Spy Shots: Meet the All-new Audi S3 Convertible with a Sleeker Booty, Four Seats and 296HP

The launch of the new generation of the Audi A3 in three door, five-door "Sportback" and S3 trims over the past year is only the beginning for the brand with the four-ring badge from Ingolstadt, which has more in store for the premium compact segment.

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.

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Audi Unleashes New S3 Sport Hatch with 296-Horsepower 2.0 TFSI [33 Photos & Video]

The new generation of the more practical A3 Sportback, which was revealed online on Wednesday, will be joined by the spanking new S3 at Audi's Paris Motor Show stand next week.

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.

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All-New Audi S3 Rumored to Debut at Next Month's Paris Motor Show

With the Paris Auto Show looming in the not so distant future, it becomes only natural for more details to emerge on the cars that will be making their way onto the showroom floors.

We have already found out that the five-door 2013 Audi A3 Sportback will be heading to Paris, and now, Autocar magazine is reporting that it will be making a tag-team appearance with the high performance S3 model before both go on sale early next year.

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Brit Wants Help Identifying Thieves who Stole Audi S3 from his House

A Manchester man has posted video footage from a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera installed in the entrance of his house capturing the dramatic moments when two robbers equipped with crowbars burst into his home on June 7, demanding the keys to his £25,000 Audi S3.

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.

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Spy Shots: Next Audi S3 Prototype Tries Out its New 2.0 TFSI on the 'Ring

We have just snapped the first spy photos of a next generation Audi S3 while testing on the Nürburgring racetrack.

The prototype would have gone by unnoticed if weren't for the S3's trademark quad tail pipes at the back. The production model that will follow next year will also sport a different front bumper with larger air-inlets and a chrome-trimmed grille along with a rear diffuser and bespoke alloy rims shod in wider wheels.

The current Audi S3 is powered by a 2.0-liter TFSI delivering 262hp (265PS) and 350Nm. We hear that the next iteration of Ingolstadt's hot hatch features a new 2.0-liter force-fed four generating around 280-horses.

Naturally, the S3 is equipped with Audi's quattro all-wheel drive system while transmission options will include a six-speed manual and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.

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