While Americans still settle for the 200-horspower Audi A3, our counterparts in Europe have had the option of buying its higher-performance stablemate, the S3 for quite some time. While an RS 3 variant has long been rumored, it has never surfaced from the four-ringed factory; that is until now.
Beginning in early 2011, Audi will start shipping the RS 3 Sportback, a faster, more developed version of the luxurious hatchback that shares its architecture with the Volkswagen Golf. While the A3 and S3 are both powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged direct injection four-cylinder, the S3 having a slightly larger turbo and intercooler, the RS 3 will get the same 2.5-liter turbocharged direct-injection five-cylinder found in the TT-RS. The five-cylinder will not only provide the appropriate rally-car roar, but roughly 340-horspower and 332 pound-feet of torque. The RS3 will pull off 0-60 mph in 4.6 seconds according to Audi, and in accordance with the infamous "gentleman's agreement," the car will be electronically limited to 155 mph.
