RS3 for 2006

Newswheel staff :: 17 November 2005 :: Filed under Four wheel drive, Hatchback, Audi, Audi RS3, Europe & UK, US

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Audi hones new hyper-hatch

A 3.2-litre, turbocharged V6 pumping out 350bhp and driving all four wheels via Audi’s twin-clutch DSG geabox and Quattro all-wheel transmission. That’s the new RS3 hyper-hatch, due out in 2006.

The info comes courtesy of little-known website Cartype.com, so we can’t vouch for its authenticity. The engine is purported to be the same 3.2-litre V6 as found in the current range-topping A3 hatch, but with those added turbos and also Audi’s FSI direct injection tech. Peak torque is predicted to hit the 330 lb/ft mark. Given the breathless power war currently taking place between the big German brands, these numbers are certainly plausible. Our only doubt concerns the use of forced induction. As the new RS4 and its unblown 414bhp V8 demonstrates, Audi has recently become more committed to doing it the hard way and matching BMW’s M division in producing high-output naturally aspirated engines. Cartype reckons the RS3 will be available in both three door hatch and five door SportBack variants and is expected to be preceded by the new S3, running a high-output naturally aspirated version of the 3.2-litre FSI V6, in early 2006.

Linkage:
Cartype