The Nürburgring remains the circuit par excellence for setting new lap records every time a new sports car is presented. And it didn’t take long for the new Audi RS 3 to perform there.
It was the sedan version of the five-cylinder sports car that managed to set a new record in the compact class with a lap time of 7 minutes and 40.748 seconds.
If you are wondering why the car is camouflaged, know that the record attempt took place in June, a month before the RS3 was officially unveiled without the Audi Sport camouflage whose numbers represent the firing order of the five. cylinders. At the wheel of the sports sedan was Audi Sport racing and development driver Frank Stippler, who managed to reduce the previous record in this category by 4.64 seconds.
To clarify, Audi refers to the complete layout of the track (20.8 km). Renault held the previous record with its front-wheel drive Megane RS Trophy-R, which covered the circuit in 7 minutes and 45.389 seconds, hence the improvement of 4.64 seconds mentioned by the Ingolstadt team.
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The RS3 Sedan was fitted with optional Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R semi-slick tires, the tire pressure of which was suitable for a record attempt around the Green Hell. The form-fitting front seats and roll cage in the rear are the ones virtually every automaker uses in attempting to set a lap record, along with a plethora of cameras placed inside and out for immortalize the record.
The attached video shows Frank Stippler working the 2.5-liter TFSI engine, an inline-five that develops 400 horsepower (294 kilowatts). With 500 Nm and torque-vectoring Quattro all-wheel drive, the compact RS from Audi Sport behaves like a chip in the tough corners of the Nordschleife.
The RS3 only needs 3.8 seconds to reach 100 km / h from a standstill and can reach 250 km / h as standard. If you add the optional performance package, the top speed increases to 290 km / h.
As a reminder, the Audi RS 3 Sedan is offered with us for 71,000 euros, 1,000 € more than the 5-door version.
