The Audi RS3 Saloon Sounds Predictably Spectacular As It Belts Around The Nordschleife

The saloon version of the Audi RS3 has been spotted undergoing testing at the Nurburgring. Sounds good, no?

Updated: 10 Oct 2024

The fantastic warbly exhaust note you hear in the video above is all thanks to a brand new version of Audi’s 2.5-litre turbocharged inline-five, which we’ve already seen in the TT RS. It’s likely the power output will be dropped a tiny bit, but even so, we’re looking at an Audi RS3 Sedan - as the ‘Muricans will call it - with getting on for 400bhp. And speaking of ‘Muricans, it’s understood that unlike the RS3 Sportback, the four door version will actually make it over to the United States.

So the question is: would you rather one of these, or the incoming, V6-powered RS4?

Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.

Comments

Will there be a manual version?

This is Audi we’re talking about here. They’ve pretty much given up on manuals, save for the S1 and S3

R8 is dat you?

Working in Ingolstadt it’s always funny to see Audi-prototypes posted on the internet, knowing that I see this model daily since three month. I often wonder why all the carspotters focus on the Nürburgring and not on the home bases of the manufacturers.

Gene Hunt would be so proud

Saw one at LAX last Friday…

Here’s another angle…

The Audi RS3 is my dream car. That engine is a masterpiece, and it has tons of heritage. Although I’m fine with the idea of a sedan, I hate how automakers think that nearly all Canadians think similarly to Americans. I am a proud Canadian, and I have one thing to say to European automakers. WE LIKE OUR WAGONS AND HATCHES! Sure SUVs are cool, but you are bound to find tons more wagons/hatches than you are in the US. And because the US neglects to buy wagons/hatches, we find out things like BMW deciding to stop the 3 series tourer from coming to Canada, and the fact that we cant get the 8V or 8P RS3 here, or even the B8 or upcoming B9 S/RS4 Avant, or any Audi avant for that matter!. Just cause the ‘Muricans don’t buy them doesn’t mean we won’t either. We are waaaay more European than you think. Basically what I’m trying to say is that I reeeaaaallllly wish Audi would bring their hatches and wagons here. Hats off to the eggheads in Affalterbach for keeping the E63 Wagons here in North America.

Guys, can somebody please explain those paintjobs? I’m relatively new to this and I’ve seen a couple of them already on BMW’s and other cars. Please? :)