- Updated Audi RS3 is available from Sept 2024
- Same 400 PS powertrain as before but big improvements to handling
- Sportback hatch and Saloon models available
- Priced from £59,510
Audi is readying to launch an upgraded RS3 - and one of the UK’s most in-demand hot hatches is now even quicker through the corners.
The current third-generation RS3 was launched back in 2021 but was taken off sale entirely in 2023 as demand outstripped supply.
That makes this reintroduction even more hotly-anticipated.
And while the latest RS3 gets the same power as before - 400 PS and 500 Nm of torque thanks to a 2.5-litre, five-cylinder petrol engine - Audi has been hard at work making its pocket rocket sharper than ever when it comes to the handling.
Audi admits there was ‘room for improvement’ when it comes to the RS3’s cornering abilities. So, the German manufacturer has tweaked the torque splitter - which distributes power between the rear wheels for better grip - while honing the adaptive dampers.
All of that equates to increased stability, even when there’s less friction.
An Audi spokesperson tells us: “The RS3 now delivers higher performance in corners, avoids understeer right from the entry into the bend, and turns more readily. The compact sports car follows the curve radius more precisely than before, under partial load and in thrust phases. This means the vehicle is earlier to accelerate and steer around corners at higher speeds. The enhanced lateral dynamics are shown to full effect on racetracks in RS Performance mode – and in full intensity when ESC is deactivated.”
Audi also promises an ‘evolution in oversteer’. Getting the rear end out is ‘easier to initiate’ in the new RS3, which allows ‘the driver to obtain the same drift angle faster’.
As if to prove the point about handling and cornering, the latest Audi RS3 notched a new record lap time around Germany’s Nürburgring race circuit in the 'compact' class back in June this year. The time of 7m 33.12 seconds was a good five seconds quicker than the BMW M2.
As before, the Audi RS3 is available as both a Sportback hatchback and a Saloon. All-wheel drive is a given. It’ll accelerate from 0-62 mph in 3.8 seconds and can reach a top speed of 155 mph as standard.
There’s a new exterior design for both body types that brings a ‘significantly sportier appearance’, says Audi, complete with a broader front grille and lower stance.
At the rear you’ll find vertical side reflectors and a large RS-specific diffuser as well as two oval exhaust tailpipes.
The cabin has also enjoyed an update, with a dark new interior, a double-flattened steering wheel and front sport seats.
Three distinct flavours of the Audi RS3 will be up for grabs, and that goes for both the Sportback and the Saloon.
The entry-level RS3 gets 19-inch wheels, RS sport suspension, Audi Drive Select, a Nappa leather interior, three-zone air con, a 10.1-inch touch screen, 12.3-inch virtual cockpit, wireless charging, front and rear parking sensors, a Sonos 3D premium sound system, head-up display, and adaptive cruise control.
The mid-range ‘Carbon Black’ grade adds silk matt grey alloys, darkened LED Matrix headlights and carbon exterior style flourishes.
Meanwhile the range-topping RS3 Carbon Vorsprung models feature metallic black rims, adaptive suspension with three additional drive modes, a panoramic roof, and an increase in the top speed to 174 mph.
Order books open in September with prices to buy outright beginning at £59,510 for the Sportback.
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