RS3

Make
Audi
Segment
Sedan

With the 2021 Audi A3 having made its world debut in March of this year, we've been sitting at the edge of our seats in anticipation of the arrival of the new Audi RS3. We have had a chance to check out some spy pics, and we've also seen some digital renderings of this mean little sports car, but a new video from statesidesupercars on YouTube shows the RS3 in Sportback guise while it undergoes final testing at the Nurburgring.

The car seen belting around the famed German race track doesn't surprise in the looks department: wearing less camouflage, the car looks pretty much the same as what we've seen in the spy pics. But what we have noticed is its deeper exhaust note.

One explanation for the bass-rich exhaust note could be the possibility that the test car seen in the video has been fitted with the RS sport exhaust system which will be an optional extra once the car goes on sale. We're not saying that the standard exhaust system sounds bad, but the sounds emanating from the car in the video is seriously badass. The RS Q3 and RS3 Sportback, both unavailable in the US, don't normally sound quite this good, despite the five-cylinder turbo engine being one of the best engine notes around.

The RS3 is Audi's answer to the barn-storming Mercedes-AMG A45 S, and in the eternal power race that is the hot hatch market, we might see Audi push the limits of its iconic turbocharged inline-five engine.

The Mercedes CLA 45 is already pushing the boundaries of what a production four-cylinder engine can produce, but Audi is looking to stretch its five-cylinder engine to produce around 415 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. If the rumors are true, the RS3 should offer around 20 hp and 15 lb-ft of torque more than its predecessor. And if you want even more go, there are plans for an RS3 Performance with around 450 hp which should be released later in the car's life cycle.

So when will we see the RS3 on our roads? Audi Sport's Sales and Marketing chief, Frank Michl, told Auto Express that the official reveal is scheduled to take place "some months" from now.