ABT Audi S3 Sedan Has Affalterbach in its Crosshairs

It’s incredibly easy to dismiss the new Audi S3 Sedan as a pricier, premium label Volkswagen Golf R with a trunk…mostly because that’s pretty much what it is. But most people who are in the market for a small, luxury sport sedan for all seasons aren’t terribly concerned about the S3’s blue-collar roots. And thanks to a new collection of tuning parts from the Audi acolytes at ABT Sportsline, we have a feeling even fewer people will care about its shared parentage.

Outside, the Abt-augmented S3 doesn’t look that different from stock, with a new grille insert, front fender vents, a rear diffuser and a set of 20” split-spoke wheels being the main deviations from factory spec. And there are a few interior add-ons, as well, like illuminated door sills and Abt-branded trim. But the biggest changes lie beneath the surface, namely a reprogrammed ECU and sport exhaust system that bumps the turbocharged 2.0L inline-four’s output from 296 horsepower and 280 lb.-ft of torque to 395 horsepower and 354 lb.-ft. Both of those figures, incidentally, better the ones put up by Mercedes-AMG’s updated-for-2016 CLA45, which begs the question: What will the aftermarket Mercedes-Benz specialists of the world do with that bad boy? Sounds like the German baby super sedan war is about to heat up in a big way…

Source: ABT Sportsline