Seven seconds faster! This is the secret behind the new Audi RS 3 reclaiming the crown at the Nürburgring

It was the only one missing after the presentation of the new Audi A3 range and, more recently, the introduction of the new plug-in hybrid variants A3 TFSIe, which have set the bar very high with their range of more than 140 km in electric mode. But the new Audi RS 3 is already here, and it arrives with its chest puffed out. And it does so in the best possible way: by reclaiming the throne among the fastest cars around the Nürburgring, with a time of 7:33.123 minutes, more than seven seconds faster than the one set by the previous 2021 RS 3.

The secret? Simply a specific tuning of the chassis, and in particular of the torque splitter, first introduced on the previous edition of the RS 3. The 5-cylinder TFSI engine remains the same, with its 400 CV and 500 Nm of peak torque. But now, the new chassis settings and the innovative differential simply allow it to accelerate earlier out of corners.

What does the torque splitter do? The same as before, but faster and better: distribute torque between the rear wheels in a fully variable way. In addition, it works more efficiently with torque vectoring by braking. While the torque splitter sends more traction to the outside wheel in a corner, the inside wheel is selectively braked slightly to “place” the car and make it turn with greater agility. The previous RS 3 also did this, but now the algorithm has been improved so that the torque splitter and torque vectoring by braking, together with other chassis control systems such as ESP or adaptive dampers, “communicate” with each other faster.

Otherwise, the new RS 3 receives the product update already seen across the rest of the range, with expanded equipment, greater connectivity, new interior trims and customisable light signatures.

Audi RS 3 – Image Gallery