Audi A3 TDI Clubsport Quattro

Intense Audi

Audi, the inventor of TDI, has blazed a trail in the field of engine manufacturing. The brand behind the four rings is now showcasing its technological potential with a new, sensational study. The two-liter TDI unit under the bonnet of the Audi A3 TDI Clubsport Quattro, delivers 224 hp and musters up 331.90 lb-ft of torque – the sort of pulling power normally associated with a sports car. The show car races from 62.14 mph in just 6.6 seconds and attains a top speed of 149.13 mph. The Audi A3 TDI Clubsport Quattro projects its power with supreme confidence – both acoustically, courtesy of its sonorous exhaust, and visually, with a series of exclusive parts mounted on the body and in the interior.

Exterior components, such as the large DTM-look rear spoiler and the bolt-on wheel arch extensions, give the car a dynamic air, while the racing-style bucket seats and open gear lever gate in aluminum form the highlights of the interior. The show car is a true high-tech sports car. The drive power is directed to the 20-inch wheels via a six-speed transmission and the Quattro all-wheel-drive system. At the front wheels, stopping power is provided by six-piston brake calipers and ceramic discs. The Audi drive select driving dynamics system allows the driver to vary at will the throttle response characteristic, the exhaust sound, the level of power assistance for the steering, the cut-in thresholds for the ESP stabilization system and the operating mode of the dampers. The dampers deploy Audi magnetic ride technology, enabling them to react to changes in the driving situation with lightning speed.

The Audi A3 TDI Clubsport Quattro has a distinctly confident air about it. Sensational styling instantly sets the three-door show car apart from the standard production Audi A3. It measures 2.36 inches long, but just 54.53 inches high, – a reduction in height of 1.42 inches in spite of the large wheels. The track width measures 61.73 inches at the front and 61.14 inches at the rear. The design team has kitted out the Audi A3 TDI Clubsport Quattro with a whole array of new exterior parts to give it an extremely sharp and dynamic look – almost like a racing car.

The paint finish is also a picture of vibrancy: the engine hood, tailgate and roof are Ibis White and the flanks Brilliant Red, while a large white figure “8” is emblazoned across each door in reference to the year 2008. The color scheme is an allusion to the colors of the Austrian national flag. The single-frame grille has grown slightly in width, which also entailed modifications to the engine hood. The grille’s bars – including pronounced vertical sections – have a high-gloss black finish. The bi-xenon headlamp assemblies are embellished by LED daytime running lights and wings. The front bumper incorporates large, square-edged air intakes, together with a blade section that juts a long way forward and is slightly raised in the center. The modified front fenders feature bolt-on wheel arch extensions. The doors and the rear side sections – again with muscular wheel arch paneling – have been given a new, boldly contoured flare at the bottom. This blends together harmoniously with the door sills, which have themselves been restyled. The exterior mirror housings, with their arms that look to have been crafted by the wind, are likewise new.

The most striking impression, however, is made by the spoiler atop the rear window that bears a close resemblance to the part featured on the new A4 race car from the German Touring Car Masters (DTM).

Inside the Audi A3 TDI Clubsport Quattro, the eye is immediately caught by the illuminated door sill trims with their “TDI Power” badging. Awaiting the driver and front passenger are anatomically shaped bucket seats. The rear seats sport the same upholstery design, with special foam padding used to sculpture them into roomy and comfortable individual seats. The driver takes hold of an elegantly styled steering wheel with a flat-bottomed rim that is reminiscent of the Audi R8 high-performance sports car. The scales of the dials are colored white, the monitor for navigation and entertainment together with its control panel stems from the R8 as well.

The high-performance TDI under the cap of the Audi A3 TDI Clubsport Quattro is like nothing that has gone before it. From its displacement of just 1,968 cc, it summons up an output of 224 hp. Torque – the true measure of effortless motoring ability – peaks at an exhilarating 331.90 lb-ft, which is on tap from just 1,750 rpm; in other words, the very bottom of the rev range. As for in-gear flexibility, the diesel model leaves its gasoline-powered rivals standing.

The mighty TDI bestows the Audi A3 TDI Clubsport Quattro – which tips the scales at just 3251.82 lb – with pulling power befitting of a sports car. The sprint from 0 to 62.14 mph is over in a fleeting 6.6 seconds and the speedometer needle keeps rising all the way to 149.13 mph. The four-valve sports engine is smart too; it responds spontaneously to the throttle and pampers the occupants with the low-vibration running of its mechanics. On an acoustic level, however, it proudly proclaims its abilities for all to hear: the exhaust system is a new development, with controllable resonance chambers on both tailpipes to amplify the rich, sonorous sound. The 2.0 TDI, which is managed by one of the most sophisticated control units currently available on the market, is brimming with high tech.

The high-precision metering of as many as five injections of fuel per power stroke has the effect of audibly reducing the noise level. The engine’s intake manifold houses swirl flaps that generate a tumbling action in the inflowing air; electric motors regulate the flaps’ position so that this tumbling motion is always perfectly suited to the current load and engine speed. Two balancer shafts in the engine reduce the degree of vibration in the crank drive. The drive unit for the belt that propels the two camshafts has also been reworked with a view to improving the engine’s acoustics.

"The Audi A3 TDI Clubsport Quattro has a distinctly confident air about it. Sensational styling instantly sets the three-door show car apart from the standard production Audi A3."