Audi RS3 Sportback: new details of the next generation

Development of the new Audi RS3 Sportback continues to move forward at a steady pace. Its tuning at the Nürburgring North Loop was completed this summer, and the final adjustments are scheduled for February 2015. The British magazine Autocar has obtained more information from those responsible for its development at quattro GmbH, who indicate that the car will launch in mid-next year.

The new RS3 Sportback will keep the same engine as the previous generation, a five-cylinder 2.5-litre unit, but it will offer more power, around twenty additional horsepower according to Autocar. It will be paired with a six-speed dual-clutch gearbox and a Haldex-type four-wheel-drive system. As with the new TT, this system has been designed to send more power to the rear wheels whenever possible.

The MQB platform on which the model is based will retain the reduction of 50 kg and a better weight distribution thanks to the battery being located at the rear. Customers looking to get the most out of the RS3’s performance will have more options than before to do so. For example, it will be the first sports compact to offer ceramic brake discs (only on the front wheels, since fitting them on all four would push the price up too much).

Whereas the previous RS3 Sportback came as standard with front tyres wider than the rear ones, on the new model this feature will be an optional alternative. Other extras available will be a sport exhaust system and adjustable magnetorheological dampers.

Source | Autocar