More muscular design, improved driving dynamics and still the same sporty character. Restyling time for Audi RS 3, the high-performance compact from the Four Rings brand that is being renewed with a facelift aimed at enhancing its characteristics. Orders will open at the end of August with the first deliveries scheduled for November. The price for Italy has not yet been announced but in Germany the new Audi RS 3 will have a list price of 66,000 euros for the Sportback version and 68,000 for the Sedan.
More muscular design
Let’s start with the new design, now more muscular and characterized by the enlarged hexagonal single frame equipped with a frame and a diamond-shaped grille with a new look. The front air intakes are also new,
redesigned and enhanced by more pronounced side profiles. At the base of the Singleframe frame there are three slits and the splitter that is now full-width, to emphasize the generous footprint of the car and evoke the Audi Sport quattro S1 Pikes Peak of 1987. The restyling of the new Audi RS 3 also counts on the new highly digitalized daytime running lights located in the upper part of the headlights: an innovative light matrix, consisting of 24-pixel elements arranged in three rows, allows specific patterns to be generated. For the first time in the history of the Audi RS 3, it is possible to choose between up to four light signatures via the MMI. Customers can change the layout of the car at any time, and this also applies to the Coming home and Leaving home animations. At the rear, the new, motorsport-inspired design of the bumper and diffuser stands out. The latter features a vertical red central reflector, derived from racing, while the reflectors at the ends of the bumper replicate the theme of the inserts in the front air intakes. The oval terminals of the RS exhaust system are visually striking, while the color palette is characterized by the exclusive Kyalami green and Kemora gray hues, the new Ascari blue and Progressive red metallic paints and, drawing on the Audi exclusive customization program, the matt Daytona gray finish. The standard equipment includes 19-inch alloy wheels in matt black with a 5-spoke Y design. The optional Audi Sport wheels with 10 crossed spokes and RS logo in an exclusive matt dark gray or glossy black metallic finish, debuting on the limited edition Audi RS 3 performance edition. The car can be further customized with the carbon or glossy black packages. The side mirror caps are available in body color, with a total black finish or in
composite fibres.
The interiors
The renewed style of the exterior is also reflected in the passenger compartment, with an environment dominated by dark shades. The
3-spoke multifunction steering wheel covered in leather or Dinamica microfibre is characterised by the parts
upper and lower part of the crown “cut”. A novelty as well as the RS bucket seats: on the backrests in
matt carbon is accompanied by the RS emblems and the Dinamica microfibre and Nappa leather upholstery
extended along the sides. New backlit segments are present along the front door panels that generate a dynamic flow of light that can be customized via the MMI and perceived when locking and unlocking the doors. The decorative inserts are available on request in carbon or in the new Dinamica black solution. The red or green RS design packages, also offered in the plus configuration, bring some touches of color to the passenger compartment, more precisely in correspondence with the steering wheel rim, seat belts and floor mats. The standard equipment includes the 12.3-inch Audi virtual cockpit plus complete with a special indicator that suggests the driver to shift up when the limiter is about to intervene. The RS characterization of the digital instrumentation brings with it information regarding power and torque delivery, tire pressure, lap times and maximum lateral acceleration values. The engine speed can be displayed as a bar graph or, upon request, in the RS runway layout: the values are represented with a graphic similar to an airplane landing strip. The highest speed appears in the foreground, the lowest in the background. This solution is supported by the new rev counter in the center of the instrument cluster. The 10.1-inch touch display integrates the RS screen, which allows you to keep an eye on the coolant temperature, engine oil temperature, transmission temperature and G-forces. In terms of digitalization, the Audi RS 3 makes use of numerous connect services and the new app
integrated in-car store thanks to which customers can access the services directly and intuitively
most popular applications.
Engine and performance
The new Audi RS 3 is still powered by the iconic 2.5 TFSI 5-cylinder engine with 400 hp and 500 Nm of torque, which guarantees top-of-the-range performance: from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds and up to a top speed of 290 km/h. Thanks to the 1-2-4-5-3 ignition sequence of the cylinders, the sound is unique and unmistakable. An effect amplified by the fully variable valve management, which allows partial valve openings that further enhance the timbre of the 2.5 TFSI. The sound is influenced by the driving programs selected via Audi drive select – in the dynamic, RS Performance and RS Torque Rear modes, for example, the valves open well in advance – and by the optional RS sports exhaust. Compared to the past, the sound is even more engaging thanks to the optimization of the exhaust flap opening in the range from 2,200 to 3,500 rpm.
The evolution of the Audi RS 3
The development at the Nurburgring has allowed the compact sports car from the Four Rings to be further optimized: the first upgrades concern, for example, the integration, through a single control unit, of the inputs from the quattro all-wheel drive, the selective management of the torque on the individual wheels, an intelligent software function linked to the operation of the ESC that minimally brakes the wheels inside the trajectory, allowing the thrust to be transferred to the wheels with the best grip, the stability control (ESC), the action of the aforementioned RS torque splitter and the calibration of the adaptive suspension DCC (Dynamic Chassis Control). The latter are characterized by the operation of an electro-hydraulic valve that varies the flow of oil in the shock absorber rods based on the vehicle parameters detected by multiple sensors, the road surface conditions, the driving style and the program activated by the Audi drive select driving dynamics control. The optimal damping force is calculated in a few thousandths of a second. The refinement of the algorithm underlying the operation of the new driving dynamics control unit makes oversteer even easier and more intuitive.
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