New Audi RS 3 Competition Limited hot hatch needs to be a very 'special' edition at £90,000
The Audi RS 3 Competition Limited celebrates the brand’s iconic five-cylinder engine, but it’s extraordinarily expensive
Audi will say goodbye to its iconic five-cylinder engine with a new, ultra-limited special edition of its RS 3. While the Audi RS 3 Competition Limited will be restricted to 750 units worldwide, UK allocations of the car have not been confirmed as yet. However, prices will start at around £90,000 for both the Sportback and saloon bodystyles.
The RS 3 Competition Limited has been designed in the same vein as the exclusive – and expensive – RS 6 GT with unique styling elements, new suspension components and lots of matt-finish carbon fibre. However it’s the engine which is being celebrated, because it’ll soon be killed off when Euro 7 emissions regulations come into force.
Ironically, this is just about the only element of the RS 3 Competition Limited that hasn’t been modified over the standard model. This means the 2.5-litre in-line five-cylinder engine produces 394bhp and 500Nm of torque. The car’s 0-62mph time is officially rated at 3.8 seconds, and will hit 180mph flat out.
As in the standard car, power is sent to all four wheels with help from a torque-vectoring rear differential. This is capable of over-speeding the outer rear wheel during cornering to reduce understeer. Audi’s RS Sports exhaust is also standard fit.
There are more substantial changes in the suspension, though. This sees the standard car’s adjustable dampers being replaced by a new manually adjustable coilover set-up. This allows drivers to more finely tune the RS 3 Competition to their taste through changes to the dampers on compression and rebound. However, you’ll have to do so with the supplied tools, rather than a button on the dashboard.
Audi has also fitted a stiffer rear anti-roll bar, and the carbon-ceramic brakes with red-painted calipers are now standard. These sit behind a set of 19-inch alloy wheels in a cross-spoke design finished in Neodumium gold.
There are other visual changes, too, such as a new front bumper with a redesigned grille, plus a new bi-plane splitter and integrated dive planes. These, plus the unique rear wing, mirror covers, side skirts and rear diffuser are also finished in matt carbon fibre. Finally, the matrix LED headlights now feature black internals, giving them a more sinister look.
Audi will offer the Competition Limited in three colours: Daytona Grey, Glacier matt White and Malachite Green.
Inside, the predominant trim material is black Nappa leather, but this is contrasted with Neodumium gold stitching and Dynamica inserts. RS bucket seats are standard, and across the cabin are occasional touches of Ginger white stitching and more matt-finished carbon fibre.
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