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With the third generation of the Audi RS 3 Sportback and the second generation of the RS 3 Sedan, high performance has reached a new level in the compact segment. Now Audi Sport GmbH is adding: the RS 3 performance edition is a limited edition of 300 units and is the pinnacle of its series both technically and visually. Available as Sportback and Sedan, the Edition guarantees driving fun and emotion across the board.

Five-cylinder turbo engine with increased performance

The RS 3 performance edition is more powerful and faster than any previous series RS 3. It is the first vehicle in its segment to achieve a top speed of 300 km/h (184 mph) and thus 10 km/h (6 mph) more than the standard version with RS Dynamics Package plus. In addition, the award-winning five-cylinder turbo engine with its characteristic sound, now delivers 299 kW (407 PS), 100 revolutions later, between 5,700 and 7,000 revolutions per minute on a high plateau. The torque plateau is also wider: maximum torque of 500 Nm is now available 100 revolutions longer, between 2,250 and 5,700 revolutions per minute. This is achieved through higher charge pressure: the large exhaust turbocharger generates 1.6 bar relative, which corresponds to a plus of 0.1 bar. Power is transmitted by the 7‑speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission. Short shifting times without interrupting traction, a sporty gear ratio, and launch control ensure top driving performance. The RS 3 performance edition accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.8 seconds.

The power is complemented by the unmistakable and emotional sound of the five-cylinder engine with its characteristic 1-2-4-5-3 firing sequence. The standard RS sports exhaust system with a modified center silencer and glossy black, oval tailpipe trims gives a sporty, robust sound to the outside. The fully variable exhaust flap control, which broadens the sound spectrum, has been adapted slightly for the RS 3 performance edition: in Audi drive select’s Dynamic, RS Performance, and RS Torque Rear modes, the exhaust flaps open further when the car is stationary, which makes the sound even more present.

Top chassis technologies in series production

Negative wheel camber, stiffer wishbone, RS-specific tube stabilizer with a higher spring rate – all these measures already ensure high driving dynamics and stability in the standard RS 3. The RS 3 performance edition features RS sports suspension with adaptive damper control as standard equipment. It continuously and individually adjusts each shock absorber to the road conditions, the driving situation, and the mode selected in Audi drive select. Pressure and rebound damping have been increased in comparison with the previous generation RS 3, meaning that the shock absorber takes up more of the force that is passed from the chassis. The result is tighter handling. Electromagnetically actuated valves, which regulate the flow of the hydraulic fluid, provide the necessary amount damping power within ten milliseconds of the precise moment the driving situation requires. To do this, sensors measure the vertical acceleration of the body and the movement of the individual wheels relative to it. This information is processed simultaneously in the damper control unit and the modular vehicle dynamics controller, which means that each individual wheel optimally takes the car’s performance to the road. This includes supporting the body during fast cornering as well as braking and acceleration, for example with launch control.

The latest example of the two partners’ development work is a new plant in Austria, where we are using an inorganic filter material that can hold a very high load of molecules and is also very insensitive to the effects of moisture. As a result, it is not necessary, or only necessary in particular cases, to pre-dry the ambient air to be filtered. This increases efficiency and reduces costs. The temperature and pressure conditions for absorbing CO2 molecules and subsequently removing them from the adsorption surface are very similar. This significantly shortens the adsorber’s loading and discharge cycles. In other words, more CO2 can be removed from the ambient air in a short period of time. The filtered air is released back into the environment after the adsorption step. The recovered CO2 is then available in a highly concentrated form as a raw material for permanent storage or for a wide range of industrial applications. The large-scale plant near Linz, which is currently in the process of going into operation, can filter 500 tons of CO2 per year. By the end of the year, another module will increase the plant’s capacity to 1,000 tons. The electricity required to operate the plant comes from a photovoltaic system on the company’s premises.

Alexander Krajete, CEO of the technology development company that bears his name, says that “we started from the premise that, for reasons of efficiency, we would let the process run at ambient pressure. Then we modified the adsorber materials and the physical conditions in the plant until we found the optimal flow rate, meaning we filtered the maximum amount of CO2 per unit of time.” This made it possible to significantly reduce the cost of sequestration, which is already down to the low three-digits range in euros per ton of CO2. The long-term goal is to make carbon dioxide usable for industrial purposes. In doing so, Krajete GmbH and AUDI AG want to facilitate breakthroughs in the necessary applications.

“The technology makes it possible to remove CO2 directly from the atmosphere, regardless of location, and is therefore an important decarbonizing measure,” says Hagen Seifert, Head of Sustainable Product Concepts at AUDI AG. “In addition, the system technology can be expanded in a variety of ways thanks to its modular design.”

As a next step to the existing large-scale plant in Linz, AUDI AG is currently looking into the possibility of using sources with higher concentrations of CO2 and filtering additional emissions such as nitrogen oxides. In addition, DAC technology could be implemented on a much larger scale at Audi’s site in Győr, Hungary. A plant with a capacity of 25,000 tons per year is conceivable.

Two-degree target: Why Audi is involved in developing direct air capturing technologies

AUDI AG wants to play its part in limiting the global average temperature increase to less than 2 degrees Celsius. The company therefore takes sustainability into account in all its business decisions and has set ambitious targets for itself. By 2025, the Volkswagen Group aims to reduce the ecological footprint of passenger cars and light commercial vehicles by 40% over their entire life cycles as compared to 2018. Each particular measure is contributing to achieving carbon-neutrality throughout the company by 2050 at the latest.

Regardless of a vehicle’s drive system, 85% of fine dust in road traffic is caused by brake, tire, or road abrasion. The smallest dust particles, hardly noticeable to the naked eye, are only a few micrometers in size with a diameter of only 10 micrometers and can therefore be easily inhaled. In the past year, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended significantly lower particulate matter limits than in the past but according to experts, it would be impossible to comply with these new values in many urban areas in Germany.

Passive Filtering While Driving, Active Filtering While Charging

Audi places sustainability at the heart of its activities and takes responsibility for the environment and society. The company strives to make production net-carbon-neutral1 and to reduce emissions where possible. Together with the supplier MANN+HUMMEL, Audi has now developed a filter for the front end that can collect particulate matter from its environment; it functions similarly to stationary systems that are already in use in some cities. The mobile version ensures not only are the car’s own particulate emissions absorbed, such as those of an Audi e-tron, but those of other vehicles can be absorbed as well – right where they are generated.

The pilot project was launched in 2020 and will run for a period of four years, Fabian Groh, Project Manager in Attachment System Development at AUDI AG, explains: “This particulate filter is an example of our pursuit of innovation for everyone’s benefit and a successful collaboration with specialized suppliers. We are already doing a lot today on our own initiative. We anticipate it will also become a legal requirement in the future.”

The filter is integrated into the vehicle’s existing airflow in front of the radiator so that only a few modifications to the car are necessary, keeping costs down. The filter element is controlled via the switchable cooling air inlet and its mechanical function is comparable to that of a vacuum cleaner. By a similar principle, the fine dust particles remain stuck in the filter and the air can still flow through it.

Thus far, the filter has been used in Audi e-tron test vehicles. While driving, it passively filters by means of the movement of the vehicle; air flows through the filter system, which captures even the smallest particles. Another possibility is filtering during stationary charging. A fan that is already built into every electric vehicle conveys ambient air through the radiator – the system takes advantage of this process and can thus actively filter the air flowing through it, using the fine dust filter, ensuring the smallest particles are absorbed, even when stationary. This is ideal for use in urban environments, where the particulate matter pollution is much higher than in rural areas.

Efficacy Proven through Endurance Tests

The assessments conducted on the test vehicles were not only used to analyze the effectiveness of the filters, but also to determine whether the technology affects overall vehicle usage. After over 50,000 kilometers (31,068 mi.) of endurance tests on the Audi e-tron, the answer was clear: the filters have no negative effect on the operation of the electric vehicle, including on hot summer days or during fast charging.

The system is so effective that, depending on the usage scenario, the Audi e-tron particles are completely filtered out in a highly polluted city such as Stuttgart. In even more polluted cities fine dust emissions can be actively and passively absorbed by up to three vehicles in a typical customer scenario. To make the system even more efficient, Audi is working with MANN+HUMMEL to connect with existing sensors such as weather stations, plus they plan to develop a display logic in the vehicle, allowing passengers to determine when the system is active and how much has already been filtered.