New Car: 2011 Audi RS3

Over a year ago, we speculated about the possibility of Audi bringing to market a screaming, top-of-the-line RS3. It would be a hot hatch to beat them all: Subaru Impreza WRX STI, VW GTI, Mazdaspeed 3, you name it.

Now, the RS3 has been officially confirmed, and it will hit dealerships this spring—but, alas, not in the U.S. Here, the most powerful A3 remains the 2.0T, with its 200-hp TFSI engine. We don't even get the 265-hp S3.

The powerplant in the RS3 is the single-turbocharged, 2.5-liter inline-five also found in theTT RS. Derived from the simple and inexpensive 170-hp engine available in the U.S.-market VW Golf and Jetta, it is basically an EA113 four-cylinder with an extra cylinder. But Audi left nothing unchanged in the RS overhaul. Direct injection, 17 psi of boost, an intercooler, and various tweaks inside the engine allowed Audi to double the 2.5’s power output, twisting it up to 340 hp. Maximum torque is 332 lb-ft, available from 1600 to 5300 rpm; the engine redlines at 6800 rpm. The firing order creates a unique roar that sounds a lot like the original, 1980s Quattro, which is exactly what Audi engineers had in mind and is one of the things we love about the TT RS. Performance should be outstanding, with Audi claiming a 0-to-62-mph sprint of just 4.6 seconds and a top speed governed at 155 or 174 mph. Quattro all-wheel drive is standard.

Thanks to: Car and Driver