Audi Unleashes New S3 Sport Hatch with 296-Horsepower 2.0 TFSI [33 Photos & Video]

The new generation of the more practical A3 Sportback, which was revealed online on Wednesday, will be joined by the spanking new S3 at Audi's Paris Motor Show stand next week.
The performance model of Audi's MQB platform-based compact hatchback is lighter and more powerful than the model it replaces. It is scheduled to go on sale in Europe early next year with a starting price of €38,900 (US$50,500) in Germany.
At the heart of the car lies a newly developed 2.0-liter TFSI direct-injection and turbocharged gasoline engine that belongs to the EA888 engine family.
The new powerplant weighs around five kilograms (11 pounds) less than the previous EA113 2.0 TFSI and is also much more powerful delivering 296Hp (300PS) at 5,500 rpm and 380 Nm (280.27 lb-ft) of torque between 1,800 and 5,500 rpm, an increase of 35Hp and 30Nm respectively. It redlines at 6,800 rpm.


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New Audi A3 Sportback Grows in Size, Shrinks in Weight [50 Photos and Video]

Audi will showcase a new addition to its redesigned A3 series at the 2012 Paris motor show from 27 September. The 2013 A3 Sportback is the more practical and versatile five-door version of Audi's premium compact model.
The evolutionary (according to Audi, stale according to others) styling language of the A3 can be found on the Sportback variant as well, with the five-door variant employing the use of three side windows and a sloping tailgate design. For a sportier look, buyers will be able to opt for Audi's S-Line package that adds different bumpers, spoilers and larger alloy wheels.
While the car's exterior dimensions at 4,310mm (169.7 inches) long, 1,780mm (70.1 inches) and 1,425mm (56.1 inches) tall are only slightly greater than on the previous Sportback, the new model now rides on a 2,636 millimeters (103.8 inches), an increase of 58 millimeters (2.28 in).
The five-door model is also 35 millimeters (1.38 in) longer between the axles than the three-door version, resulting in an increase in rear passenger legroom. The luggage compartment offers 380 liters (13.42 cu ft) of space in the basic configuration and can be expanded to 1,220 liters (43.08 cu ft) with the rear seats (60:40 split) folded down.
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Watch Chris Harris Compare the New BMW M135i Against the Audi RS3

Chris Harris put his hands on two of Europe's fastest and most powerful hot hatches, the Audi RS3 and the newly arrived BMW M135i.

Believe it or not, in the UK, at £39,950 (US$64,100 / €49,200), the Audi RS3 is roughly 25 percent more expensive than BMW's newly arrived M135i hot hatch, which will set British buyers back £29,995 (US$48,150 / €36,900).

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ABT Sportsline Drops New Details on Upcoming 2013 Audi A3 Tune

As ABT Sportsline is nearing the end of the development phase of its new aftermarket parts for the 2013 Audi A3 hatchback, the German tuning brand of all things related to the Volkswagen Group wants to share new details on the performance and styling packages that will be bundled under the AS3 moniker. Read more »

Run Forest, Run…Woman Takes Gas Pump as She Leaves Filling Station

The young driver of what looks like a previous iteration of the Audi A3 hatchback was caught by a security camera taking something with her that she shouldn't have when leaving a gas station.

That something happened to be the gas pump that was still connected to the car… Fortunately, she noticed it but not before a very dangerous fire erupted at the base of the pump.

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EuroNCAP Tests New Audi A3, Ford B-MAX, Isuzu D-Max, Kia Cee'd, Renault Clio and Volvo V40

Six brand new models including the 2013 Audi A3 hatchback , Ford B-MAX minivan, Isuzu D-Max pickup truck, Kia Cee’d hatch, Renault Clio supermini and Volvo V40 premium compact have undergone safety tests by Euro NCAP and all but one of the vehicles assessed received the full five-star rating.

The most impressive results came from the new Volvo V40 five-door hatchback that not only achieved five stars but also became Euro NCAP’s all-time top scorer in its segment.

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Upcoming 2013 Audi A3 Sportback Illustrated Ahead of its Paris Motor Show Debut

On Wednesday, we told you about Audi's plans to blow the covers off the second member of its new A3 family of compact models, the five-door Sportback at the 2012 Paris Auto Show, and now, we gave give you an idea of what it will look like thanks to this rendering made by Khalil Bouguerra.

The artist shortened the front doors to create space for a second set of doors behind while also making the necessary changes to the roofline and the side windows, the styling of which is similar to the outgoing Sportback.

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We Hear Audi to Debut New A3 Sportback at the Paris Motor Show

With the presentation of the all-new A3 three-door hatchback (pictured above) at the Geneva Motor Show in March, it was only a matter of time before Audi begun expanding the range of its premium compact model.

And the time for the five-door version of the series with the Sportback moniker has almost arrived as we just learned that the German automaker will debut the car at the upcoming 2012 Paris Motor Show in late September.

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Audi's Worldwide Sales Grow 12.4 Percent in 2012, European Deliveries up 3.4 Percent

The brand with the four rings recorded a double-digit growth in the first seven months of the year delivering 852,900 vehicles worldwide, an increase of 12.3 percent over the same period last year.

In July, Audi sold 119,600 automobiles globally, up 12.9 percent from the same month in 2011. The German company expects an even better second half thanks to the arrival of the new A3 hatchback.

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Audi Reportedly Green Lights Seven-Seater Minivan

At the same time that many automakers are pulling away from the minivan segment offering alternatives in the form of seven seater crossovers, Audi has reportedly given the green light for the development of its first MPV (Multi Purpose Vehicle) that will arrive in 2016. Read more »

Audi Offers a Strictly Limited Second Run of its 335HP RS3 Sportback in the UK

Fans of the Audi RS3 Sportback who weren't able to secure one of the 500 cars that were earmarked for the UK and which were quickly snapped in 2011, will have a second chance as the German automaker decided to respond to consistent demand with an additional, strictly limited production run of 250 cars. Read more »

Brit Wants Help Identifying Thieves who Stole Audi S3 from his House

A Manchester man has posted video footage from a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera installed in the entrance of his house capturing the dramatic moments when two robbers equipped with crowbars burst into his home on June 7, demanding the keys to his £25,000 Audi S3.

At the time the burglars broke into his house, the man, whom the Daily Mail identified as Chris Rustage, 38, was watching TV with his wife and three sons aged 13, 11 and 3.

The footage show the two young men stopping outside the house in a Vauxhall Corsa, which was driven by a third person. The two robbers swiftly enter the house from the front door and less than 20 seconds later they exit with the car's keys in their hands and take off in the black Audi S3 hatch.

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Audi Confirms U.S. Launch of New A3 Sedan for late This Year, Asks if it Should Bring Hatch and Cabrio

We already knew that Audi has plans to build the first ever sedan version of its A3 series and that it would come to North America. What we weren’t sure about was the timing.

In a posting on its Facebook page today, the German automaker revealed that the A3 Sedan "is confirmed for U.S. release late this year".

What this means is that we will likely see the four-door version of the new A3 making its debut at the 2012 Paris Motor Show in September, and/or at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show in November, with sales to start around December.

The A3 Sedan will be based on a stretched version of the latest A3 hatchback's new MQB modular platform architecture, with the two models also sharing the same interior design and engine lineup.

Audi has previewed the looks of the A3 sedan twice in the past year; the first time at the 2011 Geneva Salon with the sporty looking and very near production A3 Concept sporting a 402bhp (408PS) 2.5-liter turbo'd inline-five, and the second time with the A3 e-Tron gasoline-electric hybrid study at the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show.

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Audi Releases UK Pricing of 2013 A3 Hatch, Plus New Gallery with 89 Photos

It has been a while since we last heard any news about the third generation Audi A3, but today, the German premium automaker released UK pricing for the three-door hatchback model, while we've also added a new photo gallery.

On the road prices start at £19,205 and go up to £26,560, with Audi UK accepting orders now for first deliveries in September.

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Vilner Gives a Nod32 to ESET with Promotional Audi A3

One of Slovakia's most successful companies, IT security specialist ESET, turned to Bulgaria's most well-known tuning firm, Studio Vilner, for the creation of a promo car for the upcoming Software World Conference.

The car of choice was a first generation Audi A3, which spent two months at Vilner's main facility. ESET, which is most famous for its Nod32 antivirus software package, wanted to the car to be dressed in the company's corporate colors.

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Video Shows the Styling Evolution of the Audi A3 Hatchback Over Three Generations

We will not blame you if you think that each new Audi A3 is a facelift of the previous model, as truth to be said, with a few exceptions over the years such as the late 1990s C5 series A6 and the 1998 TT Mk1, Ingolstadt's designers generally prefer change through evolution rather than by revolution.

The three generations of the A3 compact hatchback are a typical example of this design philosophy, something that you can see for yourself in the short clip that Audi prepared in order to highlight the changes through the years.

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Spy Shots: Next Audi S3 Prototype Tries Out its New 2.0 TFSI on the 'Ring

We have just snapped the first spy photos of a next generation Audi S3 while testing on the Nürburgring racetrack.

The prototype would have gone by unnoticed if weren't for the S3's trademark quad tail pipes at the back. The production model that will follow next year will also sport a different front bumper with larger air-inlets and a chrome-trimmed grille along with a rear diffuser and bespoke alloy rims shod in wider wheels.

The current Audi S3 is powered by a 2.0-liter TFSI delivering 262hp (265PS) and 350Nm. We hear that the next iteration of Ingolstadt's hot hatch features a new 2.0-liter force-fed four generating around 280-horses.

Naturally, the S3 is equipped with Audi's quattro all-wheel drive system while transmission options will include a six-speed manual and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.

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ABT Wastes No Time in Preparing a Tune for the 2013 Audi A3

It's only been ten days since the world premiere of the third-generation Audi A3 at the Geneva Motor Show, yet amazingly, we already have an announcement on the first tuning project, courtesy of ABT.

The German tuning brand said it is preparing a comprehensive package for the new Audi hatchback marketed under the name AS3 and which will be available for order later this year.

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2013 Audi A3 is Newer than it Looks: Live Photos and First Videos

Audi’s Chairman of the Board Rupert Stadler formally unveiled the new three-door A3 on the opening day of the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. Of course, we already know everything there is to know about the third generation of the A3 thanks to Audi revealing full details of its brand-new premium C-segment model yesterday.

To refresh your memory, the new A3 is the first model to be based on the modular (and cost-saving) MQB platform. It sports the same length and height as the car it replaces, but is 12mm wider and has a 23mm longer wheelbase.

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New 2013 Audi A3 Makes its Official Appearance Prior to the Geneva Motor Show

Audi’s brand new A3, which will make its first public appearance at the 82nd Geneva Motor Show, seems to be following the Porsche 911's lead. Just like the 991, at a first glance, it doesn't look radically different from its predecessor, yet it is a completely new design with different proportions.

In much the same way, the third generation of Ingolstadt’s premium three-door hatchback looks familiar, but is actually an all-new design inside and out.

At 4,237mm long, 1,421mm tall and 1,777mm wide, the new A3 has about the same height and length as its predecessor but is 12mm wider and rides on a 23mm longer wheelbase that measures 2,601mm.

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