Full UK pricing and specifications have been announced for Audi’s new RS 3 Sportback and Sedan. The RS 3 saloon is priced from £ 51,900, while the five-door hatchback (aka Sportback) is a touch cheaper, starting at £ 50,900 (US$ 70,300). The latest generation RS 3 is powered by a turbocharged five-cylinder 2.5 TFSI motor producing 394 hp in the UK, which is slightly less than the 401 hp model that is set to be offered to customers in the U.S. Torque is 500 Nm, sent to all four wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch S-tronic transmission.
The RS 3 is currently the fastest compact production car around a lap of the Nürburgring, setting a time of 7:40.748. With performance at its heart, the RS 3 can sprint to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds, with a top speed limited to 249 km/h for most versions.
For those wanting more kit than the standard car, the RS 3 “Carbon Black” adds £ 4,650 (US$ 6420) to the base price and includes darkened Matrix LED headlamps, five-spoke 19-inch matt black alloy wheels, a gloss black front spoiler as well as a carbon fibre finish to the exterior mirror housings, rear spoiler, side skirts and engine cover. The highest spec RS 3 offered to UK customers is the RS 3 “Vorsprung.” Priced from £ 58,650 (US$ 81,000) the flagship features different alloys with “graphic print,” an electric boot lid and a 360-degree camera.
Sitting between the Carbon Black and Vorsprung price-wise is the faster “Launch Edition.” The Launch Edition will be limited to just 96 units in the UK, and although it features no changes to power output or acceleration, simply includes a speed limiter set slightly higher, cutting in at 280 km/h. Priced at £ 56,900 (US$ 78,600) for the Sportback (£ 57,900/US$ 80,000 or the saloon/sedan), the Launch Edition features additional standard kit such as the Driver Assistance pack, Adaptive suspension with Drive Select and Audi’s Comfort & Sound pack. A glass panoramic roof, heads up display, electric front seats, phonebox lite, sports exhaust, red brake callipers and a gloss black finish to various interior and exterior elements is also included.
An additional pack that will raise the RS 3’s speed limited to 290 km/h is the “Dynamic” pack. It includes adaptive suspension with Audi Drive Select, RS ceramic brakes with brake callipers in gloss anthracite grey, and Audi’s RS sport exhaust system. The Dynamic pack adds £ 5,500 (US$ 7,600) to the price of a standard RS 3 and £ 5,000 (US$ 6,900) on Carbon Black & Vorsprung versions. Audi dealers in the UK are currently taking orders for the new RS 3, with the first deliveries expected in November. It competes head-on with the Mercedes-AMG A45 S which starts at just over £ 51,000 (US$ 70,500), going up to £ 57,000 (US$ 78,800) for the A45 S Plus.
