Audi A3 Clubsport Quattro concept revealed

The Wörthersee Meeting has always been one of the biggest Volkswagen and Audi car show in the world with loyalists from all over the world coming to pay homage to the two great German brands. Every year, both Volkswagen and Audi prepare a set of special vehicles for the show and this year, Audi has decided to make a special one-off, high-powered version of the popular A3 saloon.

Based on the S3, the Clubsport will be equipped with a powerful 5-cylinder, 2.5-litre, TFSi engine. The turbocharged engine with direct injection has already been voted the "International Engine of the Year" in its category four times in succession and will make a staggering 525PS of peak power in the A3 Clubsport Quattro concept. With torque rated at an equally impressive 600Nm as low as 2300rpm, Audi claims the A3 Clubsport Quattro concept can accelerate from 0-100kmph in 3.6-seconds and on to a top speed of 310kmph.

The monster of an engine is mated to Audi’s 7-speed S Tronic gearbox. The dual clutch gearbox comes with both a standard D mode for everyday usage and an S mode for sportier spirited driving. Audi claims to have optimised the S mode’s gearbox settings so as to give the A3 Clubsport Quattro the best performance in its category. As is quite evident from the name, the Clubsport comes with Audi’s highly acclaimed Quattro all-wheel-drive system. The A3 Clubsport also comes with bespoke suspension which makes the car 10mm lower and much stiffer. The huge 21-inch wheels and 275/25 R21 tyres envelop the carbon ceramic disc brakes which come as standard. The Clubsport also comes with an air brake setup, which is integrated into the boot spoiler and sits flush with the bootlid.

Painted in a spectacular shade of blue, the Audi A3 Clubsport Quattro concept comes with bespoke styling. A distinctive element at the front of the show car is the continuous blade of exposed carbon fibre below the mesh grille. As seen on the likes of GT touring cars, a splitter at the bottom of the front skirt increases the downforce on the front axle. One of our favourite details though is the embossed Audi logo on the lower half of the rear doors, paying homage to the likes of the original Audi Quatto. Although the Audi A3 Clubsport Quattro concept is a one-off, expect future performance versions of the A3, like the RS3, to be very similar.