Audi Sport unveiled its latest edition of the RS Q3. Equipped with a revised version of the company’s renowned 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine, the SUV will generate peak power of 405ps and 480Nm of torque over 1,950rpm and 5,850rpm.
At less than 50cm in length, the revised unit is compact and 26kg (57 lb) lighter than the previous model. Fitting the engine with an aluminium crankcase alone allowed Audi Sport to achieve an 18kg (40 lb) weight saving.
Internal friction has also been reduced, thanks to plasma-coated cylinder liners and a 6mm reduction in crankshaft main bearing size. The crankshaft is hollow bored and is therefore 1kg (2.2 lb) lighter, while the aluminium pistons have integrated channels for oil cooling.
In the short warm-up phase after a cold-start, the switchable water pump does not circulate the coolant in the cylinder head meaning the motor reaches its operating temperature more quickly. This lowers the coefficient of friction and reduces fuel consumption.
Audi also applied a 1-2-4-5-3 firing order to the five-cylinder, alternating between adjacent cylinders and those far apart from one another. This sequence and the odd number of cylinders ensures a unique engine sound.
The turbocharged engine is paired with a 7-speed S tronic transmission. Thanks to the revised design, the multi-IEOTYA-winning unit gains a 17% power increase. This means the RS Q3 will reach 100km/h in 4.5 seconds and on to a regulated top speed of 250km/h (155mph).
Audi’s latest RS Q3 offers combined fuel consumption of between 8.9 and 8.8l /100km, and combined CO2 emissions of between 202g/km and 203g/km.