Last week, the refreshed 2021 Audi RS3 Sedan was spied attacking the Nurburgring as development of the hardcore performance sedan continues. Sadly, US customers are going to be waiting a long time to get behind the wheel of the RS3 if the regular A3's timeline is anything to go by. The upcoming Audi A3 isn't expected to go on sale until late 2021 as a 2022 model, so we aren't expecting the hardcore RS3 version to arrive until 2022.

Aesthetically, we can expect the RS3 to sport the usual design tweaks that separate Audi Sport cars from regular Audi models, from larger front air intakes and a wider body, to Audi Sport's signature oval exhaust tailpipes.

But there's one unique detail we didn't know about until now. A leaked internal photo obtained by Periodismodel Motor compares the lighting units across the Audi A3 range. While the shape of the headlights is identical across the range incorporating a slimmer design with standard LEDs, each model has a unique Matrix LED design.

The standard A3's lights feature two small horizontal bars, while the A3 S-Line and Audi S3's lights both have two vertical lines. The design of the Audi A3 TFSI e hybrid's Matrix LEDs, on the other hand, have three horizontal lines with different lengths.

Hinting at its performance prowess, the RS3's Matrix LED graphics form a chequered flag within the 3x5 pixel display. It's a fun novelty design feature that helps further distinguish the Audi RS3 as the most hardcore version of the A3. It's just a shame the graphics appear to be fixed for each model so it isn't clear if you can switch between different designs.

As the most powerful model in the A3 range, the 2021 Audi RS3 is expected to be offered with a 2.5-liter five-cylinder turbo engine, which produces 394 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque in the current Audi RS3. Like the current model, power will be sent to all four wheels through a seven-speed automatic transmission.