The ABT ‘RS3-R’ is Audi’s hyper hatch but with 503bhp

The resident hooligans over at ABT have taken the already bombastic Audi RS3 and cranked it up another few notches, with more power, more noise and more… canards. Because canards are necessary on hyper hatches. 

The resulting ‘RS3-R’ gains an extra 109bhp and 74lb ft over the standard car, courtesy of a new intercooler and stainless steel exhaust. It means the 2.5-litre turbocharged five-pot now sends a whopping 503bhp and 443lb ft of torque to all four corners, chopping the 0-62mph time down by half a second to 3.3s. The 174mph top speed remains unchanged, but that’s unlikely to be an issue… like, ever. 

ABT has also thrown in sportier suspension with new springs and dampers - there’s even a dedicated app to adjust the settings and find your ideal setup. This thing’s no longer just a surgical knife; it’s a scimitar coated with bits of carbon.

That mesh-clad front-end gains a new lower lip and those aforementioned canards, with low-profile side skirts and a more aggressive rear diffuser headlining the cosmetic changes. Those forged 20in alloys look pretty mean too. 

The interior doesn’t receive quite the same level of attention - you’ll get new badging and a build slot number on the door sills, and that’s about it. So it remains much the same button-heavy, tech-tastic cabin that left Audi’s factory, with a 10.1in infotainment screen and superbly cushioned bucket seats. 

ABT will build 125 units between hatchback and saloon body styles at an asking price of €45k (£38k). Plus a standard RS3 to begin with, obvs.