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Just 19.29 inches in length, the five-cylinder unit is ultra-compact, tipping the scales at a mere 403 pounds. The crankcase is made of vermicular-graphite cast iron, a high-strength yet lightweight material. Audi is the first car maker to use this material in a gasoline engine. Perfectly placed reinforcements further enhance the block's loadability. The lightweight-design concept keeps the Audi RS 3 Sportback's weight in check and pays off big in terms of axle-load distribution and, ultimately, handling.

The large turbocharger generates up to 1.2 bar of boost pressure. The intercooler downstream achieves an efficiency rate of over 80 percent. Like all Audi gasoline turbos, the 2.5 TFSI combines turbocharging technology with FSI direct injection. The marriage of these two technologies facilitates a high compression ratio (10.0:1) along with a correspondingly high efficiency ratio. Flaps in the intake tract mix the air as it flows in. The two camshafts, each adjustable by 42 degrees of crankshaft rotation, also enhance the efficiency of the mixture formation.

Transmission and Quattro AWD

The compact seven-speed S tronic transmits power from the five-cylinder engine via three shafts: one drive shaft and two output shafts. Like all dual-clutch transmissions, it comprises two transmission structures. The shifting process is extremely smooth, taking place in hundredths of a second as the clutches switch, with no perceptible interruption of pulling power. Seventh gear is very tall - a measure that reduces fuel consumption.

The driver can operate the seven-gear S tronic in two automatic modes and one manual mode. Gears are shifted using the paddles on the steering wheel or the selector lever. The launch control system manages the sprint from a dead stop, furnishing explosive turbo power with minimal tire slip.

Delivering power to the road with effortless ease, the quattro permanent all-wheel drive grants the RS 3 Sportback traction, dynamics, and stability. Its central component is an electronically controlled multi-plate clutch, mounted at the end of the propeller shaft to achieve a favorable axle load distribution. Located in its interior is a plate package bathed in oil.

Thanks to quattro, the propulsive power can be distributed to each axle as needed. Whenever slip occurs at one of the axles, an electric pump intervenes at lightning speed to increase the oil pressure. The pump presses the clutch plates together in a continuous fashion, thereby permitting the torque to be redirected accordingly. Thanks to a powerful accumulator, this process takes just a few milliseconds.

The RS 3 Sportback's Chassis

The stiff body lays the cornerstone for the RS 3 Sportback's precise handling; the chassis is what makes it happen. The four-link rear suspension - with a track measuring 60.16 inches - is anchored to a subframe and features high-strength-steel control arms that allow it to handle longitudinal and lateral forces separately.

Widened to a 61.57-inch track, the front suspension is a McPherson strut construction, also with a separate subframe. Key components of the construction are made of aluminum. Thanks to its electromechanical drive, the rack-and-pinion steering is highly efficient, with a sporty-direct gear ratio of 16.2:1.

Coil springs and redesigned shock absorbers provide the vertical support. The sports suspension lowers the body of the RS 3 Sportback by 1 inch compared with the A3. The new range-topping model in the A3 series boasts 19-inch cast aluminum wheels fitted with 235/35 series tires at the front and 255/30 at the rear. The wheels come standard with machine-polished titanium-look styling, but are optionally available in black with a red rim flange.

The internally ventilated disks measure 370 millimeters (14.57 inches) in diameter at the front and 310 millimeters (12.20 inches) at the rear. The front friction rings are perforated for maximum heat dissipation. They are connected by hollow pins to the aluminum brake disk covers, which are encircled by four-piston fixed calipers painted a high-gloss black and bearing RS logos. The electronic stabilization program (ESP) features a Sport mode and can be switched off entirely.

Precisely guided by its responsive steering, the RS 3 Sportback eagerly takes to curves and exits them with agility, stability, and serenity. The stability limit is extremely high, an effortless mastery that rounds off the character of this powerful compact car.

Premium Equipment

The RS 3 Sportback comes with an array of standard equipment including the Sport button, rear parking system, climate control, chorus radio system, and xenon plus headlights with LED daytime running lights. Audi offers customers a range of optional features: front bucket seats, roof rails in matt aluminum look, and styling packages in black or matt aluminum. Five exterior colors are available, plus an unlimited selection of custom paint finishes.

The new top-of-the-line model in the A3 series is already the fourth Audi model to be built at Audi Hungaria in Gyor, where it is rolling off the assembly line alongside the TT Coupé, the TT Roadster and the A3 Cabriolet.

Deliveries of the RS 3 Sportback will begin in early 2011 across Europe. The base price in Germany will be 49,900 EUR.

Audi RS 3 Sportback: Photo Gallery, Review (1/2) and Specifications