News: Audi blows cobwebs off A3 saloon at Wörthersee with clubsport quattro concept

FANS WHO make the journey to VW Group’s annual Wörthersee car festival in Austria (May 28-31) are in for a treat this year in the shape of this: the A3 saloon clubsport quattro concept.

There’s already an S3 quattro saloon packing a not unreasonable 292bhp from its 2.0 TFSI engine but the new concept blows it into the weeds with a 511bhp version of the five-cylinder, 2.5-litre turbocharged engine from the RS Q3 under its bonnet.

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So equipped, this hottest of compact Audi saloons charges from 0-62mph in 3.6sec on the way to a top speed of 192mph. Accordingly, it rides 10mm lower than the S3, while spring and damper settings have been changed to suit.

However,  it’s sure to be the car’s vivid Magnetic Blue finish, matt aluminium Singleframe grille, muscular wheelarches and active airbrake (it reduces the stopping distance from 155mph by 12m) that elicit the biggest gasps of delight from the Wörthersee faithful.

And you thought the A3 saloon was one of Audi’s staider offerings.