That carbon fiber-reinforced plastic finds its way into the grille, front air intakes, 20-inch wheels, side mirrors, and rear diffuser, while aluminum highlights can be found inside and out.
Under the hood are a 2.5-liter turbocharged 5-cylinder (300 kW / 408 horsepower ; 500 Nm / 369 lb-ft) and 7-speed S tronic transmission which help hurl the car to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.1 seconds on its way to a limited top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph). Efficiency figures go like this: 9.1 liters/100 km (25.85 US mpg), with 212 grams CO2 / km (341.18 g/mile) in emissions.
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It's been rumored for a while now that Audi was exploring the possibility of adding a four-door sedan body style to its A3 range, but today, the German firm officially confirmed the news with the release of the first official sketches of the A3 Concept ahead of its world premiere at the 81st International Geneva Motor Show in early March.
Its main purpose is to preview both the saloon variant and the styling direction of the next A3, which is scheduled for a rollout in 2012 and will also include the successors to today's three-door hatchback, five-door Sportback and the two-door convertible models.
"The four-seater notchback sedan offers a glimpse of the future expansion of the A3 family," Audi said in a statement.
The A3 concept measures 4.44 meters (14.57 feet) long, 1.84 meters (6.04 feet) wide and just 1.39 meters (4.56 feet) high, meaning it's slightly smaller than the new Volkswagen Jetta (4.64 m long).
The sedan study embodies Audi's latest design language as seen on the recent A8, A6 and A7 Sportback models featuring a single-frame grille with tapered upper corners, angular headlights with LED technology and taut body lines.
The show car is fitted with an upgraded version of the 2.5-liter five-cylinder turbocharged engine found under the bonnet of the current RS3 and TT RS models, producing a peak output of 408-horses. The five-pot distributes power to all four wheels through a seven-speed S tronic transmission and permanent all-wheel drive.
We'll have more details on the A3 Concept from the Geneva Motor Show in March.
Its main purpose is to preview both the saloon variant and the styling direction of the next A3, which is scheduled for a rollout in 2012 and will also include the successors to today's three-door hatchback, five-door Sportback and the two-door convertible models.
"The four-seater notchback sedan offers a glimpse of the future expansion of the A3 family," Audi said in a statement.
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An Audi A3 Sportback owner in New York City's East Village received a chilly surprise on Monday after finding his car literally encased in ice. The freakish incident occurred after a pipe broke under the street sometime during the weekend causing a sinkhole that formed a small pond around the Audi. The passing cars splashing water all over the A3 and subfreezing temperatures did the rest. As you can see in the video after the jump, the ice was so thick that the owner's attempts to free the car from its frozen cage with a chisel and a hammer proved futile.
Just like any other electronic product, navigation systems are continuously upgrade with better software and hardware. Audi's updated navigation system plus with MMI (Multi Media Interface) for the A3, TT and R8 models promises to offer improved route calculation speeds thanks to a latest-generation processor clocked at 600 MHz while another significant enhancement is are the 800 x 480 pixel, high-resolution graphics displayed on the 6.5-inch screen.
On the back of the display, which can be folded away at the push of a button, are two slots for SD and SDHC cards with capacities of up to 32 GB, enough to store about 14,000 songs or 700 hours of music.
Also new on Audi's updated navigation system plus is the optical parking assistant which can be combined in the Audi R8 with the rearview camera. Aside from the acoustic warning signals, the distance to the front and to the rear is now displayed optically on the high-resolution display.
The new system is available for order now with prices ranging between €2,270 and €2,565, depending on the model.
Power is transmitted to the road through a seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission with two auto and one manual modes, and the Ingolstadt firm's quattro permanent all-wheel drive system.
Weighing in at 1,575 kg (3,472.28 pounds), the RS3 completes the standard 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint in a mere 4.6 seconds, while top speed is electronically limited to 250 km/h (155 mph). Audi adds that the RS3 returns an average fuel consumption of 9.1 liters per 100 km (25.9 US mpg) and emits 212 g CO2 per km (341.18 g/mile).
Power is transmitted to the road through a seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission with two auto and one manual modes, and the Ingolstadt firm's quattro permanent all-wheel drive system.
Weighing in at 1,575 kg (3,472.28 pounds), the RS3 completes the standard 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint in a mere 4.6 seconds, while top speed is electronically limited to 250 km/h (155 mph). Audi adds that the RS3 returns an average fuel consumption of 9.1 liters per 100 km (25.9 US mpg) and emits 212 g CO2 per km (341.18 g/mile).
You'll probably have a hard time noticing the differences, but Audi says that on the 2011 A3s, the single-frame grille element and trims on the B-columns are painted in high-gloss black, the lower air inlets have chrome struts, the exterior mirrors are revised and there are chrome strips in the door handles (except on the S3).
A new rear diffuser insert, the tinted tail lamps on the three-door version, an updated line of alloy wheel designs and the addition of four new paint finishes (Volcano Red, Dakota Gray, Amethyst Gray and Scuba Blue) complete the exterior upgrades.
MR Car Design did not disclose performance figures but apparently the hot hatch will be faster than the standard 265HP model that hits 0-100km/h in 5.7 seconds (manual gearbox) and reaches a top speed of 250km/h.
The modded S3 rides on black 19-inch alloy wheels wrapped in Dunlop Sportmaxx high performance tires size 235/35 ZR19 while buyers can also opt for an upgraded braking system from StopTech and adjustable coilovers from KW Automotive.
The treatment is completed with a matte black vinyl wrap from Germany's Cover EFX that gives the S3 a more menacing look.
MR Car Design did not disclose performance figures but apparently the hot hatch will be faster than the standard 265HP model that hits 0-100km/h in 5.7 seconds (manual gearbox) and reaches a top speed of 250km/h.
The modded S3 rides on black 19-inch alloy wheels wrapped in Dunlop Sportmaxx high performance tires size 235/35 ZR19 while buyers can also opt for an upgraded braking system from StopTech and adjustable coilovers from KW Automotive.
The treatment is completed with a matte black vinyl wrap from Germany's Cover EFX that gives the S3 a more menacing look.
You never know what you'll stumble upon in and around the famous Nurburgring circuit in Germany. It may be a heavily camouflaged prototype model performing test runs like the ones we often post here on Carscoop, or in this case, a pair of privately owned cars dressed in a eye-catching police uniform (okay, most likely a vinyl wrap). The M3 Coupe and Audi S3 faux police cars appear to belong to a group called 'Ring-Police' details of which remain unknown for the time being. More photos after the jump.Via: Autogespot
