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NEWS
SPY PICS: Audi RS3
Four-ringed brand has its sights set on dethroning the Mercedes A45 AMG as the king of hot-hatchesAudi has lately been a master at plugging every possible niche in the market, and a key new entrant over the coming months will be a stove-hot hatchback conceived to take the fight to Mercedes-Benz's highly impressive A45 AMG, as well as the BMW M135i.
It's believed razor-sharp handling is the key focus for the new hot-hatch, as Audi is keen to ensure the RS3 is as precise a driving tool as the rear-drive M135i. This is an area where Ingolstadt's understeer-prone turbo AWD offerings in the past have suffered slightly.
According to different sources, the RS3 will come to market with either a five-cylinder engine under the bonnet, or the new 2.0-litre four-cylinder already seen in the TT Quattro Sport Concept. While the new four would be logical there's at least as much evidence to hand that the RS3 will use the same warbling 2.5-litre five-pot turbo engine as the memorable TT-RS. Our money's on the five-cylinder...
In the coupe, this motor made 250kW and 450Nm, propelling it from 0-100km/h in 4.6sec and on to a v-max of 280km/h. Given that the RS3 is likely to weigh roughly the same as the TT-RS, expect it to return similar performance figures, putting it on par with the lauded A45 AMG.
Despite the funky camouflage, this RS3 test mule is clearly identifiable by its lower ride height, new front bumper design with larger air intakes and trademark RS oval exhausts. The whole lot rides on what look to be 19-inch rims, shod with liquorice-strip rubber.
As per the A3 stocker, the RS3 is underpinned by the VW Group's new MQB architecture, which maximises rigidity while minimising weight.
As such, the Audi hot-hatch should serve up sparkling performance and handling, but we'll be able to deliver a conclusive verdict when we line it up against the A45 AMG and M135i in what promises to be an epic three-way test.
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Written byGautam Sharma
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