Audi introduces the fastest and most powerful RS 3 ever

The new Audi RS 3 Performance Edition is coming, the version capable of reaching a top speed of 300 km / h – a first for a sporty compact – and the power of 407 hp. It is in fact the most performing variant of the Audi Sport sedan ever. The benchmark performance is accompanied by quattro all-wheel drive with RS torque splitter technology, carbon ceramic brakes and an even more muscular look than the standard variant.

Audi presented the third generation of the RS 3 Sportback and the second series of the RS 3 Sedan, two extraordinary sports models, capable of thrilling both in everyday use and on the track. Today the House of the Four Rings moves the bar even higher with the new “Performance Edition” variant, made in a limited edition of 300 copies. Available in Sedan and Sportback configurations, Audi RS 3 Performance Edition reaffirms and strengthens the primacy of the sedan: no other sporty compact is so fast in acceleration and can count on such a high top speed.

The 2.5 TFSI engine

We have said it and we repeat it, this new Audi RS 3 Performance Edition is the most powerful and fastest RS 3 ever made, as well as the first sports compact to reach the maximum speed of 300 km / h: +10 km / h compared to the standard variant equipped with the RS Dynamic plus package. The 5-cylinder turbo engine, unique among premium sedans, delivers now 407 hp of power, 7 more than the original ones, from 5,700 rpm. The torque of 500 Nm is available in an even wider range: from 2,250 to 5,700 rpm against the 2,250 to 5600 rpm range of the standard Audi RS 3. Confirmed the 7-speed S tronic double clutch transmission and launch control that ensure a sprint from 0 to 100 km / h in 3.8 seconds.

The sound is unique and unmistakable, amplified by the RS sports exhaust system characterized by the totally variable valve management, which allows partial openings capable of further enhancing the stamp of the 2.5 TFSI, and by the oval tailpipes in glossy black. The car’s tone is made even more aggressive by the specific central silencer and by the total opening of the valves even when the car is stationary in the Dynamic, RS Performance and RS Torque Rear modes of Audi drive select.

The standard equipment

Audi RS 3 Performance Edition boasts an even more aggressive setup of the standard variant, the standard equipment includes the RS plus sports suspension with adaptive suspension DCC (Dynamic Chassis Control), characterized by the operation of an electro-hydraulic valve that varies the oil flow in the shock absorber stems according to vehicle parameters detected by various sensors, the conditions of the road surface, the driving style and the program activated by the Audi drive select driving dynamics control.

I’m seven programs which can be chosen through the Audi drive select system: comfort, auto, dynamic, efficiency, and RS Individual, RS Performance and RS Torque Rear are added. The latter favors controlled drift thanks to the oversteering behavior generated by the possibility of distributing up to 100% of the torque sent to the rear axle between the rear wheels. While the RS Performance was created to ensure maximum feeling and reference performance on the track.

Luminous signature and touch display

The exclusivity of the Audi RS 3 Performance Edition is underlined by the racing-derived alloy wheels and the RS sports exhaust system with black tailpipes, the total black finish of the Audi rings and the RS 3 badge. As for the color range, it is available in Nogaro blue , Arrow gray, Daytona gray and Sebring black.

The Audi Matrix LED headlights with LED taillights with burnished surfaces feature RS-specific dynamic animations and a fascinating scenography: when the doors are opened, a checkered flag on the passenger side and the sequence “3-0-0” on the driver’s side are shown, evoking the limited edition production and the maximum speed of the model. This last sequence replaced, when closing the doors, by the initials “RS-3”. Wonderful. On the move, the daytime running lights take on the layout of a checkered flag. When entering the passenger compartment, the word “RS performance” is projected onto the ground.

The interior of the Audi RS 3 Performance Edition

The interior is also decidedly exclusive. For the first time in the history of the Audi RS 3, RS bucket seats are available as standard. The matt carbon backrests are accompanied by the RS emblems and upholstery in Dinamica microfibre and Nappa leather extended along the side bolsters. The blue trim for the seat belts, the 12 o’clock mark on the steering wheel rim and the topstitching of the central section of the seats, armrests and floor mats create a refined chromatic contrast. The car is made in a limited edition of only 300 copies and will arrive in Italy in the first half of 2023.