Yahoo Autos Audi RS3 Performance Edition gives Europe what America enjoys
Audi is making the European-spec RS3 a little more special by launching a limited-edition model called Performance Edition. Offered as a sedan and as a hatchback, the model gets a more powerful engine, an array of specific styling cues, and more standard features.
Power for both variants of the Performance Edition comes from an evolution of the turbocharged, 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine rated at 401 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. That's an increase of about seven horses over the regular-production RS3 sold in Europe, and the hike brings the Performance Edition's output on par with the American-spec model's. This largely explains why the Performance Edition won't be sold in the United States: Many of the goodies included in the bundle are already offered on our version of the hot-rodded sedan.
The five-cylinder sings its song through a standard RS Sports exhaust system with an edition-specific center silencer, and it spins the four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Audi quotes a 0-to-62-mph time of 3.8 seconds and a 184-mph top speed. The standard RS Sports suspension system ensures the RS3 Performance Edition handles as well as it accelerates, on and off the track.
