Audi's wild RS3 is go, go, go

Caught testing close to the manufacturer's headquarters in Ingolstadt, Germany, with virtually no camouflage, the prototype follows recent Audi form by being disguised as a racer.

However, the distinctive single windscreen wiper, quick-release bonnet pins and adjustable front spoiler won't make it on to the production version. These racy additions are simply Audi's attempt to give spy photographers the slip.

As our exclusive picture shows, the much anticipated newcomer will feature a wider track than the standard A3 and has enlarged wheelarches to accommodate the beefier alloys.

The car is being developed by Audi's Sport division - the team responsible for the barnstorming S4 and RS4 - and is scheduled to make its debut in show-rooms late next year.

But while the car's existence is not in doubt, secrecy surrounds the RS3's engine. One option is an uprated version of the Golf R32's V6, which could easily be tuned to give 350bhp. The other alternative Audi has is to modify the 420bhp V8 found in the new RS4. This first glimpse of the RS3 comes just weeks after the maker confirmed that its less powerful stablemate, the S3, will appear before the end of the year.

It will feature a 240bhp version of the firm's 2.0-litre T-FSI turbo engine, and be fitted with quattro four-wheel-drive transmission. Prices for the S3 are set to be around the £30,000 mark; the RS3 will have a £38,000 price tag.