With BMW and even Mercedes having raised the bar in the hot hatch segment with their 315hp (320PS) M135i and 355HP (360PS) A45 AMG respectively, Audi seems to have been left somewhat behind, as the most potent version of the A3 series is the S3 three- and five-door models powered by a 296Hp (300PS) 2.0-liter turbo engine.
However, that may soon change as our spies spotted an undisguised Audi, which they believe to be a test mule for a mighty RS3 model. They base their claim on a few reasonable findings, starting with the engine that sounded just like the older model’s 2.5-liter five-cylinder turbocharged mill and not an inline-four.
And that’s not all as this S3-badged model was fitted with larger cross-drilled discs and massive brake calipers. In addition, whereas the regular S3 has fake corner vents on the front bumper, the inlets on this car were actually opened and fully functional.
If our spies’ hearing sense is right, then Audi is likely testing the 2.5 liter five-cylinder turbo engine for the RS3, possibly even the tweaked version found on the TT RS Plus, which produces an extra 20hp (20PS) and 15Nm (11.06 lb-ft) of torque for a total of 355hp (360PS) and 465Nm (342.97 lb-ft), which should do the trick against the A45 AMG.
Just like any other RS model, the production car will feature a more aggressive body and styling details than the S3.
Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoopS
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