In Britain, Audi made it official that it will soon withdraw the A3 Cabriolet from its lineup as it prepares to make room for the new model, but not before it releases a limited run of the car.
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Last week, we shared scoop pictures of Audi's upcoming Mercedes-Benz CLA-rivaling A3 four-door sedan, and now, our spy photographers have nabbed the first images of the open top version of the series testing in Europe.
And mind you, this isn't just any A3 Convertible but the range-topping (unless Audi surprises us with an RS edition) S3, as evidenced by the quad exhaust tips and the design of the air-vents on the corners of the front bumper, which are identical to the S3 hatchback.
Unlike the current A3 Convertible that’s shares its platform with the previous hatchback, the new model is based on the upcoming A3 sedan's longer wheelbase MQB architecture, something that will not only help improve rear passenger and luggage space, but also affords the car a sleeker look with more balanced proportions.
Even though Audi told us it would launch an A3-based sedan at the end of 2012, that never happened. Instead, we're now waiting for the premiere of the A3 Sedan to take place at a major international auto show in the coming months before it begins to arrive in showrooms at the end of the year or for some markets, in the first quarter of 2014.
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The problem for automakers like Mercedes, Audi and BMW is that these buyers are not able and/or willing to pay the US$40,000 sticker price attached to premium vehicles. Yet they want to have their cake and eat it, too – or, as Glaser puts it, demand “attractive styled cars and the right technology”.
One way to attract those buyers is to lower the entry price: only last week, BMW announced that, starting this spring, it will offer a 320i sedan priced at US$33,445 (including destination) – that’s US$4,300 cheaper than today’s entry-level 328i.
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Believe it or not, in the UK, at £39,950 (US$64,100 / €49,200), the Audi RS3 is roughly 25 percent more expensive than BMW's newly arrived M135i hot hatch, which will set British buyers back £29,995 (US$48,150 / €36,900).
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The performance model of Audi's MQB platform-based compact hatchback is lighter and more powerful than the model it replaces. It is scheduled to go on sale in Europe early next year with a starting price of €38,900 (US$50,500) in Germany.
At the heart of the car lies a newly developed 2.0-liter TFSI direct-injection and turbocharged gasoline engine that belongs to the EA888 engine family.
The new powerplant weighs around five kilograms (11 pounds) less than the previous EA113 2.0 TFSI and is also much more powerful delivering 296Hp (300PS) at 5,500 rpm and 380 Nm (280.27 lb-ft) of torque between 1,800 and 5,500 rpm, an increase of 35Hp and 30Nm respectively. It redlines at 6,800 rpm.
The evolutionary (according to Audi, stale according to others) styling language of the A3 can be found on the Sportback variant as well, with the five-door variant employing the use of three side windows and a sloping tailgate design. For a sportier look, buyers will be able to opt for Audi's S-Line package that adds different bumpers, spoilers and larger alloy wheels.
While the car's exterior dimensions at 4,310mm (169.7 inches) long, 1,780mm (70.1 inches) and 1,425mm (56.1 inches) tall are only slightly greater than on the previous Sportback, the new model now rides on a 2,636 millimeters (103.8 inches), an increase of 58 millimeters (2.28 in).
The five-door model is also 35 millimeters (1.38 in) longer between the axles than the three-door version, resulting in an increase in rear passenger legroom. The luggage compartment offers 380 liters (13.42 cu ft) of space in the basic configuration and can be expanded to 1,220 liters (43.08 cu ft) with the rear seats (60:40 split) folded down.
That something happened to be the gas pump that was still connected to the car… Fortunately, she noticed it but not before a very dangerous fire erupted at the base of the pump.
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The most impressive results came from the new Volvo V40 five-door hatchback that not only achieved five stars but also became Euro NCAP’s all-time top scorer in its segment.
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The artist shortened the front doors to create space for a second set of doors behind while also making the necessary changes to the roofline and the side windows, the styling of which is similar to the outgoing Sportback.
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And the time for the five-door version of the series with the Sportback moniker has almost arrived as we just learned that the German automaker will debut the car at the upcoming 2012 Paris Motor Show in late September.
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In July, Audi sold 119,600 automobiles globally, up 12.9 percent from the same month in 2011. The German company expects an even better second half thanks to the arrival of the new A3 hatchback.
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At the time the burglars broke into his house, the man, whom the Daily Mail identified as Chris Rustage, 38, was watching TV with his wife and three sons aged 13, 11 and 3.
The footage show the two young men stopping outside the house in a Vauxhall Corsa, which was driven by a third person. The two robbers swiftly enter the house from the front door and less than 20 seconds later they exit with the car's keys in their hands and take off in the black Audi S3 hatch.
In a posting on its Facebook page today, the German automaker revealed that the A3 Sedan "is confirmed for U.S. release late this year".
What this means is that we will likely see the four-door version of the new A3 making its debut at the 2012 Paris Motor Show in September, and/or at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show in November, with sales to start around December.
The A3 Sedan will be based on a stretched version of the latest A3 hatchback's new MQB modular platform architecture, with the two models also sharing the same interior design and engine lineup.
Audi has previewed the looks of the A3 sedan twice in the past year; the first time at the 2011 Geneva Salon with the sporty looking and very near production A3 Concept sporting a 402bhp (408PS) 2.5-liter turbo'd inline-five, and the second time with the A3 e-Tron gasoline-electric hybrid study at the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show.
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On the road prices start at £19,205 and go up to £26,560, with Audi UK accepting orders now for first deliveries in September.
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The car of choice was a first generation Audi A3, which spent two months at Vilner's main facility. ESET, which is most famous for its Nod32 antivirus software package, wanted to the car to be dressed in the company's corporate colors.
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The three generations of the A3 compact hatchback are a typical example of this design philosophy, something that you can see for yourself in the short clip that Audi prepared in order to highlight the changes through the years.
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