saw this over at honda-tech

http://www.honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=950898&page=1

after reading all the comments in that thread, i'm not sure how i feel about this. mainly, i don't think it could POSSIBLY be in the price range of the evo or sti because the R32 is, and it's sorely underpowered.. just doesn't make sense for the audi version to be in that same price class.

 

oh, and sorry if this is a repost

 

The posters on that site are idiots. It clearly states that the cost will be 20K Euros over the cost of a regular A3. Therefore, assuming an A3 costs $20K then the A3 would be close to $48K. Hardly the same ballpark as an Evo.

 

i think their whole reasoning is:

it will be competing with their full fledged luxo-sports cars such as the s4...

and we have to keep in mind the translation of prices is a bit skewed when comparing america to europe... like pounds-wise, wouldn't some evos translate to 50k USD?

 

It's hard to compare Evos and STIs to a car that hasn't been produced yet!

Just because a car is predicted/expected to be thus-and-so doesn't mean it will be.

Let's wait until we have the finished product to draw some conclusions.

Alot of people had high hopes for the new NSX and now it appears to have been scrapped.

 

Two words...

Fug

Lee

 

Alright... time to reveal myself as a giant closet Audiphile!

First, the guys on the Honda forum are a bit... dense if they think any RS# from Audi will be cheap. The A3 with the 3.2L currently in the R32 and TT is probably going to go for $32K-34K bare, with a 2.0T probably kicking in around $24-25K bone stock.

An RS3 though? Prefixing any Audi with an R means something -- it means that the hand of God reached down into Quattro GmbH to perform miracles and to affix the badge. Consider the previous generation S4 was $40K while the RS4 was nearly $70K, and the S6 was about $60K with the RS6 being nearly $90K out the door. That would mean an RS3 would be in the neighborhood of $50-55K.

The RS6 was somewhat dissapointing, but the RS4 was a terror -- 6 of the first 7 produced were stolen by Russian organized crime members. Including one given to a race car driver ... they broke into the house to steal the keys, took the car, and touched nothing else.

The RS3 will not dissapoint in any way, shape or form. And if it's anything like the RS4, should be fairly tuner friendly. But it really can't be compared to the Evo. Stock performance on the track it'll definitely hang on -- and if they keep weight down, could pound it in the straights. But it's at a different pricepoint.

 

so it's more like an M3 killer?

 

Pretty much.

The A3 3.2L S-Line is about 3360 pounds. About 100-150 pounds more than an Evo. The RS3 is a twin-turbo setup, so if the car allows you to launch uninhibited, 60 would come awfully close to 4.0 seconds flat, and depending on gearing, the 1/4 would run in the mid-to-high 12s. This is assuming that an RS3 wouldn't exceed 3500lbs. Regardless, the thing is going to produce a mountain of torque... it would definitely blaze through the 1/4.

The S4 technically can actually outcorner an M3 in most scenarios, despite its extra girth. Take a suspension that's head-and-shoulders above that, and put it in a lighter car with a significantly shorter wheelbase.

The RS3 would be a force to be reckoned with. If those ever came stateside, I personally would be very wary about those at the track. That's a car that could -- stock for stock -- very well show my MR it's taillights on the dragstrip and possibly on a road course.

Of course, until AoA says anything... it's all rumor.

 

Go Audi. I miss mine sometimes

 

Bring it on I cant wait to run it...(ha ha)

 

What a great idea!

Audi is trying to copy the marketing strategy of the almost bankrupt Mitsubishi! Zero-profit sports cars!

Sorry, I couldn't resist. Audi's have the reliability of Kia's, so count me out.

 

The one site says it's a 5 door only, the honda site has a picture of a 3 door hatch...

 

The RS3 pictured was a concept, based on the existing A3 and the last-generation S3. I would assume it would be 3-doors only, because of the cars sporty nature, however the RS4 was only produced in Avant (stationwagon) form.

The US A3 (I believe a 2.0T and the 3.2 will be offered) is supposed to come in 5-door Sportback flavors only I think.

Also, anyone thinking Audi is targeting Mitsubishi and Subaru is delusional. Audi wants to be considered equal with Mercedes-Benz, but more so BMW. MB may have AMG-tuned cars, but they are recent (and heck, it was almost RennTech instead!), and BMW's M series of cars has more heritage (even if it does go back to that odd M1). Audi is still considered a backmarker for the Germany luxury market, yet if they keep pace and get rid of remaining quality issues, that view will change before the decade is up.

The RS6 was a bit soft, especially compared to the RS4 which was an absolute animal. I doubt Audi would dissapoint with an RS3 unless BMW has some serious plans for the next M3/M4 (if not an M2).