The Audi RS3 Sportback is available in four different specifications: RS3, Carbon Black, Launch Edition and Vorsprung. As standard, every model comes equipped with 19-inch alloy wheels, heated Front Sport seats with ‘RS’ embossed logo in Fine Nappa leather, dual-zone climate control, cruise control, Audi’s 12.3-inch Virtual cockpit with RS-specific display, a 10.1-inch MMI Navigation plus infotainment system, and the all-new RS Torque splitter. Stepping up to the RS3 Carbon Black brings darkened Matrix LED headlamps, five-spoke 19-inch matt black alloy wheels, a gloss black front spoiler as well as a carbon fibre finish to the exterior mirror housings, rear spoiler, side skirts and engine cover. Above that sits the RS3 Launch Edition, of which only 96 examples have been allocated to the UK. The Specification brings a wealth of additional standard kit such as the Driver Assistance pack, Adaptive suspension with Drive Select and Audi’s Comfort & Sound pack. A glass panoramic roof, heads up display, electric front seats, phonebox lite, sports exhaust, red brake callipers and a gloss black finish to various interior and exterior elements also appear. The top speed also increases to 174mph. Rounding off the line-up is the RS3 Vorsprung. This flagship model benefits from black 19-inch alloy wheels with graphic print, an electric bootlid and a 360-degree camera. Audi’s RS Dynamic pack is the highlight of the range of optional extras. It comprises Adaptive suspension with Audi Drive Select, RS ceramic brakes with brake callipers in gloss anthracite grey, a top speed increase to 180mph and Audi’s RS sport exhaust system.
With its five-cylinder, high-performance engine, the Audi RS3 is one-of-a-kind in the segment. The 2.5 TFSI has won the “International Engine of the Year” award nine times in a row. In the latest generation of the compact sports car, the engine is now more powerful than ever before developing 400PS and 500Nm of torque – allowing a 0-62mph sprint of just 3.8 seconds. Top speed for the standard RS3 is limited to 155mph, but Launch Edition and Vorsprung models see that increase to 174mph. A seven-speed dual-clutch transmission puts the power of the five-cylinder engine to the road – with short shifting times and a sportier gear ratio spread. The engine’s unique 1-2-4-5-3 ignition sequence and the incomparable sound that comes with it make the driving experience that much more exhilarating. For the first time, the exhaust system features a fully variable flap control system that supports intermediate positions, thus broadening the sound characteristics even further. It can be adjusted via the driving dynamics system Audi drive select. In the Dynamic and RS Performance modes, for example, the flaps open much earlier – the emotional elements of the sound are even more pronounced. In addition, the unmistakable sound of the five-cylinder engine is further enhanced by the optional RS sports exhaust system. With the RS Dynamic package and ceramic brakes, customers can even reach a top speed of 180mph. This makes the Audi RS3 the best in its class in terms of acceleration and top speed. This is primarily due to the 20Nm increase in torque over the previous RS3, which is available between 2,250 and 5,600rpm. As a result, the Audi RS3 accelerates even faster from low rev ranges. The engine’s maximum power of 400PS is available earlier than before at 5,600rpm and extends over a broad plateau to 7,000rpm. A new engine control unit also increases the speed at which all of the drive components communicate with each other.
The new Audi RS3 is the first Audi model that comes standard-equipped with a torque splitter. The new technology also makes controlled drifts on closed-off tracks possible – in this case, the torque splitter directs all of the power to only one of the rear wheels, with up to 1,750 newton meters per wheel possible. Audi even developed a driving mode specifically for the RS3 for this purpose – “RS Torque Rear” – as a drift mode with its own characteristic curve for the torque splitter. The RS Performance mode, created specifically for the racetrack, is another never-before-seen innovation, which uses a specific engine and transmission configuration. In this case, the torque splitter delivers a particularly dynamic, sporty ride along the longitudinal axis with as little understeer and oversteer as possible. These modes can be selected via the Audi drive select driving dynamics system, which also offers the following profiles: comfort, auto, dynamic, RS Individual, and efficiency.It replaces the rear axle differential and the previous multiple disc clutch package on the rear axle. Instead, an electronically controlled multiple disc clutch is used on each of the drive shafts. This ensures that the right amount of torque is optimally distributed along the rear axle. During more dynamic driving, the torque splitter increases the drive torque to the respective outer rear wheel with the higher wheel load, which significantly reduces the tendency to understeer. In left-hand curves, it transmits the drive torque to the right rear wheel, in right-hand curves to the left rear wheel, and when driving straight ahead to both wheels.
The standard RS sports suspension features newly developed shock absorbers and a valve system both specific to the RS3. The larger wheel camber, i.e. the wheels are angled more toward the road, results in a more precise steering response and increased cornering force. Compared to the Audi A3, the wheels on the front axle of the new RS3 have just under one degree of additional negative camber. To achieve this, the pivot bearings were modified and the lower wishbones were equipped with stiffer bearings, subframes, and stabilizers. The valves ensure that the shock absorbers exhibit a particularly sensitive response as part of the rebound and compression characteristics. This allows the suspension to respond to the respective driving situation even faster and more effectively. The RS sport suspension plus with adaptive damper control is available as an option. It continuously and individually adjusts each shock absorber to the road conditions, the driving situation, and the mode selected in Audi drive select. The three characteristic curves comfortable, balanced, and sporty provide a clearly perceptible spread of the shock absorber characteristics. A rear axle features a four-link design with separate spring/damper arrangement, subframe, and tubular stabilizer bar. The wheel carriers, which are stiffer than those of the Audi A3 and S3, absorb the increased lateral forces generated by the torque splitter. The RS-specific progressive steering varies the gear ratio depending on the steering angle – as the steering angle increases, the gear ratio becomes smaller and steering more direct. It also assists based on speed and can be varied via Audi drive select. The setup of the springs and shock absorbers is markedly stiff, and the body is 10mm lower than on the S3 and 25mm lower than on the A3.
In the interior, too, many elements specific to the RS accentuate its sportiness. The displays appear in the 12.3-inch Audi virtual cockpit plus, which comes standard. It displays the rpms in the form of a bar graph and shows power and torque as percentages. Optionally, the rpm display is available in the new “RS Runway” design. In this case, the values are displayed in the opposite direction in a manner that visually resembles an aeroplane runway – the highest speed in the foreground and the lowest speed in the background. In addition, the Audi virtual cockpit plus includes displays for g-forces, lap times and acceleration from 0-100 km/h, 0-200 km/h, quarter-mile, and eighth of a mile. The genuine racing feeling is further enhanced by the carbon fibre instrument panel for Carbon models and above, and RS sport seats with RS embossing and anthracite contrast stitching. The seat upholstery is available in fine Nappa as an option. The RS-specific blinking shift indicator in manual transmission mode changes the rpm display from green to yellow to red, blinking in a manner identical to that used in motorsports, to indicate the ideal time to change gears. The 10.1-inch touch display includes what is referred to as the “RS Monitor,” which displays the coolant, engine, and transmission oil temperatures as well as tire pressures. Also available for the first time for the Audi RS3 is a head-up display that projects relevant information onto the windshield in the driver’s direct line of sight in addition to the shift light indicator.
