The 2022 Audi RS3’s Fancy New E-Diff Is Made For Drifting

Illustration for article titled The 2022 Audi RS3's Fancy New E-Diff Is Made For Drifting

Photo: Audi

The next-gen Audi RS3 is nearly upon us. We know it’ll have the proper engine, as the company not-so-subtly teased by inscribing the firing order of the RS3’s turbocharged five-cylinder on the side of its camouflaged wrap. While Audi’s not quite ready to spill all the beans on its next compact sport sedan (or wagon for lucky customers outside the U.S.), it is offering a sneak peek into a major component: the RS Torque Splitter.

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First, let’s confirm those engine stats. The RS3’s 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine once again delivers 394 horsepower, though that peak power is available for a wider chunk of the rev range, from 5,600 to 7,000 rpm. There’s also slightly more torque on offer, jumping from about 354 lb-ft in the outgoing RS3 to 369 lb-ft in the new one. Once again, it’s connected to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Illustration for article titled The 2022 Audi RS3's Fancy New E-Diff Is Made For Drifting

Photo: Audi

The result is a sprint to 62 mph from a standstill that’s about three tenths of a second quicker, at 3.8 seconds, on the way to a top speed of 180 mph provided the RS Dynamic package and its ceramic brakes are optioned. An “entry-level” compact sedan that hits 60 in under four seconds — you couldn’t dream of that 15 years ago.

But that’s not what Audi appears to be most excited about with the new RS3. The company detailed the RS Torque Splitter that sits on the sport sedan’s rear axle in a presentation to media last week. The new system replaces the old rear differential, opting for electronically controlled clutches on each half shaft. These handle torque vectoring, sending power to the inner or outer rear wheels depending on cornering scenarios and slip. Here’s a deeper explanation, courtesy of Audi:

The exact distribution of drive torque always depends on the mode selected in Audi drive select and the respective driving situation. Each of the two multiple disc clutches has its own control unit, which use the electronic stabilization control’s wheel speed sensors to measure the wheel speeds. Other influencing factors include longitudinal and lateral acceleration, the steering angle, the position of the gas pedal, the selected gear, and the yaw angle, i.e. the rotational movement around the vertical axis. In addition, the torque splitter is connected to the modular vehicle dynamics controller as a higher-level entity.

As you’d expect, the Torque Splitter factors into the RS3’s various drive modes, and there are two in particular that are especially relevant: RS Performance and RS Torque Rear. RS Performance is your optimal mode for peak grip in all conditions, aiming to strike that mythical balance between understeer and oversteer. Meanwhile, RS Torque Rear — which Audi has nicknamed “Drift Mode” and cautions is only intended for use on a closed course — sends all the power straight back, and up to 790 lb-ft of torque to either rear wheel.

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The car’s Electronic Stabilization Control system has been tuned to account for the Torque Splitter and can still be turned off, for those who think they know better than stinkin’ computers. The suspension touts new shock absorbers, exclusive to the RS3, and an upgrade with adaptive dampers is available, too. For the first time, Audi will let buyers choose Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R semi-slicks from the factory if they like.

The result of all of these enhancements is “enormously” increased performance, according to Audi — though you’d figure the tires alone would make for a pretty appreciable leap. We’ll be able to share more on the RS3 in the coming weeks; until then, enjoy these pictures of the sedan and its forbidden Sportback cousin drifting all over the dang place.

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Illustration for article titled The 2022 Audi RS3's Fancy New E-Diff Is Made For Drifting

Photo: Audi

Illustration for article titled The 2022 Audi RS3's Fancy New E-Diff Is Made For Drifting

Photo: Audi

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Illustration for article titled The 2022 Audi RS3's Fancy New E-Diff Is Made For Drifting

Photo: Audi

Illustration for article titled The 2022 Audi RS3's Fancy New E-Diff Is Made For Drifting

Photo: Audi

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The Audi A6 E-Tron Concept Is A Long-Range EV With A Confusing Name

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Image: Audi

Audi’s electric range is finally taking shape, now that the E-Tron GT and Q4 E-Tron have joined the existing E-Tron crossover. And in case you thought the E-Tron branding couldn’t possibly get more puzzling, Audi just revealed a concept of the A6 E-Tron it expects to hit showrooms sometime in the next two years.

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It’s bothering my obsessive-compulsive tendencies that E-Tron now exists as a standalone nameplate and a version of existing Audi models, but I’ll try my best to keep that down to focus on the concept itself, which looks pretty good. The A6 E-Tron debuted at the Shanghai Auto Show today, and marks the first Audi we’ve seen based on the company’s Premium Platform Electric architecture.

Audi calls the A6 E-Tron a sportback, which followers of the brand may argue actually make it more of an A7 by nature. According to Audi, the A6 name was chosen to link this car to one of the brand’s most historically significant models, and dimensionally it’s equivalent to the existing A6. Here I am again talking about the car’s name — you just can’t get away from it with these new electric Audis.

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Image: Audi

The design you see here is reportedly 95 percent representative of the final model, which isn’t bad news considering that the A6 E-Tron cleans up for the most part. Sure, it’s derivative in places — the high beltline of the profile evokes the departed Ford Fusion in my mind’s eye, and the way the headlights meet the grille — I’m sorry, the inverted face, as Audi calls it — strikes me as remarkably similar to the Mustang Mach-E’s furrowed brow. Neither of these familiarities are necessarily bad though. Don’t hold your breath for images of the interior yet — Audi is saving those for later.

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Image: Audi

Audi designers say the tautness of the roofline and width of the track on this concept will be scaled back slightly ahead of production, though the black trim near the floor that looks like a cutaway panel will be retained. It’s a neat visual trick that slims the car down somewhat, and I like the way it trails toward the rear bumper. There are projectors at the corners that beam light at the ground to greet passengers and signal turns that may or may not make it to the final iteration. There’s a precedent for similar tech in road cars already, though, so it wouldn’t be inconceivable if it did come to pass.

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In terms of performance figures, Audi is mostly keeping those close to the chest for now. This concept packs a pair of electric motors combining for 469 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque. That’s projected to get the A6 E-Tron to 62 mph from a standstill in under four seconds.

Illustration for article titled The Audi A6 E-Tron Concept Is A Long-Range EV With A Confusing Name
Image: Audi

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Turning to range, Audi claims the A6 E-Tron will return more than 700 km on a full charge (434 miles), though under the generous WLTP cycle. The E-Tron GT is rated for 298 miles by that same measure, so the A6 E-Tron is sure to bring a huge range improvement to the brand even if the actual, real-world distance falls short of the WLTP-based projection. For reference, the latest Tesla Model S starts at an EPA-estimated 412 miles of range.

The A6 E-Tron’s efficiency is helped by an ultralow drag coefficient of 0.22 — one of the lowest out there, matching Mercedes-Benz’s A-Class — though there’s no confirmation on whether those slight exterior changes to the production car will dent that somewhat. Like other new electric Audis, it supports 800-volt peak charging that aims to replenish 300 km of range in just 10 minutes.

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As far as timing of the sedan’s arrival, for now Audi is saying only that its first PPE-based cars will emerge in the second half of next year. That will likely begin with the Q6 E-Tron, before this A6. In the meantime, I’m going to try and work out a flowchart to make sense of all these E-Trons.