RS3 in the USA?

RS3? New one on me..any pics/specs available?

Heh.. at this point I don't think they even made up their mind whether to bring the A3 to the US, not to mention S3 or RS3. I think the Golf R32 is coming though, sometime next year.

Cheers,

Pete

The MKV A3 *will* be sold in North America, it's just on delay at the moment. It's also being said that they will sell the 3.2 VR6 powered, 280Hp S3 in the U.S. as well, although I'm not sure if that's been confirmed yet. Wether or not an RS3 will be sold here is totally up in the air, as I'm still hearing that Audi isn't even sure if they're going to build it yet. Expect it to have another more powerful version of the 3.2, with a minimum of 300Hp and possibly turbochargers. The 3.2 is going to become the staple of the VW/Audi lineup, with versions of it being sold in the Golf, Passat, A3/S3, TT, and maybe even in the Jetta. Expect the 3.2TT currently being sold to make a jump in power sometime in the next 12 to 14 months, as a 260 to 280Hp version is in the works for the MKV based R32.

Also the Touareg, though it is sorely underpowered in that application. (The January C&D has a brief review, with a published 0-60 time of over 9 seconds - a bit slow for a $40K vehicle IMO, particularly considering the relatively small price differential vs. the V8 model.)

-- Mike Smith

I agree. But I heard a whisp that VW may upgrade the Touraeg 3.2s power output up to 250Hp and 240 Ft. Lbs. next year when the MKV Golf comes out.

Dunno about USA, but in the UK.....

I heard via a dealer source in the UK that the new S3 will feature a turbo'ed version of the current 3.2, quattro wil be as standard. However, the RS3 will take a detuned V8 from the forthcoming RS4, that being a twin turbo'ed version of the V8 from the S4. Power unknown, Quattro for sure, Avant version ? Probably :¬)

Watch this space.....

Anything sold with an S/RS badge will always come standard with Quattro.

I seriously doubt it for a number of reasons including:

1. If a V8 found it's way into an RS3, it would probably be a detuned version of the S4 engine, not the RS4 engine. They can't very well have their entry level "S" model making more power than the next model up (the S4 in this case). There's also some amount of interest in protecting TT sales.

1. I'm fairly sure the 4.2 litre V8 and any possible variant thereof is to big and much to heavy for an A3 based car. It barely fits into the B6 A4.

They're gonna fit the 4.2 V8 into the RS3? It barely fits in the S4. Plus, isn't the A/S/RS3 body designed for transverse engines?

-- Mike Smith

In article , Steve Grauman writes

One car mag here in the UK said the new S3 would be V8 powered, but frankly I doubt it somehow. Everyone I've mentioned this to has laughed at it, and even if they were going to produce a V8 powered derivative, surely that would be the RS3, not the S3.

My main doubt of it lays simply in the fact that the only V8 Audi currently makes simply won't fit into an MKV Golf chassis. I still have an old issue of CAR (another English publication) containing a 2 page article about a highly modified MKIV Golf 2-door that the factory squeezed a 4.0 litre W8 into, but the difficulty of installation, excessive added weight over the nose, and sky-high cost prohibited it from being built. In addition to all this, Audi would never let a Golf based model supercede the S4, and of the Golf based models they make, I'm fairly sure they want the TT to keep top rung, above any A3/S3 variants.

Especially when one considers the transversal engine position in the A3 :)

I have heard however, of the V6 2.5 TDI coming to the golf V platform in the future, combined with DSG and Quattro, that would be a really cool sleeper car :)

-- Dave

It would certainly *fit* which solves the debacle. =) Sadly, we're Diesel deprived here in the U.S., if we get a TDi in the A3 it'll probably be the same 2.0 4-cylinder now in the Passat. Chances are though, we just won't get a Diesel variant of the A3.

In article , Steve Grauman writes

Out of interest, with petrol prices so cheap over there, why would you want a diesel?

Due to the fuel mileage differences, diesel is even cheaper on a per mile basis. The good fuel mileage also gives great range on a tank of fuel. The lower revs at speed make for a very quiet highway ride (nice, in the land of highways) and the low-end torque is nice around town. The simplicity of the ignitionless (well, standard sparkplug, coil, etc.) motor, and the vast availablity of fuel. In addition, it's possible to run the motors on vegetable oil, for those with that bent.

Add to all that the TDI tech, which is nice for mostly removing the clatter and smoke of previous VAG diesels, and you have a near-perfect motor for most of what folks use cars for. Somebody else will have to fill in the stuff that I missed. :)

-- Jonesy

You filled in more than I could have. I'd love to see more diesel cars around here. In fact, I think the next car in the family will probably be a Jetta TDI.

Romy,

I think you nailed it Jonesy. Diesels are quieter, more fuel effiecent, and make their power lower in the rev range. They won't give you incredible accleration, but for anything from day to day around town driving to long highway cruizing, they offer what many would consider a superior alternitive to standard gas-burning engines.

X-no-archive: yes

Diesels quieter than petrol engines? Not a chance.

won't give you incredible

I had a chance to test drive the new A3, both diesel and petrol variants (2.0TDI vs 3.2V6), while both were undeniably great cars, I was pleasantly surprised by how good the TDI was. The power range was available more through the mid range as compared to the entire range as afforded by the V6, but I still cant make a decision about which of the two to go for. :-)

The V10 diesel engine used on the VW Touareg is one decibel quiter (72db) than the V8 gazoline (73db). And the V10 is more powerful, if I remember well has at least twice the torque at almost half the rpm, is far more economical and less poluting than the V8.

And has far getter in gear acceleration, with slightly better 0-60 miles acceleration time and higher top speed.

Only drawback is that it costs more buy to buy.

Take care and Happy New Year Pantelis

In article , Graham writes

I've had my 2.0 TDI for nearly a month now and am totally in love with it.

With regard to the benefits of diesel posted earlier, I agree with them all, but I do find it slightly amusing to think of Americans choosing diesels to save money, when their petrol is so cheap to start with.

For those in the US who don't realise quite how good they have it, petrol here in the UK is currently around $6 a gallon.