Turbo-five terror.
The Audi RS3 is an enthusiast’s dream. It has a beautiful turbo-five, Quattro all-wheel drive, ample cargo space, superb handling, and has looks to boot. So, it only made sense that one of the largest VW/Audi tuning companies in the world turned up the heat on the hot hatch.
“A car to which there is even more than meets the eye, and that is quite a feat,” says Hans-Jürgen Abt, CEO of ABT Sportsline. “If you are into understatement you get a car that is simply elegant. It is easy to handle in narrow streets and you can also burn rubber. It was our engineers’ top priority that this car shows a top performance at high speeds, too. If you look at the performance chart, you can see that it is very powerful even near the limit.“
The ABT RS3 taps into the untold amounts of potential packed inside the 2.5-liter turbocharged five-cylinder engine. ABT has developed two different tuning programs with different levels of output for the engine. The first, named “ABT Power,” is capable of producing 420 horsepower; 80 ponies more than the stock unit. The second, “ABT Power S,” involves a new turbocharger and engine management system to bump output to 470 horsepower and 465 lb-ft. of torque while keeping the same fuel economy and emissions as the stock RS3. Both of the ABT packages can be ordered with a twin-pipe stainless steel exhaust system for a more audible five-pot exhaust note.
Instead of designing new spoilers, diffusers, and skirts for the RS3, ABT decided to keep the stock upgrades and focus on light alloy wheels. The ABT RS3 can be fitted with in-house DR, BR and CR wheels in a variety of finishes. The featured wheels for the RS3 are 8.5 x 19 DR wheels with a gunmetal grey finish. All sets of wheels come with high-performance 255/30 R19 front and 225/35 R19 rear tires for improved grip.
The ABT RS3 upgrades are currently available from the German tuner. Customers can purchase upgrades individually or as a complete set.
ABT Sportsline Audi RS3 Specifications
Engine:
ABT Power
2.5-liter Turbocharged Inline-five
Maximum Horsepower: 420 (309 kW)
ABT Power S
2.5-liter Turbocharged Inline-five
New Turbocharger
Retuned ECU
Maximum Horsepower: 470 (346 kW)
Maximum Torque: 464.6 lb-ft. (630 Nm)
Optional: Stainless steel two-pipe exhaust system
Wheels and Tires:
Wheels: ABT Sportsline BR Sport Wheels, CR Sport Wheels, or DR Sport Wheels
Wheel Size: 8.5 x 19
Front Tires: 255/30 R19
Rear Tires: 225/35 R19
ABT Sportsline Audi RS3 Gallery
[Source: ABT Sportsline]
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