Audi’s New Hot Hatch Tips Its Hat to Its Heritage in the Best Way Possible

Ingolstadt’s finest is celebrating 50 years of its iconic five-cylinder with an epic sendoff.

Close-up of a green Audi car's front wheel with bronze multi-spoke rim, red brake caliper, and LED headlight.

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Published March 11, 2026

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Updated March 11, 2026

A u di is popping the champagne this year to honor one of its greatest icons, its signature turbocharged gas-powered five-cylinder. And to really pay tribute to its success, while giving it a proper sendoff, Ingolstadt’s finest just revealed the special RS 3 competition limited.

As one can determine from the badge, the special editions are based on the hot RS 3 sedan and hatchback. Currently, those are the only models in the brand’s lineup still utilizing the iconic powerplant.

So, it was only natural of them to choose the RS 3 platform to celebrate the party piece, which turns 50 years old this year.

The most glorious RS 3 yet

As a commemoration, the RS 3 competition limited comes with a whole bucket list of performance and aesthetic upgrades. It’s fitting for a car celebrating one of Audi’s greatest performance icons.

It all starts with more aggressive exterior bodywork, including a new front bumper featuring pronounced lowering effects and aerodynamic canards for greater downforce. Complementing the sportier front bumper are extended side sills and a carbon fiber rear lower diffuser with wide-diameter exhaust pipes.

Dark green Audi RS3 Sportback driving on a road with blurred wheels and trees in the background. — The RS 3 competition limited is undoubtedly the brand’s hottest hatch ever.

Bespoke matte Neodymium gold-colored 19-inch ten cross-spoke wheels and the choice of three equally unique exterior colors — Malachite Green Finish, Daytona Gray and Glacier White Matte — complete the exterior aesthetic.

But the Competition Limited goes much more than skin deep.

Just as much go as show

Dark green Audi RS3 Sportback driving on a curved road with blurred trees in the background. — With more aggressive bodywork and bespoke features, the RS 3 competition limited is a great way to send off what’s under the hood.

The signature turbo-five remains untouched, but it still produces a healthy 400 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. It’s the same unit that powers the old TT RS from 2016 to 2023. In the RS 3, it yields a 0-60 time in less than four seconds.

Nevertheless, its age and previous application don’t undermine how special it is. Internally dubbed the “EA855 R5,” Audi’s engineers introduced the 2.5-liter turbo five-cylinder to honor the brand’s original inline-five from the 1980s.

Audi RS 3 2.5-liter five-cylinder TFSI engine with visible pistons, valves, and intercooler on a white background. — Audi’s five-cylinder engine is arguably one of the most iconic internal combustion engines ever made.

It’s the same engine platform that led the Four Rings to score multiple victories in the World Rally Championship, specifically in the Group B era. But what also makes Audi’s five-cylinder unique is its firing order of 1-2-4-5-3, resulting in one of the most distinctive engine soundtracks in all of automotive history.

Gray Audi RS3 sedan driving on a winding road with trees and sunlight in the background. — The RS 3 competition limited is also available in sedan form.

Helping to annunciate that epic five-cylinder sound is an optimized and reworked RS sport exhaust system with active exhaust valves. And another fun trick: the Matrix LED headlights illuminate in a pattern that reflects the engine’s unique firing order when the doors are locked and unlocked.

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The RS 3 competition limited also benefits from some weight-saving measures. For instance, engineers removed some sound-deadening materials and other bits to further improve handling.

Specially-tuned heavy-duty coilover struts, a revised rear stabilizer and factory-fitted carbon ceramic brakes also improve handling and stopping power. The coilovers are adjustable by the driver, depending on the driving conditions.

Eventually US-bound, but it won’t be cheap

Dark gray Audi RS3 sedan with intricate alloy wheels in a dimly lit studio with red and white light accents. — Audi plans to only make 750 models in total, so expect to pay handsomely for one.

For now, Audi announced the RS 3 competition limited will launch in Europe in the coming months. Pricing starts at €102,680 for the sedan and €100,680 for the hatch. Which, is a little more than $117,000 and $119,400 at today’s exchange rates.

And that’s quite a lot for an RS 3. But Audi plans to make only 750 in total globally. That number includes the US, but details for North America’s allocation haven’t been released.

About the Author: Chris Chin is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, trucks and anything else with four wheels. He has over a decade of experience writing news and reviews but considers himself an enthusiast first, with a passion for classics and European cars. His daily driver is a 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL with nearly 250,000 miles (87,000 are his).

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