Audi is showing off its new hot versions of the Q3 SUV; the RS Q3 and the RS Q3 Sportback.
400hp and 480Nm of torque
Obviously, one is the slightly more rakish version of the other, but both get the same five-cylinder turbo 2.5-litre engine, developing 400hp and 480Nm of torque. Drive, not surprisingly, goes to all four wheels thanks to Audi's quattro four-wheel drive setup. Both models can sprint from standstill to 100km/h in just 4.5 seconds. Top speed is limited to 250km/h but as an option you can stretch that to 280km/h.
That engine output represents a 17 per cent improvement over the old RS Q3 model, says Audi. It's also incredibly compact for an inline-five cylinder engine - just 50cm long, and it's 26kg lighter than the engine in the outgoing version.
Clever tech too
There's lots of clever engine tech toon - there's a switchable water pump that means it warms up faster (better for emissions and fuel economy), plasma-coated cylinder liners for lower friction, and even the crankshaft has been drilled hollow to save a single kilogram of weight.
The firing order of the cylinders - which runs 1-2-4-5-3 - gives the engine that distinctive five-pot growl and grumble - deliberately evocative of the original quattro rally cars.
Six driving modes
The electronics allow you choose from six driving modes: comfort, auto, dynamic, efficiency and individual or, as an alternative to the individual mode, the two new RS modes RS1 and RS2. These can be personalised, and quickly accessed through a steering wheel button, to allow you to flick from hot-and-heavy to light-and-wafty modes as you choose. Fuel consumption and emissions? Probably best not to ask - 8.9 litres per 100km and 203g/km.
On the chassis front, the ride height has dropped by 10mm compared to the standard Q3 and Q3 Sportback. 20-inch wheels are standard, with 21-inch versions as an option. Braking is by new six-piston calipers working on special RS steel brake discs. As an option, you can have ceramic RS brakes, with whopping 380mm front discs. The S-Tronic dual-clutch automatic gearbox comes a standard.
Optional extras
Also as an option, you can have RS sport suspension plus, which comes with trick dampers that have an electrically actuated proportional valve which regulates the flow of oil into the damper pistons - all controlled by the Dynamic Chassis Control system. The suspension provides the optimum damping force for each damper within milliseconds - low for hard bumps; high to brace the body during fast cornering or when braking. The upshot is enhanced driving dynamics, precise stability and agile handling coupled with even greater comfort.
On the inside
The cabin is basically that of the standard Q3 - with its centre console tilted ten degrees towards the driver - but with some RS add-ons. There are RS-specific displays for the (optional) digital instrument pack, an (also optional) red surround for the starter button, gearshift light displays, and gorgeous high-back bucket seats finished in leather and Alcantara (or, optionally, in Nappa leather). There's also an RS Sport steering wheel, flat-bottom, natch.
It's still a practical car, though. Audis says both Q3 and Sportback are designed to be full five seaters, and the boot is still a very generous, 530 litres. There are eight paint options - including the RS-specific colours Kyalami green and Nardo gray - and you'll tell an RS model from the outside thanks to big singleframe grille with no chrome edging, honeycomb trim effect, a deeper front bumper with 'boomerang' shaped blades, and wheelarches that have been flared by 10mm.
Order books open in October, and sales should start before the end of the year.