PARIS: The first ever Audi RS3 Sedan Audi will be presented at this year’s Paris Motor Show and will only come in RS-specific paint colours of Nardo gray or Catalunya red.
Due to be released in the second quarter of 2017, the RS3 will featuring a 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbocharged TFSI engine, producing 400hp and 480Nm of torque from 1,700 to 5,850rpm – making it the most powerful five-cylinder engine in the world.
It’ll get to 100kph from standstill in 4.1 seconds, before reaching a maximum velocity of 250kph – and if requested that limit can be extended to 280kph instead.
The new RS3 has a light-alloy crankcase, allowing the five-cylinder engine to become 26kg lighter, while employing a dual injection system into the intake manifold and into the combustion chambers meanwhile featuring Audi’s valvelift system for optimal power development to help reduce consumption levels.
The engine is mated to a seven-speed S tronic dual clutch transmission that sends power to the quattro permanent all-wheel drive system with an electro-hydraulic multi-plate clutch to distribute the drive torque variably between the front and rear axles.
The quattro management system is integrated as a standard feature in the Audi drive select dynamic handling system, as are the steering, S tronic, engine management and the adjustable exhaust flaps, which can be manually adjusted between comfort, auto and dynamic modes.
The same is true for the optional RS sport suspension plus with adaptive damper control.
Wheel-selective torque control, an intelligent software feature of the Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC), rounds off the work of the all-wheel drive.
In fast cornering it slightly brakes the inside wheels, which are under a reduced load, to help transmit greater lateral power, making handling more fluid and stable.
In addition, the RS-specifically tuned ESC comes with a sport mode for controlled drifting, and can be fully deactivated for especially sporty driving characteristics.
Progressive steering, four-link rear axle, a tight setup and a suspension lowered by 25mm relative to the standard model.
The RS3 uses a set of eight-piston callipers to bite down on the pair of 370mm front discs, while the 310mm rear discs gets paired up with four-piston callipers. Or a set of carbon-ceramic brakes can be opted for.
Standard on the RS3 are 19-inch wheels fitted with 235/35 series tyres while a set of wider and lower 255/30 series tyres can be opted for.
Compared to the standard A3, the RS3 track is wider by 20mm – the front wheel arches are accordingly wider flared as well. At the rear axle the wheels are spaced 14mm further apart over the base model.
At the front, the RS3 sports LED headlights with daytime running lights or an optional matrix LED set, while the rear features a lip on the boot lid, distinctive diffuser fins and large oval tailpipes of the RS exhaust system.
Inside, there are illuminated door sills that bear the RS3 logo, black Nappa leather upholstered sport seats with RS logos on the backrests are standard, but optionally available are more contoured RS sport seats with integrated head restraints that feature diamond patterned and colour-perforated covers.
The RS sport leather steering wheel is flattened at the bottom, with inlays at the instrument panel and at the doors.
The optional 12.3-inch Audi virtual cockpit monitor is able to display a special RS screen that moves the tachometer to the center. On the left and right information appears on tyre pressure, torque and g-forces.
When the transmission is operating in manual mode, a scale with a color background prompts the driver to use the steering wheel paddle or selector lever to upshift when approaching maximum revs.
Also installed is a 705 Watt 14-speaker Bang & Olufsen Sound System, as well as the new traffic jam assist which works up to 65kph, emergency assist – automatically stopping the car to avoid a collision and cross traffic assist rear.
Keyword: 2016 Paris Motor Show: Audi RS3 offerings gets the blood racing