The hottest version of the current Audi A3 is the S3->ke1303. Audi has not yet worked its RS magic on the small hatch, but that won't really be that hard. Platforms and engines for Audi (and all the Volkswagen Group) are like Legos; there is a bin full of parts that can be plugged in for substitution.

In fact, the A3 shares a platform with the TT. So the 340 hp 2.5-liter turbocharged five-cylinder engine from the TT RS should fit into the A3 without much problem. In the TT-RS, the engine delivers a performance of 0 to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds, so similar times could be expected in a RS3. Audi's development boss Michael Dick said RS3 "may" be built, and the car is technically ready.

If the car gets the green light, we wouldn't expect it to happen until after A3 line gets refreshed in 2011. The only other real problem is that since the U.S. doesn't have the S3, and the TT RS doesn't have a firm confirmation for North America, would Audi really consider bringing the RS3 here?

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