Audi is preparing to wind down production of its five-cylinder turbocharged RS3 performance hatch and sedan for Europe, with the unique engine set to be axed in the market before the end of 2027.
An Audi spokesperson told Automotive News Europe the five-cylinder engine will be phased out of production at its plant in Hungary by mid-2027, as all new cars sold on the continent will need to comply with new Euro 7 emissions regulations by November next year.
According to Audi, the potential cost of making the engine compliant with the new standards is too high, resulting in the premature end of the RS3 in Europe and likely the UK, the latter of which will impact Australia due to right-hand drive production of the car being limited.
However, the publication reports that “Audi will continue to offer the engine in select markets outside Europe, including North America, where emissions requirements are less stringent”, breathing life into the five-cylinder powerplant for a few more years.
Iconic five-cylinder hot hatch nears the end… but not without a bang
After first debuting a five-cylinder engine in the 1976 Audi 100, Audi has used the unique layout in everything from its famous Quattro Group B rally cars to its US Trans-Am and IMSA challengers, standing out from the crowd with a growling exhaust note.
The RS3’s five-cylinder engine, a turbocharged 2.5-litre unit, sounds so similar to its racing predecessors thanks to an identical ‘1-2-4-5-3’ firing order, effectively emitting a noise many have likened to being like half a V10.
Currently the RS3 produces 294kW and 500Nm, a healthy increase on the more common four-cylinder 2.0-litre found in the likes of the S3 and Volkswagen Golf R, which develops 245kW and 420Nm.
While the Audi’s five-cylinder engine has mostly been exclusive to the four-ring brand, in recent years it has given fellow Volkswagen Group marque Cupra the engine, fitted to the Formentor VZ5.
Audi celebrates 50 years of five cylinders with 80s-style concept
Volkswagen has also been spied testing an even hotter Golf R at the Nürburgring, while Autocar reported last year the Volkswagen hot hatch will get a five-cylinder send-off.
The report claimed the special five-cylinder Golf R could score more goodies from the RS3, such as revised suspension and chassis tweaks, plus larger brakes, potentially ditching its steel rotors for carbon ceramic units.
Though Audi is all but certain to kill off the five-cylinder engine for good when the current RS3 disappears, last year CEO Gernot Döllner told Top Gear, “maybe it will come back virtually”.
The fake engine sounds could be teamed with simulated gear shifts, with Döllner admitting he’s a fan of the technology.
“We found that a virtual gearbox and sound really add something to driving an electric car. Even on the racetrack, I’m faster with a car with a virtual gearbox,” the executive said.
“We’re developing it, I think we’ll have one. The company is quite open to finding innovative solutions in this area.”
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