At last, Audi launched the most power version of the A3 range: 2011 Audi RS3. The interesting fact is that the 5-door version gets it first.

Rumors about Audi RS3 2011 hit the web while ago and even the launch date was speculated around every big auto show of the last two years. Still, Audi have delayed the surprise as much as they could.

Even some spy shots of the Audi RS3 were taken in Ingolstadt, but there were some question marks around them, mainly because the 5-door body. But, the New Audi RS3 was not unveiled as a 3-door hot-hatch, as everyone expected, but as a day-by-day car, in the RS3 Sportback version.

Just like the other models wearing the “RS” logo, 2011 Audi RS3 Sportback does not surprise with an extravagant look, although the intakes in the bumpers make it different from the other cars of the line-up. Otherwise, the aesthetic details resume to the hex front grid, having the RS logo, a new set of side skirts, a decent rear diffuser in the bumper and a pair of new exhausts.

Audi RS3 2011 comes with CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic) accessories, both for the spoilers and for the side mirrors or the spoiler. The look is completed by the 19 inch rims, with five spokes finished in titanium, giving the car a dynamic look when 2011 RS3 is moving.

The performances of the car are also at a good level, thanks to the turbocharged engine borrowed from the Audi TT RS bomb. We are talking about the five-cylinder engine, developing a maximum power of 340 HP but also an impressive 332 lb-ft of torque, available between 1,600 and 5,300 rpm.

Therefore, Audi RS3 2011 sprints from 0 to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds, while the top speed is limited to 155 mph. The fuel efficiency will not scare the environmental enthusiasts as Audi RS3 scores 26 mpg, and pretty low CO2 emissions. Fair values for the  performances of the engine.

Of course, the Quattro four-wheel drive system we love is not missing, while the transmission is the automatic S-Tronic, with 7 gears and double-clutch. The gearbox can also be controlled from the paddles on the steering wheel, having two automatic modes.

For Audi RS3 Sportback 2011 to have a sporty behavior, the ride hight was lowered 1 inch, and the brake disks have 14.5 inches in the front and 12.2 inches in the rear. New RS3 Sportback features wide tyres, 235/35 R 19 in front and 225/35 R 19 in the rear. The ESP system also has the Sport mode, but it can also be turned off if you want to feel the thrill.

If the exterior of RS3 Sportback is not so aggressive compared to a stock A3, the interior it’s a lot more sporty than the cockpit of a regular A3. First of all, the sports seats stand out, dressed in black Nappa leather, matched with the red stitching. Worth mentioning is the piano-black finishing of the back side of the front seats.

The interior of 2011 Audi RS Sportback is dominated by black, red stitches, but also by the red lights offering the car a sporty look. The steering wheel as a racing design, with a blunt bottom, also with audio and cruise-control. Otherwise the ambiance is dominated by the RS3 logos.

The new model will be built in the Hungarian factory in Gyor, and the starting price in Germany for 2011 Audi RS3 is of  49,900 euros (around $66,500).

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Audi could launch new RS3 this year, in a important auto show in autumn 2010. The model will develop around 340 HP and could use the current TT-RS engine.

Some rumors announced that Audi will launch the new generation of RS3 in this year. Will be the flagship of the A3 model and will develops 340 HP from a 2.5-liter engine with five-cylinder turbocharged.

The unit should be taken directly from the TT-RS and provide over 70 HP more than S3, the most powerful version of A3 now available. According to this rumor, the new RS3 will debut this year at the Paris Motor Show.

Audi RS3 is only one of the future models that prepares the Ingolstadt automaker. Thus, there are still plans for a compact roadster named R4, A1 new engine versions, including a hybrid and a A2 successor. The A2 successor has been confirmed by Audi, so chances are that the R4 could exit on the market in coming years.

However, a zero-emission version of the R8 could go into production in 2012, which means that the production of the R8 e-tron version that will run on the 24 hours race, will be available to customers.

The TT successor will debut in 2014. The model would represent the third generation of this model and will debut in the coupe version. Subsequently, the guys from Audi will develop also the convertible version of the third generation of the TT, as they have done until now for this model.

The first information about this model suggests that the doors will be the same size as those used by the present generation, and the chassis and the engines will be similar to those used by the future R4.

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