The RS3 is not a new car and it has been the top of the A3 range for some time now. However, so far the car has not been available on the US market which made many people wonder why. Luckily, though, a few weeks ago the all new 2018 Audi RS3 has been released and there are a lot of good news about it. For starters, the car is now going to be available either as a hatchback or a sedan. The latter will only be available in the US, a first, while the hatch will be sold in Europe exclusively. Even though the two versions will be slightly different in appearance, at least on a performance level the two are going to be identical.
2018 AUDI RS3 PRICE AND DETAIL
Even though the model is all new for the US market, it is not really an entirely new car. The 2018 version is actually just a facelift for the older model. It gets a new look, slight changes on the inside as well as a ton of improvements to its running gear. The RS3 will be sold in the US starting in the Summer of 2017. The European version should become available at roughly the same time. The car’s price hasn’t been released so far. However, considering that the S3 costs over $43,000, it is safe to assume that the RS3 will cost well over $50,000 with some suggesting for as much as $60,000.
CHASSIS
Just like with the regular A3, or the S3, the 2018 Audi RS3 uses the same MQB modular front-wheel drive platform. However, in order to keep up with the competition, this has been slightly altered in order to accommodate an all-wheel drive system. Audi says that this should now be capable of delivering a lot more torque to the rear wheels than the AWD on the S3. On top of that, they will be offering an option which will replace the regular 235.35.18 tires in the front with 255.30.18 tires.
This is quite interesting because not many manufacturers offer wider tires up front. Audi said that this is mostly to reduce as much as possible understeer and make the car a bit more neutral. The brakes are also much larger than on the regular model and even though not official, some pictures showcased by Audi offer a nice view of the front brakes which do seem to be carbon ceramic units.
2018 Audi RS 3 Sedan First Look – 2016 Paris Motor Show
DESIGN
The RS3 looks on par with any RS model to date. The regular S3 body has been taken and widened slightly. It has new front and rear fenders, the front end has been modified while the back is as subtle as ever, with a much larger exhaust system. Instead of all the chrome found on the S3, the 2018 Audi RS3 gets all black inserts as well as black mirrors which are a first for the model. The grille is slightly more aggressive, the headlights are new while the massive front splitter is there to help with high-speed stability.
ENGINE OF 2018 AUDI RS3
The new RS3 has a new engine even though it shares its displacement with the older unit. The 2.5 liter inline 5 turbo is now an all aluminum unit. Audi said that this shaved more than 70 pounds from the front axle. On top of that, it gets a new head, larger injectors, a new turbo as well as a much better cooling system. The end result is 400 horsepower and 354 lb-ft of torque. This is just as much as the TT-RS which is incredibly fast. The official numbers say that the RS3 will hit 60 MPH in 4.1 seconds with a top speed of as much as 174 MPH. The gearbox is a 7-speed dual clutch unit which should allow for better figures on the right driving surface, especially considering the performance of the older car.
