Audi Sport has introduced the RS 3 competition limited, a special-edition model celebrating the 50th anniversary of the brand’s five-cylinder engine. Production will be limited to 750 units worldwide.
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The model commemorates a legacy that began in 1976 with the second-generation Audi 100, which first introduced the five-cylinder powertrain. Audi says the limited edition builds on that history with visual updates, chassis upgrades, and a distinctive interior.
The RS 3 competition limited features several design changes aimed at emphasizing its performance character. The front end has a revised look with additional matte carbon components, including new stacked front canards and a split front lip below the air intakes. Heritage-inspired badges appear at the front and rear.
Other carbon parts include the mirror caps, side skirts, rear spoiler, and trim above the rear diffuser. The car also rides on 19-inch wheels with 10 cross-spokes finished in matte Neodymium gold. The rear side window includes a partially matte finish that highlights the model name.
The special edition also comes with darkened matrix LED headlights. When the car is locked or unlocked, the light segments illuminate in a 1-2-4-5-3 sequence, referencing the firing order of the five-cylinder engine.
Three exterior colors are available: Daytona Gray, Glacier White matte, and Malachite Green, a color inspired by the Audi Sport quattro rally car.
The RS 3 competition limited continues to use Audi’s 2.5-liter turbocharged inline five-cylinder engine, which produces 394 hp and 500 Nm of torque.
This allows the car to accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 290 km/h.
Audi says the engine’s distinctive sound comes from its 1-2-4-5-3 firing order, which produces an uneven rhythm compared with conventional four- or six-cylinder engines.
An RS sports exhaust system with fully variable flap control broadens the sound range. Reduced insulation around the firewall allows more engine sound into the cabin, while the exhaust flaps open earlier in Dynamic, RS Performance, and RS Torque Rear drive modes.
For the first time in an RS 3, Audi has fitted a coilover suspension along with a new, stiffer rear stabilizer. The suspension system uses twin-tube shock absorbers, with stainless steel construction at the front and aluminum at the rear to increase stiffness and improve hydraulic fluid cooling.
The shock absorbers feature three-way adjustability, allowing drivers to modify:
Low-speed compression (12 adjustment steps) for cornering behavior and tire grip
High-speed compression (15 steps) for handling bumps and sudden loads
Rebound (16 steps) to control how quickly the suspension extends
A setup manual and adjustment tools are included with the vehicle.
The rear suspension also receives a new tubular stabilizer with a stiffness of 85 N/mm, along with rear springs rated at 80 N/mm. According to Audi, these changes improve stability when accelerating out of corners.
Aerodynamic components developed in a wind tunnel help reduce lift at both axles. On the Sportback version, a revised roof spoiler contributes to this effect, while the sedan version benefits from the split chin spoiler and front canards.
The car also retains Audi’s torque splitter, which distributes torque between the rear wheels. When cornering, more torque is sent to the outside wheel while the inside wheel is lightly braked to improve corner exit.
The model comes standard with ceramic brakes with red calipers, and can be optionally fitted with Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R semi-slick tires.
Inside, the RS 3 competition limited uses a color combination of black, Neodymium gold, and Ginger white.
The door lighting projects the words “RS 3 competition limited”, while the same branding appears on the floor mats, seat headrest covers, and trunk carpet. Each unit also has a serial number plaque on the center console indicating its place in the 750-car production run.
The car is equipped with RS bucket seats with black leather bolsters and Dinamica microfiber centers finished in Neodymium gold. Ginger-white contrast stitching highlights the diamond pattern on the seats, while the armrests in the doors and the center console also use the gold finish.
Rear passengers receive the same Dinamica upholstery and stitching details. The backs of the front seats are finished in matte carbon.
The driver faces a 10.1-inch touchscreen that displays RS-specific performance data, including coolant, torque splitter, brake, engine oil, and transmission oil temperatures, as well as tire pressure and temperature.
The Audi virtual cockpit plus also features a unique display design with white instrument backgrounds, referencing the gauges of the 1994 Audi RS2 Avant, the brand’s first RS model with a five-cylinder engine. Additional displays include real-time power and torque output, G-forces, acceleration data, and a lap timer.
The steering wheel is flattened at the top and bottom and includes a Ginger white center mark to help the driver identify the wheel’s center position during performance driving.
With limited production and several performance and styling upgrades, Audi positions the RS 3 competition limited as a collector-focused model celebrating five decades of the brand’s five-cylinder engine.
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