Audi advances

By Alastair Sloane

Audi took the covers off its high-performance S3 hatchback on Monday, changed the tyres and threw it straight into action on the Pukekohe racetrack.

But the S3 - the first in New Zealand - wasn't competing as such. It had a reasonably sedate role as part of the drive fleet in the company's annual "Quattro Experience" run by special Audi instructors.

The all-wheel-drive S3 is powered by a turbocharged 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine, a variant of the motor found in the Volkswagen Golf and Passat, Audi A3 and A4.

But the electronics in the S3 engine have been boosted to tell it to produce more power to make the car go faster.

The S3 delivers 154kW at 5800 rpm and 270Nm of pulling power between 2100 and 5000 rpm. It will accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in under seven seconds and on to a top speed of 240 km/h.

The power is delivered to all four wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox and a Haldex clutch, which is used in the TT Quattro. The clutch is capable of distributing 100 per cent of the power to either the front or rear wheels. It will be also used in the new 4motion Volkswagens.

The S3's suspension system uses MacPherson struts in the front and a double wishbone setup in the rear. No word on the price yet.