Audi's best-driving sedan just got even better.
AudiAudi on Tuesday revealed a new version of its RS 3 sedan and hatchback called the Performance edition. While it doesn’t get any more power, the RS 3 Performance edition does get a slew of other upgrades that are either expensive options or unavailable on the standard car, like a higher top speed and bucket seats.
Being a “Performance” edition, this latest RS 3 trim gets all of the shiny, cool options on the normal car as standard, like ultra-sticky Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R tires, carbon-ceramic brakes, and adaptive suspension. The Performance edition also gets a higher electronically limited top speed (184 mph vs. 159) and, for the first time ever in an RS 3, a set of epic-looking bucket seats for the front row. The 10-spoke wheels measure 19 inches all around are finished in a matte grey and come exclusively on Performance edition cars.
Audi
Everything else we love about the RS 3 is still here on the Performance edition, too. Under the hood sits a turbocharged inline-five making 401 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque, sending power to a seven-speed dual-clutch and Audi’s signature Quattro all-wheel-drive system. Out back you’ll find a trick “RS torque splitter” electronic differential that can feed up to 50 percent of the torque to the rear wheels.
The RS 3 Performance edition is limited to just 300 units, with deliveries set to begin in Europe in early 2023. For those curious, an Audi spokesperson confirmed to Road & Track this variant will not be coming to the United States.
Audi Brian Silvestro Road & Track staff writer with a taste for high-mileage, rusted-out projects and amateur endurance racing.
Keyword: Audi RS 3 Performance Edition Gets 184-MPH Top Speed and Bucket Seats