Audi has unveiled today the much awaited Audi RS3 Sportback and has released the full details, images and the first video of the new hot hatch. The Audi RS3 Sportback is powered by the 2.5-litre TFSI engine developing 250 kW (340 hp) and 450 Nm (331.90 lb-ft) which has been coupled with the seven-speed S tronic twin-clutch transmission. The official Audi RS3 specs say the car is able to get from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds and that it has a limited top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph). The official Audi RS3 specs list also says it will manage to offer a fuel consumption of up to 31 mpg and a 212g/km CO2 emissions level.
Audi has even announced the Audi RS3 price list which will start at 49,900 EUR in Germany and at
39,900 GBP in the UK. The Audi RS3 will hit the showroom floor in April 2011.
The Audi RS3 Sportback comes with the company's acclaimed quattro all-wheel-drive system, flared lightweight carbon fiber-reinforced plastic wings, and a widened track. A nice touch offered by the Audi RS3 Sportback is its sport button that controls the throttle response and the exhaust note.
The Audi RS3 Sportback has a wider track, which has been extended to 1,564-millimeter (61.57-inch),
a McPherson strut front suspension system, rack-and-pinion steering and a sporty-direct gear ratio of 16.2:1.
For stopping power, the Audi RS3 Sportback has been fitted with 370 millimeters (14.57 inches) brake discs at the front and 310 millimeters (12.20 inches) at the rear.
Watch the first Audi RS3 video after the jump.
Audi Press Release:
Big performance in a small package: the Audi RS3 Sportback
Five-cylinder turbo delivering 250 kW (340 hp) and 450 Nm (331.90 lb ft) of torque
Zero to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 4.6 seconds, superior pulling power
Seven-speed S tronic, quattro drive and 19-inch wheels
Blazing performance, compact size. Audi has added a new model to its dynamic RS series: the Audi RS3 Sportback. In the great tradition of the brand, its engine boasts five cylinders and turbocharging technology. From a displacement of 2.5 liters come 250 kW (340 hp) of power and 450 Nm (331.90 lb-ft) of torque, with an average fuel consumption of just 9.1 liters of fuel per 100 km (25.85 US mpg).
Power is transmitted to the road via a seven-speed S tronic and quattro permanent all-wheel drive. 19-inch wheels and fenders made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) underscore the Audi RS3 Sportback’s position of distinction.
Power and sound: the engine
Each Audi RS model represents the pinnacle of its model line – the Audi RS3 Sportback, developed by quattro GmbH, now brings this dynamic philosophy to the compact category. It rockets from a dead stop to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 4.6 seconds – a performance figure unrivaled by the competition. Top speed is electronically limited to 250 km/h (155.34 mph). Even so the compact car, weighing in at only 1,575 kilograms (3,472.28 pounds),
Audi RS3 video:
uses on average just 9.1 liters of fuel per 100 km (25.85 US mpg) and emits 212 g CO2 per km (341.18 g/mile). This efficiency is due in large part to a delivery-on-demand oil pump and a regenerative system that recovers energy as the car decelerates.
The 2.5-liter engine in the Audi RS3 Sportback will thrill passengers thanks to its tremendous pulling power and its voracious revving up to 6,800 rpm. The guttural roaring and growling, backed by the signature rhythm of the five-cylinder firing order make up the classic Audi soundtrack. A sound flap in the exhaust branch intensifies the sound even further. The flap is controlled via the standard Sport button, which also varies the engine response.
Powerful five-cylinder engines have a long legacy at Audi. In the 1980s, racing cars and production cars used them to edge out the competition. Even the first Audi RS model, the 1994 RS 2, had a five-cylinder engine. The 2.5-liter unit, already part of the TT RS specifications, now redefines the state of the art, having recently been named “International Engine of the Year” by a high-ranking jury of automotive journalists.
The 2.5 TFSI delivers 250 kW (340 hp) from a displacement of 2,480 cc: a specific power output of 100.8 kW (137.1 hp) per liter. The maximum torque of 450 Nm (331.90 lb-ft) is readily available at the low end of the rev range, around 1,600 rpm, and remains constant up to 5,300 revolutions. These general parameters yield excellent acceleration and elasticity values.
Just 49 centimeters (19.29 inches) in length, the five-cylinder unit is ultra-compact, tipping the scales at a mere 183 kilograms (403.45 pounds). The crankcase is made of vermicular-graphite cast iron, a high-strength yet lightweight material. Audi is the first car maker to use this material in a gasoline engine. Perfectly placed reinforcements further enhance the block’s loadability. The lightweight-design concept keeps the Audi RS3 Sportback’s weight in check and pays off big in terms of axle‑load distribution and, ultimately, handling.
The large turbocharger generates up to 1.2 bar of boost pressure. The intercooler downstream achieves an efficiency rate of over 80 percent. Like all Audi gasoline turbos, the 2.5 TFSI combines turbocharging technology with FSI direct injection. The marriage of these two technologies facilitates a high compression ratio (10.0:1) along with a correspondingly high efficiency ratio. Flaps in the intake tract mix the air as it flows in. The two camshafts, each adjustable by 42 degrees of crankshaft rotation, also enhance the efficiency of the mixture formation.
Speed and grip: the drivetrain
The compact seven-speed S tronic transmits power from the five-cylinder engine via three shafts: one drive shaft and two output shafts. Like all dual-clutch transmissions, it comprises two transmission structures. The shifting process is extremely smooth, taking place in hundredths of a second as the clutches switch, with no perceptible interruption of pulling power. Seventh gear is very tall – a measure that reduces fuel consumption.
The driver can operate the seven-gear S tronic in two automatic modes and one manual mode. Gears are shifted using the paddles on the steering wheel or the selector lever. The launch control system manages the sprint from a dead stop, furnishing explosive turbo power with minimal tire slip.
Delivering power to the road with effortless ease, the quattro permanent all-wheel drive grants the Audi RS3 Sportback traction, dynamics, and stability. Its central component is an electronically controlled multi-plate clutch, mounted at the end of the propeller shaft to achieve a favorable axle load distribution. Located in its interior is a plate package bathed in oil.
Thanks to quattro, the propulsive power can be distributed to each axle as needed. Whenever slip occurs at one of the axles, an electric pump intervenes at lightning speed to increase the oil pressure. The pump presses the clutch plates together in a continuous fashion, thereby permitting the torque to be redirected accordingly. Thanks to a powerful accumulator, this process takes just a few milliseconds.
Dynamics and safety: the chassis
The stiff body lays the cornerstone for the Audi RS3 Sportback’s precise handling; the chassis is what makes it happen. The four-link rear suspension – with a track measuring 1,528 millimeters (60.16 inches) – is anchored to a subframe and features high-strength-steel control arms that allow it to handle longitudinal and lateral forces separately.
Widened to a 1,564-millimeter (61.57-inch) track, the front suspension is a McPherson strut construction, also with a separate subframe. Key components of the construction are made of aluminum. Thanks to its electromechanical drive, the rack-and-pinion steering is highly efficient, with a sporty-direct gear ratio of 16.2:1.
Coil springs and redesigned shock absorbers provide the vertical support. The sports suspension lowers the body of the Audi RS3 Sportback by 25 millimeters (0.98 inch) compared with the A3. The new range-topping model in the A3 series boasts 19-inch cast aluminum wheels fitted with 235/35 series tires at the front and 225/35 at the rear. The wheels come standard with machine-polished titanium-look styling, but are optionally available in black with a red rim flange.
The internally ventilated disks measure 370 millimeters (14.57 inches) in diameter at the front and 310 millimeters (12.20 inches) at the rear. The front friction rings are perforated for maximum heat dissipation. They are connected by hollow pins to the aluminum brake disk covers, which are encircled by four-piston fixed calipers painted a high-gloss black and bearing RS logos. The electronic stabilization program (ESP) features a Sport mode and can be switched off entirely.
Precisely guided by its responsive steering, the Audi RS3 Sportback eagerly takes to curves and exits them with agility, stability, and serenity. The stability limit is extremely high, an effortless mastery that rounds off the character of this powerful compact car.
Interior and exterior: dynamic styling
The new top-of-the-line model in the A3 series hints at its explosive potential from the very first glimpse. Together with the xenon plus headlights, the front apron, the anthracite single-frame grill with diamond-patterned styling and the air intakes cut a distinctive figure.
The side view is dominated by the flared front fenders made of carbon‑fiber‑reinforced plastic (CFRP), prominent sill panels, exterior-mirror casings in matt aluminum look and a large roof spoiler. A high-gloss black diffusor insert and two elliptical exhaust tailpipes on the left accentuate the styling at the rear. Audi RS3 badges adorn the single-frame grill and the rear hatch.
The dynamic style is matched in the interior, entirely black and sporting a number of Audi RS3 logos. The sports seats are upholstered in Fine Nappa leather with silver contrasting stitching; the inlays gleam in Piano finish black or the new Aluminum Race look; the leather multifunction sports steering wheel is flat-bottomed. The selector lever and instruments are specially designed. The driver information system can display the boost pressure and oil temperature as well as a lap timer.
The Audi RS3 Sportback comes with an array of standard equipment including the Sport button, rear parking system, climate control, chorus radio system, and xenon plus headlights with LED daytime running lights. Audi offers customers a range of optional features: front bucket seats, roof rails in matt aluminum look, and styling packages in black or matt aluminum. Five exterior colors are available, plus an unlimited selection of custom paint finishes.
The new top-of-the-line model in the A3 series is already the fourth Audi model to be built at Audi Hungaria in Győr, where it is rolling off the assembly line alongside the TT Coupé, the TT Roadster and the A3 Cabriolet.
Deliveries of the Audi RS3 Sportback will begin in early 2011. The base price in Germany will be 49,900 euros.
2.5-litre TFSI engine instils historic quattro character and modern day RS pace in new Audi compact hatch flagship
First ever compact class Audi RS model opens for UK ordering in December priced at £39,900 OTR – first deliveries are expected to begin in April 2011
Turbocharged five-cylinder TFSI engine linked to standard seven-speed S tronic twin-clutch transmission delivers 340PS and 450Nm of torque
0-62mph in 4.6 seconds, governed 155mph top speed, 31mpg capability, 212g/km CO2 output
quattro drive, 19-inch alloy wheels, flared lightweight carbon fibre-reinforced plastic wings, widened track, sport button controlling throttle response and exhaust note
The revered RS badge is about to adorn a compact class Audi for the first time as the new Audi RS3 Sportback waits in the wings with suitably spectacular performance and an evocative five-cylinder soundtrack for a spring 2011 UK debut. The formidable yet usefully practical newcomer will be available to order in the UK from next month priced at £39,900 OTR.
Audi high performance engineering division quattro GmbH takes the five-door Sportback version of the A3 as the foundation for the latest RS model, and in deference to the classic quattros of the Eighties endows it with a turbocharged five-cylinder petrol engine that employs 21st Century TFSI turbo charging and direct injection technology.
First seen in the TT RS, this all-new unit fills the cabin with a rich, bass-heavy five-cylinder tone as it channels 340PS and 450Nm of torque to the road through a standard seven-speed S tronic twin-clutch transmission and quattro all-wheel-drive. A sound flap in the exhaust branch intensifies the sound even further when the driver presses the Sport button, which also varies throttle response.
Maximum torque is readily available at the low end of the rev range, from around 1,600 rpm, and remains constant up to 5,300 revolutions, making for excellent flexibility and response.
The large turbocharger generates up to 1.2 bar of boost pressure, and downstream of it is an intercooler which achieves an efficiency rate of more than 80 per cent. The combination of the latest forced induction technology with FSI direct injection facilitates a high compression ratio (10.0:1) along with a correspondingly high efficiency ratio. Flaps in the intake tract mix the air as it flows in. The two camshafts, each adjustable by 42 degrees of crankshaft rotation, also enhance the efficiency of the mixture formation.
As befits an RS model the impressive output of this engine is reflected in an exceptional 0-62mph sprint time of just 4.6 seconds and an electronically governed 155mph top speed. Yet less predictably, this rapidity doesn’t rule out the potential for up to 31mpg according to the combined cycle test.
Carbon fibre aids weight reduction
The efficiency of the Audi RS3 Sportback is due in large part to a delivery-on-demand oil pump and a regenerative system that recovers energy as the car decelerates, but is also facilitated by weight-saving measures including the use of strong but light vermicular graphite for the engine block and carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) for the front wings. These help to keep the kerb weight of the new Audi RS3 down to 1,575kg, to keep CO2 output down to 212g/km and, equally importantly, to elevate the power-to-weight ratio to an impressive 216PS per tonne.
The extreme performance is gainfully employed by a chassis that lowers the Audi RS3 Sportback by 25mm compared with the standard A3, and comprises McPherson struts upfront and a four-link rear set-up. Balance and composure are boosted by a widened, 1,564 millimetre track, and grip by 19-inch alloy wheels shod with 235/35 series tyres at the front and 225/35 at the rear. The standard wheel finish is a machine-polished titanium look, but a black finish with red rim inserts is also available as an option.
Highly efficient electromechanical rack-and-pinion steering provides a suitably direct gear ratio of 16.2:1 for keen turn-in, while internally ventilated disc brakes measuring 370 millimetres in diameter at the front and 310 millimetres at the rear modulate speed powerfully and progressively. Their aluminium covers are encircled by four-piston fixed calipers painted a high-gloss black and bearing RS logos. To support them, the electronic stability programme (ESP) features a Sport mode that activates later intervention of the braking and acceleration retardation functions to enable greater adjustability without compromising safety. It can be switched off entirely for circuit use.
The quattro permanent all-wheel drive system oversees proceedings, granting the Audi RS3 Sportback an extra measure of traction, composure and stability. Its central component is an electronically controlled multi-plate clutch, mounted at the end of the propeller shaft to achieve a favourable axle load distribution. Located in its interior is a plate package bathed in oil.
Thanks to quattro, the propulsive power can be distributed to each axle as needed. Whenever slip occurs at one of the axles, an electric pump intervenes at lightning speed to increase the oil pressure. The pump presses the clutch plates together, thereby permitting the torque to be redirected accordingly. Thanks to a powerful accumulator, this process takes just a few milliseconds.
Audi RS hallmarks
The latent performance potential of the new Audi RS3 is conveyed subtly but unequivocally at the front end by a deeper front apron that incorporates enlarged air intakes, an anthracite coloured single-frame grille with diamond-patterned styling and xenon plus headlamps.
The side view is dominated by the flared, lightweight front wings covering 19-inch alloy wheels, prominent sill panels, mirror casings in matt aluminium look and a large roof spoiler. A high-gloss black diffuser insert and two elliptical exhaust tailpipes on the left accentuate the styling at the rear.
Inside, sports seats are upholstered in Fine Nappa leather with silver contrasting stitching, and inlays are finished in Piano black or the new Aluminium Race look. A flat-bottomed RS steering wheel and an exclusive design for the instruments and S tronic selector lever also highlight this car’s status, as does a specially configured Driver’s Information System which displays boost pressure and oil temperature and doubles as a lap timer.
The array of standard equipment also includes the Sport button, acoustic rear parking sensors, electronic climate control, DVD-based satellite navigation with MMI (Multi Media Interface) functionality and xenon plus headlights with LED daytime running lights. Optional features include front bucket seats, roof rails in matt aluminium look and styling packages in black or matt aluminium. Five exterior colours are available, plus an unlimited selection of custom paint finishes.
Picture caption
RS to the power of three – The perennially popular Audi A3 range now has an RS flagship model for the first time in its history. The formidable yet usefully versatile 340PS Audi RS3 Sportback will be available to order in the UK from next month priced at £39,900 OTR, and is expected to reach its first customers next April.
