New Audi RS3 Performance Edition Unveiled – Only 300 Units Available!

The three ‘life cycles’ your typical sports car inevitably goes through – first is the base model phase, followed by the sports performance version of the same model. The final cycle is the souped-up, limited production phase – perhaps a sign marking an end to the model’s current generation.

The new Audi RS3 Performance Edition ticks all those three ‘life cycles’ boxes. This revised, more powerful version of the ongoing RS3 (the second phase), which is also based on the Audi A3 (the first phase), is set to be the fastest among its aforementioned Audi ‘3’ family members.

And yes, you read it right. Only 300 limited units will be produced, with critical Audi markets such as the Americas and the UK won’t be exclusively getting this range-topper RS3 – a tell-tale sign that we won’t even see its shadow back home.

Coming in both Sedan and Sportback configuration, this limited-edition RS shares almost all of its looks with the predeceasing RS3. Staple RS features such as blackened badges and tailpipes, carbon trimmings and whatnots are all available, with an addition of new special headlights showcasing chequered-flag design daytime running lights (DRL).

The all-new 19-inch wheels might be your best bet in differentiating the standard RS3 and the Performance Edition. This new set of alloys comes in dark matte grey finish, also being wrapped around by Pireli’s P Zero Trofeo R – similar to its predecessor.

The ‘recycling’ theme goes on with the car’s interior – with various parts from the previous, non-limited model being reused in this model. RS’s signature virtual cockpit is now draped with Alcantara and carbon finishing and new sportier bucket seats now come standard for this limited-edition model.

No surprise, the Performance Edition boasts slight performance changes in helping to shed milliseconds of lap times. Adaptive dampers and improved, bespoke chassis design further add stability and rigidity – helpful in tackling fast corners. Coming alongside the aforementioned new wheels are a new set of ceramic brakes, for better stopping performance.

And better stopping power is surely needed, for that this new RS comes with a re-tuned 5-cyl TFSI engine. Thanks to the re-tuning works, its output now increased to 401 HP but max torque of 500 NM is not a step-up from the standard RS3. 

Fortunately, the limited V-max now increased to 300 KMH. This slight improvement though does not help in improving the RS3’s 0 to 100 KMH time, with this Performance Edition also finished in 3.8 seconds.

Aside from the uncertainty of even getting in the line for one of the 300 limited-edition units, this new RS3 Performance Edition Sportback will also set you around €75,000 (RM402,449), with the Sedan model setting you back for €77,000 (RM413,181).

With its standard version siblings breaking the Nurburgring lap time record in its category, will the Performance Edition’s slight improvements be enough to dethrone the standard RS3? Only one way to find out…