Audi Just Revealed the Most Extreme RS 3 Ever And Only 750 People Can Own One

Five Cylinders, Five Decades
Fifty years ago, Audi changed the sound of performance. In 1976, the second-generation Audi 100 debuted with an inline five-cylinder, an unusual configuration that slotted between the refinement of a straight-six and the compactness of a four-cylinder. Nobody could have predicted that this pragmatic compromise would become one of the most emotionally resonant powertrains in motorsport history. Today, Audi Sport is marking that anniversary the only way that makes sense: with 750 examples of the RS 3 competition limited, a special edition that wears its heritage as loudly as it sounds.

The five-cylinder was cemented not in a boardroom, but on the stages of the World Rally Championship. In 1983, the Audi Sport quattro running a turbocharged evolution of that same basic architecture produced 306 horsepower from just 2.1 liters, rewriting what a rally car could be. Its distinctive five-pot bark became the sound of dominance. When the Audi RS2 Avant arrived in 1994 as the first proper RS model, it brought the five-cylinder engine into road-car folklore. The RS 3 competition limited pays homage to both, and it does so with a depth of detail that enthusiasts will appreciate.

394 Horsepower of Pure Character
The headline numbers are familiar but no less impressive: the 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-five produces 394 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque, enough to dispatch 0–60 mph in around 3.5 seconds on the way to a 180 mph top speed. But what makes this engine special has never been about raw output; it’s about character. The firing order of 1-2-4-5-3, igniting cylinders in an alternating pattern of adjacent and non-adjacent pairs, creates that unmistakable offbeat warble that no six-cylinder or four-cylinder can replicate. Audi has amplified the sound by reducing firewall insulation, channeling the exhaust note directly into the cabin, and by using an RS sports exhaust system whose flaps open earlier in dynamic drive modes.

The nods to that firing order run throughout the car, rewarding the attentive. The darkened matrix LED headlights illuminate their segments in a 1-2-4-5-3 sequence when locking or unlocking, a subtle engineering wink that owners will never tire of explaining to passengers.

The Most Track-Ready RS 3 Ever Built
Dynamically, this is the most serious RS 3 Audi has built. For the first time on the RS 3, a coilover suspension has been developed specifically for this model, featuring three-way adjustable damping — separate high-speed compression, low-speed compression, and rebound — with 15, 12, and 16 steps of adjustment, respectively. A setup manual and tools are included. The rear stabilizer stiffness has been increased to 85 N/mm, with spring rates raised to 80 N/mm to match, working in concert with the torque splitter’s fully variable rear torque distribution and standard ceramic brakes to create a chassis that can genuinely be dialed in for track use.

Malachite Green and Matte Carbon
Visually, the competition limited makes its intentions clear before you even start it. The Malachite green paint, exclusive to this model, is a direct callback to the Audi Sport quattro’s iconic livery. Carbon canards stack at each front corner, a split front lip widens the visual stance, and 19-inch wheels in Neodymium gold matte fill the arches with authority. Inside, that same gold threads through the Dinamica microfiber seat centers, armrests, and seatbelts, contrasting against black leather and Ginger white stitching. The digital instrument cluster references the white-dialed instruments of the 1994 RS2 Avant. Every detail tells a story.

The Price of a Half-Century
Pricing for the German market starts at €108,365 for the Sportback and €110,005 for the Sedan, with European deliveries beginning mid-2026. All 750 examples are pre-specified, and each carries a consecutive serial number on the center console.

In an era where electrification is rapidly reshaping what performance cars sound and feel like, Audi has built something that feels genuinely valedictory, a proper send-off for an engine configuration that helped define an era. Whether or not this is the last great five-cylinder RS, the competition limited makes sure it won’t be forgotten.