Audi beefs up its Q3 with the RS treatment

If Stuttgart and Munich are doing something with success, there’s no way Ingolstadt will wait for too long to do the same. It’s been some time now since Mercedes and BMW started sticking AMG and M badges to their SUVs. Now Audi has also jumped on the super-SUV bandwagon, but instead of the flagship Q7 it is the baby Q3 that’s got the RS treatment.

To make it worthy of the RS badge, the guys at Audi have shoehorned the 2.5 litre in-line five-cylinder turbo mill from the TT RS into the Q3’s engine bay. Mated to a seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch automatic ‘box, the 360bhp engine will hurl the RS Q3 from 0-100kph in just 5.2 seconds, and onto 265kph.

By default, the Quattro AWD system sends all the power to the front wheels, transferring it to the rear via an electronically controlled hydraulic multi-plate clutch only when slip is detected out back. And to make sure the body copes with all that extra oomph, the Q3 has been lowered by about 25 mm and is wider too.

It’s technically still a concept, but although Audi hasn’t confirmed a production date, we’re sure it’ll be ready in time for the BMW X1 M.