If you thought there was no room in the Audi range for an intermediate model slotting between the S3 and RS3, well may (or may not…) have been wrong.
Reportedly, the German automaker is pondering the introduction of an S3 Plus model that would purportedly bump the power figure up to 380PS (375 PS), so as not to affect the RS3, which under the same assumption, would make it safe to say is going to have over 400 hp.
This sounds like a personal mission on Audi’s part, thought up in order to beat Mercedes’ two-liter turbo in the horsepower per liter category. The news comes from Motoring, which does not name its source (that said, take the numbers mentioned with a few grains of salt), but claims that the same unit would also make its debut under the bonnet of the hottest of the next-gen Sciroccos and also the new TT (possibly in the TTS).
Whatever the case, a car with a two-liter engine and almost 400 hp will definitely be appreciated, especially in those countries where cars are taxed for cubic capacity and anything over that value is simply too expensive to make sense – the RS3’s larger five-cylinder unit voids the argument, so this is welcome.
If they surpass the A45 AMG, then perhaps this will prompt Mercedes to take it one step further too, and possibly make a Black Series version of their hot hatch.
The same engine mentioned here could also make its way under the bonnet of the speculated more extreme VW Golf R variant. Imagine how fast that could be given how quickly it accelerates with under 300 hp… See the video below for reference on that – acceleration run starts 30 seconds in.
By Andrei Nedelea
VIDEO