looking to get a new sporty A3 - is there a new S3 ?

I am looking to purchase a new S3 also but all my enquiries seem to lead to the fact that only an RS3 will be produced towards the end of next year.

I asked my friendly salesman at the dealership to call the UK product manager for A3's in Milton Keynes. The response from our man in MK was that there is no room in the market for a 3.2q, S3 and RS3 so the S3 will not be made. He said the RS3 would be in Avant 5 door form only with a twin blown version of the current 3.2 putting out around 350BHP.

I didn't actually hear this with my own ears but the sales guy has been pretty reliable in the past so I am about to place an order for the 3.2q with DSG.

Richard

I heard an almost identical story from my local dealer, shame that its only going to be an Avant 5 door. An RS3 version of the current A3 would be very nice indeed.

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A 5-door RS3 Avant would be *just fine* with me. I just hope they bring it to the USA.

- Greg Reed

There's no confirmation that an RS3 is in development, nor is there any viable source for potential specs at this point, other than to say that it's likely the car will use VW's 3.2 VR6. The S3 *is* in the works, and the most reliable information indicates that a 280Hp version of the 3.2 VR6 will power it. Although don't expect it till' the end of this year. The A3 3.2 is already out in Europe though, powered by the same 250Hp version of the 3.2 VR6 found in the Golf R32 and TT 3.2. 0-60 comes in the *very* low 6s (I've heard 5.8 for the R32 and 5.9-6.0 for the TT 3.2) and Quattro is standard.

Steve

May I ask how did you come by this information ref the RS3 and S3?

All the other information you is list is freely available.

Richard

I work for Audi and the fact is that an RS3 is planned and in development but there are no plans to produce an S3. There is a lot of hearsay on many web sites and discussion groups about A3 performance models and they are mostly wrong! Don't believe 'em.

Haudi

There is no information about the RS3 to speak of. Audi has refused to offically comment about it's development, or even confirm that it's being worked on, hence what I said in my posts. Although UK based magazines such as EVO and CAR speculated months ago (claiming to have reliable sources) that a

280Hp 3.2 VR6 would power the S3 and that a more powerful version would *probably* power the RS3, if it ever came into existence. Audi has confirmed development of the S3, we know it's being built, just not when it will come out. Some of this information has been posted to the net as well, I'm sure some of it could be found via a Google search. It's also come to light that VW/Audi will be making the 3.2 the staple of their lineups, putting at least 2 versions in the upcoming Passat, one version each in the R32 and TT, and one version in the Touraeg. Although there's another rumor that a new 3.6 litre VR6 may replace the 3.2 for use in the Toureag. The 2.8 VR6 is still avaliable in the Jetta GLX and GTi (or Golf VR6 if you live in Europe) but it's been removed from the Jetta GLi and there's been some speculation (backed up in part by the VW rep at the International car show here in Los Angeles) that the 3.2 will eventually replace the 2.8 all togethor.

This goes aganist everything I've read and heard, including from other Audi employees. There's been confirmation from Audi that an S3 is in the works, and no commentary about the RS3. Exactly what do you do for Audi?

Which, I guess, confirms that the next Passat will have transverse instead of longitudinal engine mounting? Does this mean that the B6 platform can support both, or does it mean that the next Passat will not be on the B6 platform?

-- Mike Smith

What I hear is that the MKV Passat will be built on it's own platform, not the B6 A4 platform. This may change, but this seems to be the word for now. The 4.0 W8 is going bye-bye (IMHO, it should/could replace the 3.0 V6 in the B6 A4, but that ain't happnin'), and the initial reports I read/heard have all said that a turbocharged version of the 3.2 VR6 will probably replace it, making around

300Hp. They also said that an N/A version, with around 260Hp would slot in below that, replacing the current 30 valve V6, and that the new 200Hp 2.0T would be the base engine. Again, this is just speculation I've read in print and on the net, and heard through various outside channels. Little if any of it is confirmed, but this is the best info avaliable right now, as far as I know.