S3

STORY

The S3 line opened in 1999, when the 8L arrived with a 1.8-litre turbo four of 154 kW (210 PS) and Haldex on-demand quattro instead of the Torsen system used by the bigger S cars; from October 2001 the BAM engine took it to 165 kW (225 PS). The 8P of 2006 switched to the 2.0 TFSI with 195 kW (265 PS) and gained a five-door Sportback in 2008. The 8V of 2013 ran at 221 kW (300 PS) and widened the line to a saloon and, from 2014, a cabriolet, lifted to 310 PS by the 2016 facelift. The 8Y was presented in August 2020, and the facelift announced in April 2024 brought 245 kW (333 PS) and a torque splitter on the rear axle.