One of the fastest hatchbacks in the world is about to get faster. Audi has given its RS 3 the complete MQB upgrade, with more power, more torque and the potential to hit 280km/h.
As the fastest MQB-based car in the Volkswagen Group (so far), the new RS 3 will have 270kW of power and 470Nm of torque when it begins production in the middle of next year.
The RS 3’s five-cylinder, turbocharged powerplant has been under extreme internal pressure from improvements at the top-end of the EA888 four-cylinder engine. Versions of the turbocharged four-cylinder have reached 309kW of power in concept cars in 2014, which has been seen as a kick in the pants for the five-cylinder engine’s developers.
While the new RS 3 is still a stepping-stone before a more powerful version of the engine hits the TT RS late next year, 270kW is still enough to drive the hatchback to 100km/h in 4.3 seconds.
The 2480cc engine is as strong down low as it is up high, with its torque peak arriving at just 1650rpm and remaining at that level until 5500rpm thanks to a direct fuel-injection, variable valve timing and lift and turbocharging.
Less than half a metre long, the engine weighs 180kg dressed, complete with its oddly complex vermicular graphite cast-iron crankcase. Its turbocharger delivers 1.3 bar of air pressure, theoretically delivering 1100kg of air through the engine an hour.
It’s limited officially to 250km/h, though Audi can lift that limit to 280km/h on request and with the lubricating assistance of a slightly larger cheque.
It’s 55kg lighter than the previous RS 3, which helps it to a 10 per cent reduction in the NEDC combined fuel economy figure of its predecessor, down to 8.1L/100km, or 189g/km of CO2.
“There is a long tradition of five-cylinder engines at Audi,” board member in charge of development, Dr Ulrich Hackenberg, explained.
“In the ‘80s, they turned Audi into a sporty brand, both in motorsports and in production.
The new RS 3 Sportback features the latest generation of our 2.5-litre, five-cylinder engine – the most powerful production engine in the modular transverse matrix.”
The RS 3 Sportback will have more power than any existing MQB model, with its in-line engine sitting across the engine bay and driving all four wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and a Haldex V clutch system.
The latest development of the multi-plate clutch all-wheel drive can deliver between 50 and 100 per cent of the drive to the rear axle, with a maximum of half the torque being delivered to the front diff.
The transmission is set up to deliver even faster gearshifts than in its predecessor, while its Sport + mode will allow drivers to perform controlled drifts on low-grip surfaces. It combines torque vectoring with an upgraded powertrain control unit for what Audi describes as sharper turn-in and more immediate response.
Its gears can be manually changed using either gearshift paddles on the steering wheel or the manual gate on the gear selector lever and there’s also a launch control built into the system.
It is set up with six short gears and one long one (seventh) for a combination of acceleration and fuel economy.
A full 25mm lower than the A3 Sportback on which it is based, the RS 3 Sportback has unique pivot bearings, steering system and sportier spring and damper systems.
It also sits on wider front (now 1559mm) and rear (1514mm) tracks, which demand a blistered set of wheel-arches to house the tyres, along with an RS 3-specific front bumper to house its air intakes for the engine, the intercooler and the brakes.
The rear-end uses unique oval exhaust tips on either side, and they carry flaps that allow the driver to manage the intensity of the five-cylinder engine note, managed via the Audi Drive Select system’s buttons on the dashboard. There’s also a more intense sports exhaust as an option.
It has the option of magnetic dampers and an upgrade from 235/35 R19 rubber to 255/35 R19 front tyres (the rears retain the standard tyre). Uniquely in the segment, it can upgrade the wave-form, 370mm front brake discs and eight-piston calliper to carbon-ceramic 370mm front discs with a six-piston, monobloc calliper. The 310mm rear discs remain untouched in the upgrade.
The RS 3 carries unique badging and design in the instrument cluster, but the highlight is its pair of carbon-fibre-shelled front seats, which save 7kg each over the standard S3 sports seat.