When Audi confirmed that they would revive the RS3 nameplate I was excited to find out if they would also revive the wonderful 5-pot powerplant. Audi confirmed earlier that the new 2016 Audi RS3 will indeed offer buyers some of that 5-cylinder, and at least 340-horsepower goodness.

This will give a unique taste on the RS3 when compared to the S3, which ‘only’ uses a 292 horsepower version of the 2.0-litre TFSI Engine. The last RS3 and the previous TT-RS also shared the same 5-cylinder engine to be expected in this new version. However, this new RS3 is expected to have a bump in power. Quattro technical director Stephan Reil spoke to Top Gear

“The previous car produced 340bhp. We now have more power,” Stephan says with a smile. He wouldn’t be pushed on how much more, but TG is putting good money on more than 360bhp. Much more than that and – as Stephan rightly points out – it’d start picking on cars not its own size. Like the RS4.

“I’m not a fan of power Top Trumps,” he says emphatically, “because you’d need a bigger turbo which means more lag. I’d rather lose 10 or 15 horses and have a wider spread of torque and immediate response. That’s more beneficial for the customer.”

Top Gear did not have the opportunity to drive an RS3 prototype, but had a front row seat to some quick laps around a track. They reported it felt amazingly fast, loud, and more tail-happy than the previous RS3s and other Audis. The ultimate question still remains though, will the RS3 come to America and fulfill the hearts of so many young Vorsprung Durch Technik enthusiasts? Only time will tell, but I think things are looking up.

Source: Jalopnik