2011 Audi A3 Concept

Audi A3 concept

The Audi A3 concept also features a few lightweight solutions that Audi is currently readying for production. The new Audi RS3 has carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) front wings, and on the A3 concept the frame for the big front grille, the front spoiler, rear diffuser and door mirrors are all CFRP. The Audi A3 concept also has aluminium body panels (for the doors, bonnet and boot lid), so it tips the scales at 1540kg.

Powering the Audi A3 concept is a turbocharged 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine, in the same 402bhp/369lb ft guise as featured in last year’s Quattro concept

The A3 concept is packing a 2.5-litre turbocharged five-pot TSI engine spitting out 400bhp and 368lb ft of torque - 60bhp more than the RS3 and just 14bhp down on the old RS4. Audi reckons the Audi A3 concept in Geneva will sprint from 0-62mph in 4.1 seconds - half a second over the RS3 - and head butt the limiter at 155mph.

The concept's front and rear tracks are wider than even the RS3's swollen chassis, and production versions will have the front wheels closer to the front bumper than at present.

Audi has officially lifted the covers off of an attractive technological concept car based on the coming generation of the Audi A3 at the 81st International Geneva Motor Show. The A3 Concept’s design is every bit as good as advertised, thanks to a design that emphasizes an aggressive front fascia with the brand’s iconic grille. Measuring 4.44 meters long, 1.84 meters wide, and 1.39 meters high, the Audi A3 Concept is a sleek and dynamic embodiment of what the future holds for the German automaker. Sporty yet elegant at the same time, the A3 features plenty of eye-catching digs that underscores the whole marvelous aesthetic look. The car’s single-frame grille is made of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic with transversely mounted, three-dimensional aluminum louvers, giving the concept a lot more width and substance.

The four-seater notchback Audi A3 concept is powered by a 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine that combines both FSI gasoline direction injection with new turbo charging technology to produce 408 horsepower and 369 lb/ft of torque mated to a seven-speed S Tronic transmission. Concepts don’t come with price tags so it wasn’t surprising to find out that the Audi A3 concept didn’t have one.

If and when this Audi A3 concept hits the production block, a lot of other models will be lined-up to compete against it, including the BMW 3-Series and the Mercedes C-Class.