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Audi RS3 spy shot


Audi is working hard on a compact A3 hatch which will have all the go of the TT-RS, racing it through development testing at the Nurburgring in front of lurking cameras from Carparazzi.  The newcomer will be called the RS3 and should beat the upcoming RS1 - based on the baby A1 starter car - into showrooms.

The newest member of Audi's go-fast RS family will, says Carparazzi, use the same 2.5-litre inline five-cylinder turbo engine already fitted to the TT-RS. Power should be around 253 kiloWatts with 450 Newton-metres of torque.

The bodywork of the RS3 is not much different to the regular A3 hatch at the moment, although the mis-matched alloy wheels - with painted alloy at only one end - are a giveaway to its development work. It is likely to grow some aggressive body bits before production begins, probably later this year.

Audi's technical development chief, Michael Dick, confirms there will be a new RS3 and Carparazzi currently pegs the car's performance at 4.6 seconds for a 0-100km/h sprint with a top speed of 288km/h.