TWO down, two more to come. That’s the score on the roll out of Audi’s splendiferous new aluminium-block five-cylinder turbo engine that, with 294kW on tap, goes as good as it sounds.

Launched in Australia in the TT RS coupe and cabrio in May, the 2.5-litre engine and matching seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and quattro all-wheel-drive system have now been grafted into the facelifted A3 sedan to create the first four-door RS3 in the Ingolstadt company’s history.

Next up for the five-pot powerplant is the revised five-door RS3 Sportback hatch later this year, followed – we guess – by a similar heart transplant in the RS Q3 at some point.

Audi argues that despite their similarity under the bonnet, all four of these vehicles will appeal to different buyers with at least one thing in common – a need for speed.

Here, we take a look at possibly the most conservative of the variants, the RS3 sedan. That’s if you can call the most powerful small sedan on the market conservative …

Click here for the full review...