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Audi has made the RS Q3 even more powerful. And faster

RS Q3 'Performance' revealed, with more power and more speed

Published: 04 Feb 2016

The Audi RS Q3 is an oddity, granted, but a fast oddity. Today, we learn Audi has made it even faster. And more expensive. Meet the RS Q3 ‘Performance’.

That lovely 2.5-litre five-pot turbo engine – former winner of the International Engine of the Year award – gets better cooling capacity for its main radiator, as well as a modified fuel pump.

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This has added 27bhp to the RS Q3, taking total output to a heady 362bhp – a small but noticeable jump on the ‘standard’ RS Q3’s 335bhp.

That, together with a small increase in torque – which now stands at 343lb ft, up from 331lb ft – adds up to a significantly better 0-62mph time. 

Allied to four-wheel-drive and a seven-speed S tronic gearbox, the new RS Q3 ‘Performance’ will now shoot through the benchmark in just 4.4s, compared to 4.8s for the standard car. If you’ve read this, you’ll know that puts it on a par with a Porsche Panamera GTS. Top speed? 167mph.

There are a few design tweaks too. The RS Q3 ‘Performance’ gets new matt titanium detailing, 20in wheels, and an ‘Ascari’ blue paint job specific to the car.

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Prices start at £49,175, which is just over £3k more than the standard car. Or exactly £841.25 for every tenth of a second slashed going from 0-62mph.

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