Audi RS3 Competition Limited marks 50 years of the 5-cylinder engine

This year marks 50 years of Audi’s five-cylinder petrol engine, which made its debut in the Audi 100 sedan in 1976 with a 2.1-litre displacement, producing 136hp. Various iterations found their way into various models over the years, the most famous being in the dominant Sport Quattro rally car of the 1980s. In its final form today, the engine produces 400hp and 500Nm and finds its home under the hood of one sole model – the Audi RS3. To celebrate this 50th birthday, Audi has launched the RS3 Competition Limited, which, as the name suggests, is a small-batch production of just 750 units – 585 hatchbacks and 165 sedans. 

1. RS3 Competition Limited gets upgraded suspension, carbon-ceramic brakes
2. Is powered by a 400hp, 2.5-litre 5-cylinder turbo-petrol engine 
3. Offered with three signature colour choices

Audi RS3 Competition Limited: Unique mechanical changes

This special edition is more than just your average sticker job, though. There are significant performance upgrades that elevate this above the standard Audi RS3. There’s a unique suspension setup with manually adjustable coil-over shocks and a stiffer stabiliser bar, as opposed to the standard sports suspension or dynamic dampers. There’s also a more aggressive setting for the torque splitter at the rear, allowing for more responsive torque vectoring in corners.

Then there are the carbon-ceramic front brakes – a later inclusion to the options list on the RS3 that are now standard. Similarly the Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R semi-slick tyres, which are optional on the normal RS3 – though Audi says you can opt for the standard comfort tyre here if these are too hardcore for your daily use. And finally, two small but functional aero additions – canards on the sides of the front bumper and a horizontal slat on the roof-mounted spoiler (to balance it out). 

Audi RS3 Competition Limited: Unique colours and exterior additions

The RS3 Competition Limited is offered in three signature colours – Daytona Grey, Glacier White Matte and Malachite Green, the latter a recreation of a Ur Quattro signature paint shade from the 1980s. These are paired with 19-inch Neodyne Gold wheels – a dull champagne matte finish – which contrast nicely with all the paint shades. The RS ‘rhombus’ badges use a special heritage colour – white, red and grey – and there’s special commemorative lettering etched into the C pillar.

Additionally, all four doors get puddle lamp projectors with the RS logo, there are matte carbon accents on both bumpers, the mirrors and the spoiler, and the DRLs inside the smoked black headlamps do a start-up animation that mirrors the engine’s firing order of 1-2-4-5-3. The sedan body style gets a carbon-fibre decklid spoiler instead of the enormous roof-mounted spoiler found on the hatchback.

Audi RS3 Competition Limited: Unique interior colours and embellishments

There are similarly special embellishments on the inside of the RS3 Competition Limited. For one, the Neodyne Gold colour of the wheels is replicated in Dinamica (Audi’s brand of suede upholstery) on the seats, armrests and door cards, and this is complemented by white contrast stitching on the darker parts of the upholstery and steering wheel. The front seats are the otherwise-optional bucket seats, with the car’s name etched in just below the head restraint.

There’s more matte carbon-fibre trim all across the cabin, and uniquely, the Competition Limited gets a white background for the central tachometer in the digital driver’s display – another retro throwback. Last but not least, each car will get an individual and sequential number – 1 through 750 – that will be etched into the trim just below the gear selector, ensuring each unit is unique.

2.5-litre TFSI 5-cylinder likely to be discontinued

Considering this car exists to celebrate the five-cylinder engine, it’s surprising that this is the one aspect of the car that remains completely unchanged. Outputs remain at 400hp and 500Nm – the same as the regular RS3 – and power continues to go to all four wheels via a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. 0-100kph is dealt with in 3.8sec, although the ‘unlocked’ 290kph top speed is now standard. 

However, considering the Competition Limited is meant to celebrate 50 years of the engine, it also serves as a farewell, as this is likely the end of the road for this generation of the compact performance car, and indeed Audi’s venerable five-cylinder engine. The engine is unlikely to pass the stricter European emissions norms coming into effect in 2027, and given its limited use in just a single model, it’s unlikely to be upgraded either. So, whether this special edition or the standard model, this may be the last chance buyers get to grab hold of this rather unique engine.

Exclusivity comes at a price, however. The RS3 Competition Limited is priced at 1,00,680 euro (Rs 1.07 crore) for the hatchback and 1,02,680 euro (Rs 1.10 crore) for the sedan! It’s also unlikely this limited edition will get any units allocated for India, but the standard RS3? With the India-EU FTA inbound, never say never.