SPIED: New Audi RS1 Pocket-Rocket Shows up on the 'Ring

Audi's Quattro GmbH sports car division has its work cut out lately. Apart from the RS5 Convertible, the RS4 Avant and rumored RS7, the company's engineers are also developing the RS1 based on the A1 premium supermini.

Captured here by our crafty spy photographers while testing in and around the Nürburgring race circuit, the prototype sports typical RS-styling traits such as the prominent front bumper air vents, a large rear wing and a rear diffuser with space for two bulbous tail pipes.

Read more »

MTM's Colorful Audi RS3 Sportback Packs a Mighty Punch

German tuning firm Motoren Technik Mayer, aptly known as MTM, has a knack for improving the performance of any Volkswagen Group model.

The firm's most recent project concerns the Audi RS3 Sportback that is normally powered by a 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-five generating 340-horses and 450 Nm (331 lb-ft) of torque, which are good for a 0 to 100 km/h (62mph) acceleration time of 4.6 seconds and a limited top speed of 250km/h (155mph).

Read more »

ABT's New Audi RS3 Sportback Packs up to 470 Horses

German tuning firm ABT Sportsline has decided that the latest Audi RS3 Sportback requires a bit more punch and has prepared a new power package for the hot hatch from Ingolstadt.

In factory outfit, the four-wheel-drive model is powered by a 2.5-liter turbocharged 5-cylinder engine generating 340-ponies and 450 Nm (331 lb-ft) of torque, good enough for a 0 to 100 km/h (62mph) acceleration time of 4.6 seconds.

Read more »

Audi RS3 Sportback Takes on BMW 1 M Coupe in Quarter Mile Duel

The Audi RS3 Sportback and the BMW 1 M Coupe represent two very different approaches on the compact sport model segment.

Ingolstadt’s proposal is a five-door model that looks more like a hotted-up small station wagon than a hatchback. It features a 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-five producing 340-horsepower and 450 Nm (331.90 lb-ft) linked to Audi’s all-wheel drive quattro system and a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

Read more »

VIDEO: 2012 Audi RS3 Chasing RS3 During Monte Carlo Presentation

In March, Audi invited members of the press to test drive the new RS3 Sportback on the roads of the Principality of Monaco. Not surprisingly, some of the journalists filmed their encounter with the smallest and most affordable RS model ever produced by Audi on the twisty mountain roads of the principality. Read more »

Photo Gallery: Audi RS3 Sportback Takes to the Streets of Monaco

The 408HP A3 Sedan concept may have overshadowed the RS3 Sportback at the Geneva Motor Show, but now Audi has turned its attention to the latter. The brand with the four-ring logo released a new set of photos showing off its 340 horsepower-strong model posing on the streets of Monaco, as the company gets ready to begin shipping the first examples of the hot hatch this spring.

Read more »

Volkswagen Unwraps Monster Golf24 with 440HP Five-Cylinder Turbo for 2011 Nürburgring 24-hour Race

Volkswagen has announced that it will compete at this year's 24-hour endurance race at the Nürburgring with an all-new challenger, the freshly developed Golf24. The dramatic racing version of the Golf borrows the 2.5-liter turbocharged five-cylinder engine from sister company Audi's TT RS and RS3 models, modified to deliver 440-ponies and a maximum torque of 540Nm or 398 lb-ft. Power is transmitted to the permanent four-wheel drive by a sequential six-speed gearbox with paddle shift operation.

Read more »

VIDEO: New Audi RS3 Sportback Drifts its Way on the Snow

Now here's a video worthy of the all-new Audi RS3's sporty credentials and quattro heritage. Forget about the bland static footage of the car released at launch because this clip is -mostly- about having some slideways fun on the snow accompanied by the howling sounds of the RS3's 340HP turbocharged inline-five. Enjoy the 7 minute long film, which was shot in Canada, right after the break.

Read more »

VIDEO: New Audi RS3 Sportback 340HP

Earlier this week, we brought you a first look at Audi's second proposal in the hot hatchback segment after the 265HP S3, the new RS3 Sportback that borrows the TT RS' 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-five with 340 ponies. Now we have the first video that takes us up close and personal with the RS3. Unfortunately, the clip does not include any running footage of the car. The European market order books for the RS3 Sportback open in December with prices in Germany starting from €49,900.

Read more »

New Audi RS3 Breaks Cover, gets 340HP Turbocharged Five-Cylinder

It's official; Audi has finally lifted the wraps off the all-new RS3 Sportback that will be if not the, one of the most powerful and fastest hatchbacks in the market when it goes on sale in Europe in early 2011. It adopts the TT RS' 2.5-liter turbocharged five-cylinder engine producing 340-horsepower and 450 Nm (331.90 lb-ft) of torque available between 1,600 rpm and 5,300 rpm.

Power is transmitted to the road through a seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission with two auto and one manual modes, and the Ingolstadt firm's quattro permanent all-wheel drive system.

Weighing in at 1,575 kg (3,472.28 pounds), the RS3 completes the standard 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint in a mere 4.6 seconds, while top speed is electronically limited to 250 km/h (155 mph). Audi adds that the RS3 returns an average fuel consumption of 9.1 liters per 100 km (25.9 US mpg) and emits 212 g CO2 per km (341.18 g/mile).

Read more »