The new Audi RS 3: why the Mercedes-AMG A 45 S 4Matic+ can start sweating

The new Audi RS 3 Sportback and RS 3 Limousine are not eligible for an attractive additional tax discount. In fact: when the final prices of the RS pair are announced later, you will see that a very painful CO2 penalty has to be transferred to the account of Vadertje Staat. What do you want, with an 'old-fashioned' 2.5-liter five-cylinder turbo engine that delivers no less than 400 hp and 500 Nm. But don't count on it helping to reduce CO2 emissions. Excluded!

Audi RS 3 puts on a big mouth

The performance figures that Audi gives for the new RS 3 Sportback and RS 3 Limousine are therefore clear: from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds, a top speed that can be increased to 290 km/h if necessary. It's clear that Audi wants to show who's boss with these two fast powerhouses. Although the Mercedes-AMG A 45 S 4Matic+ with 425 hp has even more power under the hood, the Audi RS 3 makes mincemeat of the fast A-class with its performance. The AMG only reaches one hundred after 3.9 counts (a tenth of a second slower, yááp!) And on top it already stops at 270 km/h.

Memories of the Audi Quattro

All that power and torque is released to the unmistakable rhythmic rumble of Audi's awesome five-cylinder. A sound that directly projects images onto the retina of the legendary Audi Quattro, which reached great heights in the World Rallies in the 1980s, both literally and figuratively. It goes without saying that the new Audi RS 3 owes its hasty speed in large part to its Quattro technology. The so-called Torque Splitter has been added to this, an electronically controlled differential that controls the distribution of power over the rear wheels using plate clutches. The system should help ensure that the RS 3 has a minimum tendency to understeer.

RS interior focused on sportiness

Obviously, the RS 3 Sportback and the RS 3 Limousine leave little to the imagination when it comes to appearance. The wheel arches at the front have been knocked out further, the bumpers seem to be bursting at the seams with muscle power, the cooling grilles in the nose are much larger and Audi's signature single-frame grille has a less fine-mesh honeycomb structure. New are the matrix LED headlights, in which 'RS 3' or a checkered finish flag are projected. The RS 3 comes standard with 19-inch wheels.

The cockpit of the RS 3 is also geared towards sportiness. In the head-up display you can see when you have to switch to the next gear at the end of the rev range, the digital Virtual Cockpit has a specific RS display, the central monitor shows how many G-forces you have entered. corners and on the flattened sports steering wheel is an RS button with which you activate the RS Performance or RS Individual program.

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First copies on the road in October

RS enthusiasts can walk down the door of the Audi dealership at the beginning of August to order a new Audi RS 3 Sportback or Limousine. Then the prices of both variants will also be announced. The first copies are expected to get their license plate screwed up in October.