S3 and RS3 versions shortly thereafter. The RS3 will be the last to arrive, but will undoubtedly be the most impressive.
The new RS3, like the entire A3 family, will be built on a new MQB platform that will make the car about 10% lighter when compared to its predecessor. Audi will also adopt an updated exterior language as seen in the A3 Concept unveiled last year at the Geneva Motor Show. There will also be an improved interior and an upgraded infotainment system.
Under the hood, the next RS3 will retain its usual turbocharged 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine, but its output will be increased from the current 340 HP to 350 HP. Audi will also be working to improve fuel economy.
More details about the next RS3 will follow shortly, so stay tuned! Until then, check out our rendering and let us know what you think!
Audi may be sending out the current generation TT-RS with one final special edition - the TT-RS Plus - but they are introducing another with that same package. At least, that is what a leaked document is suggesting.
Back in June 2011, Audi reported that all of the 2,700 units of the highly anticipated RS3 Sportback had been sold out, but if this document is to be taken seriously, then customers may have another chance to snag the sports hatch in an even cooler package. The RS3 Plus will take the turbocharged 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine - also found in the TT-RS - and jump-start it by 20 HP, leaving it with a total of 360 HP and 342 lb-ft. of torque. And just like with the TT-RS Plus, the RS3 Plus will be a few pounds lighter, thus making it a little bit faster. Expect to see different carbon fiber elements as well, most likely a specially designed wheel and a fixed rear wing.
The Audi RS3 Plus will be unveiled in May 2012, a month after the TT-RS Plus.
German tuner, MTM, has decided that even the most powerful A3 in Audi’s line-up can be improved significantly. Their new package based off of the RS3 Sportback 2.5 TFSI provides the sports hatch with a drool-inducing boost in power and some signature coloring.
Getting the RS3 to a level of supremacy took a series of high tech components, including a modified turbocharger that gives the engine a high-powered air supply. This turbocharger is teamed up with modified spark plugs that ensure the optimal firing of the combustion chambers and a new exhaust system specifically tailored to suit the different power variants. Final counts come in with an output of 472 HP, up from the RS3’s standard 340 HP.
A jump of 132 HP is nothing to shake a stick at so nothing else needed to be done for the Audi to shine. Of course, it was mandatory that MTM splash their customary exterior color combination of black, orange, and white just in case the home of this package was questioned.
Pricing for this package comes in at 10,600 Euro - or about $14,100 at the current exchange rates.
With 340 HP, the Audi RS3 is no doubt a very powerful wagon. Of course, that doesn’t mean that tuning firms are going to leave the vehicle untouched; hey, station wagons need a little love too. German tuner, ABT Sportsline’s love translates into 80 extra horsepower - up to 420 HP - with a second stage bringing out 470 HP and 465 lb-ft of torque! Who says, station wagons are boring?
In order to obtain the extra 130 HP for the second stage, the tuner installed an ABT turbocharger, a modified motor management, and a two-pipe stainless steel ABT exhaust system. This allows the Audi Rs3 to deliver a 0 to 60 mph sprint of just under 4 seconds. Both the first and second stage also get their top speed limiter removed allowing for a top speed of 177 mph.
Next to the engine upgrades, the tuner is also offering a new set of ABT light alloy wheels, size 19", wrapped in high-performance tires, 255/30 R19 on the front axle and 225/35 R19 on the rear.
The 2012 Audi RS3 Sportback might look the part of a ’ho-hum’ car on the outside, but rest assured, it’s got some serious horses lurking waiting to be bumped up by the right tuning house. Fortunately, German tuner B&B is up to the task, offering not one, not two, not even three, but four stages of performance upgrades for the RS3.
The first Stage upgrade takes the RS3’s 2.5-liter turbocharged, five-cylinder engine’s standard output of 340 horsepower and 332 lb/ft of torque up to 410 horsepower and 413 lb/ft of torque. Not content with that? Well, B&B has the Stage 2 upgrade for you, further bumping up the output to 425 horsepower and 428 lb/ft of torque. Then there’s the Stage 3 upgrade that boosts up the output further, hitting 450 horsepower and 442 lb/ft of torque.
You would think that those upgrades are already enough, but B&B is far from finished. For the price of €15,950 - that’s about $23,000 based on current exchange rates - the German tuner will provide a larger turbocharger and a high-performance stainless-steel exhaust system that brings the RS3’s total output to a mighty impressive 510 horsepower and 501 lb/ft of torque. With this upgrade, the RS3 can now hit north-to-60 in just 3.5 seconds with a top speed of 193 mph.
Other goodies that are part of this whole set-up, include a new two-mode sport suspension, a high performance brake system, and a choice between 19" or 20" wheels. Let’s all be real though; the meat and bones of what B&B is offering centers on the performance improvements done on the Audi RS3.
Not so ’ho-hum’ now, is it?
