With the German uber saloon power wars seemingly having reached their summit at around 600hp - see the new RS6, with no more power than its predecessor - it's fallen to the smaller models to take on the mantle. Nowhere is this more evident in the Audi RS3 versus Mercedes-AMG A45 scrap for the title of most powerful hot hatch; Audi had it many years ago with the first RS3, only to be usurped by the original A45. Since that time (2013), various facelifts and updates have seen the balance of power swing one way or the other, presumably along with the corporate todgers as spec sheet superiority is restored.
Current top dog is Mercedes, with the AMG A45 S boasting 421hp. That's a healthy margin over the outgoing RS3's 400hp, both numbers which this RS3 will surely surpass. The gains achieved by various tuning companies with the venerable 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo - an engine that this RS3 will surely keep - would suggest that a figure closer to 450hp is not beyond the realms of possibility.
Even with the disguise on, this is very clearly an A3: the grille, the lights, the silhouette is all very... Audiish. There are a few tell-tale signs that mark this out as a little more interesting than a 35 TFSI, though. See the monster brakes behind the front wheels - ceramics will presumably be an option once again - the pair of chunky exhausts and an extra splitter at the front that lesser A3s will probably go without.
It's all pretty standard fare for a fast Audi overhaul, and why would it not be? A3 hot hatches have always proved pretty popular in the UK, right back to the original S3 of 20 years ago, and the regular A3s that have looked like fast ones have found even more buyers. We'll be able to surmise more about the RS3 once the Golf is revealed, but if it possesses the same attributes as the last one - stupendously rapid, beautifully built, better to drive than you might think - then expect plenty more eager purchasers at Audi's door.
Pics: S.Baldauf/S.B. Medien
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