Let’s be straight; Audi’s new A3 Clubsport Quattro Concept is an RS3 in everything but the name, from its appearance with the boxed fenders to the five-cylinder turbocharged engine grunting under the hood. And perhaps one of the reasons why Audi is displaying it at this week’s Wörthersee Meeting in Austria is to get some feedback from its most loyal customers.
“The Audi A3 clubsport quattro concept shows our car and tuning fans at the Wörthersee just how much sporty potential there is in the A3 family and in our top‑of‑the‑line engines such as the 2.5 TFSI,” commented Audi development boss Ulrich Hackenberg. “We have pushed the limits in every respect with this show car: power, dynamics, sound, design.”
We already knew the basics about the car, including the pumped up 2.5-liter TFSI with 525PS (518hp) and 600 Nm (442.5 lb-ft) linked to a 7-speed S Tronic dual-clutch transmission and quattro all‑wheel drive system, but today, we got our hands on a few dozen more photos and more importantly, the first videos of the concept.
In the clips, we see how the huge air brake that covers roughly half the trunk lid and which is electrohydraulic actuated, works on the road. According to Audi, at 250 km/h (155.3 mph), “the air brake reduces the stopping distance by around twelve meters (39.4 ft), in part because the ESC can allocate more braking power to the rear axle thanks to the increased downforce”.
In concept form, the A3 Clubsport Quattro is capable of reaching 310 km/h (193 mph) with the 0-100km/h sprint covered in just 3.6 seconds. A production version of the car with the RS3 badge would likely be toned down in regards to its performance numbers.
By John Halas
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