MTM Brings Out Enhanced RS3 R And RS5 R To Geneva (Along With A Restored RS2)

MTM has a proven knack for tuning German cars – Audis especially. And it brought no fewer than three of Ingolstadt’s finest to the Geneva Motor Show, each with its own share of modifications.

Not the least of them is the RS3 R, the tuner’s take on Audi’s smallest performance sedan. The pocket rocket packs a 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-five that produces 400 metric horsepower (294 kW) and 354 lb-ft (480 Nm) of torque in standard form.

But after MTM got through with it, the RS3 R kicks out a massive 572 ps and 672 Nm. The result: a sprint to 62 mph (100 km/h) in just 3.5 seconds and a top speed quoted at 186 mph (300 km/h).

Joining it is the RS5 R coupe with slightly less power than the smaller sedan but with more torque. It’s based on the new twin-turbo V6 model (not the old V8). But instead of 457 ps and 443 lb-ft (600 Nm) of torque in the standard model, MTM has increased output to 532 ps (391 kW) and 526 lb-ft (700 Nm) for a 0-62 time of 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 174 mph (280 km/h). At 3,648 lbs (1,655 kg), the larger coupe is a good 353 lbs (160 kg) heavier than the smaller sedan, after all.

Along with the engine enhancements, MTM has also fitted the coupe with a four-pipe carbon-fiber exhaust system and a set of 21-inch alloys shod with Michelin Pilot Super Sport rubber.

Potentially more tempting to fans of older machinery is the RS2 Avant wagon that MTM has restored to factory condition. Audi and Porsche teamed up for this car’s development back in 1994 and only built 2,891 of them, so the ones that are still around are well worth preserving.

The tuner took apart the 2.2-liter turbo five and rebuilt it, but left it with its original 315 ps and 516 lb-ft (485 Nm) of torque, capable as they are of dispatching the 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) run in 5.4 seconds on its way to a terminal velocity of 270 km/h. It also repainted the bodywork, retrimmed the interior, and fitted a new exhaust, giving the little power wagon a new lease on life.