EhkoXC

Good looking car, not sure I like it enough to justify that price. At $45k for the S4, you can get a decently loaded IS, a4, 3 Series or C Class.

RPhilMan1

I'm sorry, but I really can't help but see the VW Eos in this photo.

charliemike

I think it's a better looking car than the Eos but the S3 is off my radar now. I'm not interested in a $47K S3 with a less than great Haldex 4WD system.

krio

Autocar

Audi has revealed a spectacular new 518bhp version of its recently introduced A3 saloon that is set to underpin its spread at this year’s Wörthersee fan meet in Austria later this month.

The powered up four-door, which goes under the name A3 Clubsport Quattro concept, is officially described as a concept. Audi development boss, Ulrich Hackenberg, has however hinted that elements of the new car will be seen on future production models, including an upcoming RS3 saloon slated for introduction in 2015.

At the heart of the Audi’s latest high-powered concept car is a heavily reworked version of the German manufacturer's turbocharged 2.5-litre direct-injection petrol engine – as fitted to the RS3 and TT RS in recent years. The five-cylinder unit has been extensively redeveloped to achieve previously unattained factory levels of power and torque.

Included among the modifications confirmed by Hackenberg is a larger turbocharger running 1.5bar of nominal boost pressure, a more efficient air-to-air intercooler and larger intake and exhaust manifolds.

Power has increased by a whopping 183bhp on the standard specification engine, rising from 335bhp to 518bhp. This provides Audi’s traditional five-cylinder with a stunning specific output of 207bhp per litre. Torque is also up by 112lb ft, swelling to a peak of 443lb ft on a band of revs between 2300 and 6000rpm.

With a kerb weight put at 1527kg, the new Audi concept boasts a power-to-weight ratio of 339bhp per tonne – exactly the same figure quoted for Audi’s range topping 542bhp 5.2-litre V10-powered R8 V10 Plus.

The prodigious reserves are channelled to all four wheels via a beefed up version of Audi’s seven-speed S tronic dual clutch gearbox featuring a unique final drive and integral launch control function. It works with an electro-hydraulic Haldex-style multi-plate clutch four-wheel drive system described as being suitably modified to handle the additional torque loading.

Official performance claims suggest the A3 Clubsport quattro accelerates from 0-62mph in just 3.6sec and hits a top speed of 193mph, some 1.3sec and 38mph faster than Audi quotes for the existing 296bhp turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder direct-injection S3 saloon equipped with an optional six-speed S tronic dual-clutch gearbox.

Among the changes brought to the A3’s standard MacPherson strut front and multi-link rear suspension is a 10mm reduction in nominal ride height and the adoption of firmer spring and dampers. In keeping with its extreme nature, the one off concept also receives towering 21-inch wheels shod with ultra-low 275/25 profile tyres.

The big wheels house supercar dimensioned brakes boasting 370mm carbon-ceramic discs and multi-pot aluminium calipers at each corner. They operate in combination with an air brake function integrated into the spoiler housed in the rear edge of the boot lid. Electronically actuated, it is programmed to work at braking speeds above 155mph and is claimed to reduce stopping distances by up to 12 metres by allowing the braking system to allocate more braking power to the rear axle due to the increased downforce it generates.

Building on the appearance of the standard S3, the A3 Clubsport Quattro receives a vivid Magnetic Blue paint scheme, a heavily restyled front bumper featuring a grille with a brushed aluminium frame and a high gloss honeycomb insert as well as sizeable air ducts and integral carbonfibre splitter, distinctive LED headlamps and widened front fenders.

Further back, there are carbonfibre sills underneath the doors, smaller mirror housings in aluminium look, widened rear fenders, rear spoiler within the boot lid and a deeper rear bumper housing two sizeable round chromed tailpipes and a large diffuser. The standard tank flap has also been replaced by a more stylish aluminium element.

krio

I didn't know if better join this news with the Audi A3 thread, or creating an all new one.

damaged442

I don't think they need the "Quattro" billboarded across the grille, but overall I think it is a very nice looking ride. I would like to test drive, for sure! 518 hp/443 lb ft sounds FUN, especially on that chassis!

Belzebutt

Looks better than a big empty grille... is the Audi logo placement is some kind of homage?

Moog-Type-S

Interesting powerplant

TSX_831

Damn, do want...

Yumcha

RS3 spied...

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

Well, the new S3 reviews are pouring in.

The spec looks AWESOME for the price. It's freaking fast.

And looks like you can get a nice one with the performance package for under $45k easy.

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan

BASE PRICE: $41,995

ENGINE TYPE: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, iron block and aluminum head, port and direct fuel injection

Displacement: 121 cu in, 1984 cc
Power: 292 hp @ 6200 rpm
Torque: 280 lb-ft @ 1900 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed dual-clutch automatic with manual shifting mode

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 103.6 in
Length: 175.9 in
Width: 77.2 in Height: 54.8 in
Curb weight: 3300 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 4.4 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 10.8 sec
Zero to 130 mph: 19.7 sec
Street start, 5-60 mph: 5.6 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 12.9 sec @ 108 mph
Top speed (gov ltd, mfr's est): 155 mph
Braking, 70-0 mph: 160 ft

PROJECTED FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST):
EPA city/highway: 19/27 mpg
C/D observed: 23 mpg

Audi S3 Reviews - Audi S3 Price, Photos, and Specs - CARandDRIVER

2015 Audi S3: The Jalopnik Review

myron

iTrader: (4)

no clutch?

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

DSG only for the US market.

Yumcha

This is up against the M235i...? I am still preferring the BMW.

RPhilMan1

Fuck you, Audi.

S is supposed to be for enthusiasts. Enthusiasts want manual transmissions.

RPhilMan1

4-door versus 2-door.

M235i RWD starts at $43,100 and xDrive AWD starts at $44,900.

S3 starts at $41,995.

Yumcha

I mean, it's a $3000 difference? Not much.

But, the difference in coupe/sedan is there. So, I guess the S3 is an alternative if someone doesn't want BMW and requires 4 doors.

That being said, an MT option would've been nice for the hardcore enthusiasts.

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

noob!

This is a CLA45 AMG fighter.

This and M235i are in a completely different category.

Yeah, I wonder why they took it off the option. It is available in Europe.

It's for the enthusiasts who want "refined" EVO/STi. People like me!

By the way, M235 will cost much higher with the options I believe.

Yumcha

Manual tranny for the S3 a possibility for NA: Top 3 Things We Learned from Audi of America Chief Scott Keogh at ACNA Dinner in Austin ? S3 MT6, RS 3, RS 6 - Fourtitude.com

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

The pricing is more attractive than the CLA45 AMG. And it doesn't seem to be much slower than the CLA too - just a couple tenths of a second slower but it's a few thousand dollars cheaper. I'd much prefer the S3 over the CLA45.

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, it's like 0.2 seconds slower than CLA45 AMG. And the CLA is not just couple thousands more expensive. It's A LOT more expensive.

This is some GREAT performance showing for a car around $45k loaded.

C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 4.4 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 10.8 sec
Zero to 130 mph: 19.7 sec
Street start, 5-60 mph: 5.6 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 12.9 sec @ 108 mph
Top speed (gov ltd, mfr's est): 155 mph
Braking, 70-0 mph: 160 ft

RPhilMan1

Ugh if they do eventually offer an MT, this car would be perfect for me.

Perfect size since I don't need anything larger, great power, great styling, great features, and best of all, AWD.

S3, Golf R, Focus RS, Mustang... the future is bright.

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, we should just be so excited to have many good options!

Belzebutt

But the Audi looks better.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

Both M235i and S3 look good in their own ways.

An 6MT option would be more fun for some, but I don't think it would be as astonishing in terms of performance. The DCT provides much faster shifts while the launch control system makes faster launches easy. Also, traditionally, VW/Audi cars with DSG have shorter/closer lower gears for even faster 0-60mph and 1/4 mile ET. I wouldn't be surprised if a S3 6MT is "only" good for 0-60mph in 4.8s and 1/3 mile in 13.4@107mph. Don't get me wrong, those are still impressive figures, but they are no doubt noticeably slower numbers than the DCT version.

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

Jesus man. You are completely missing the point.

The true enthusiasts don't give a damn about couple second difference in straight line performance. The dual clutch automatics outperforming the manual in a straight line performance isn't a news. It's been out for a long time now.

Disappointed in you man. Thought you were better than that after you getting that S2K.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

lol, no man, u missed the part where I said the 6MT would be more fun!

RPhilMan1

I understand the "DCT is faster" argument, but this is my daily driver. I just want to row my own gears. I don't need a few tenths of a second quicker quarter mile time.

charliemike

Well, blame the horrible NA groups that run foreign manufacturers' presences here. I don't know if they use focus groups or Ouija boards or what to figure out what Americans want but it's amazing how crappy our choices our.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

do they have 6mt over in europe for the s3?

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

Yes, but you went into your magazine race mode again!!

Yes.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

hahahaha sorry man but that's my style...just wanna be subjective and objective at the same time!

What about the golf R? If it has 6MT here, then it's a good alternative to the S3?

charliemike

He's a snob and things VW's are for peasants

But yes, generally speaking the Golf R 6MT is going to be the closest thing to a S3 with 6MT we're going to see for a while.

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

I think Golf R will come to the States with a 6MT only. It's certainly a AWESOME car but like charlie said, I want an Audi one.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

the Golf R is even more useful since it's a hatchback!

I wonder if anyone will swap the 6mt from the golf r to the s3.....haha

krio

New Audi RS3 Sportback - first details and ride | Autocar


Development of Audi’s new RS3 Sportback is only a few months from completion, following a summer of final testing at the Nürburgring.

The new mega-hatch’s hardware has already been signed off; only software and geometry changes will now be made before the programme finishes in February.The RS3 retains a 2.5-litre turbo five-cylinder engine, as in the previous model. Audi still won’t officially reveal its power output beyond confirming that it’ll have more than the previous RS3’s 335bhp.

Expect it to make 355bhp, but, either way, Audi’s head of development, Stephan Reil, says the five-cylinder’s “electrifying sound” and strong torque appeal more to Audi than a four-cylinder engine like the Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG’s. “All other rivals power engines up, but there is no special engine for the performance version,” he said.

The RS3’s in-line five will be offered with an optional sports exhaust to amplify its sound. It will drive all four wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox and Haldex all-wheel drive system.

As on the latest TT, the four-wheel drive system has been tuned to send more power to the rear whenever possible, to improve throttle adjustability and even drift in the right conditions. “It doesn’t drive like a rear-drive car,” said Reil, “but if you’re sliding, it won’t just pull straight.”

The previous-generation RS3 had wider tyres on its front than its rear to improve chassis adjustability. As standard, the new version has the same 235/35 R19s all round, but 255-wide tyres for the front only are an option.

“The 20mm-wider front tyres offer you higher grip, a stronger turn-in and a sharper dynamic, which makes it really fun to drive,” said Reil.

Dynamics should also be improved by the MQB platform weighing 50kg less than the previous one, and weight distribution has been helped by placing the battery in the rear.

Also optional on the front are carbon-ceramic brakes, a class first. Reil said that because carbon-ceramics are expensive and unnecessary on the back, the rear discs remain steel.

Other options include adaptive magnetorheological dampers and a sports exhaust. The production RS3 will arrive in the middle of next year, priced at about £40,000.

A ride in the new Audi RS3 at the Nürburgring

Like most major European manufacturers, Audi’s Quattro division has a workshop at the Nürburgring for both chassis and durability testing, and it retains the services of some tame racing drivers.

Which is enough to make you nervous about ride quality. But former DTM and current GT driver Frank Stippler, who drove us around a soaking wet Nordschleife in the RS3, said: “The new bosses [new managing director Heinz Hollerweger, who replaced Franciscus van Meel at the start of the year] like a softer car.”

Unlike the RS4, in which, Stippler said, he never engaged the Dynamic chassis mode because it is so harsh that it’s “stiffer even than a race car”, the new RS3 is “at the softer end of the scale”.

Also evident on the wet track was the RS3’s throttle adjustability — a willingness to begin sliding at the rear on turn-in, and strong resistance to understeer under power. “Before, a TT or RS3 would drift like this only on ice,” said Stippler. “Now it can do it in the wet.”

The RS3 has three ESP modes: all on, a more liberal setting and an all-off mode, which doesn’t even cut in under braking to avoid annoying advanced drivers who like to left-foot brake.

And given that ride harshness and a propensity to understeer have been our primary concerns about fast Audi hatches in the past, the RS3’s signs are encouraging.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

2015 Audi S3 First Test

Motor Trend also did a test on the S3, the numbers are much slower than what C/D got which is weird. Usually these two mags get really similar numbers.

0-60 MPH 4.7 sec
QUARTER MILE 13.4 sec @ 102.4 mph

Still good numbers and probably make more sense too. The difference in trap speeds is the most surprising since it is not affected by launch. 108mph vs 102mph...huge difference. That's like an Accord V6 vs a 335i.

charliemike

Car Magazine got 4.7 to 62mph so I would imagine that the real time to 60 is somewhere in between. Don't know why the trap speeds are so different.

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

The spec is freaking awesome for the price. Damn.

And the S version is so sexy!

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

Gonna get it soon?