What's the news?
Audi offers slightly more powerful, better-equipped and exclusive versions of its S-model performance cars, on which it bestows the epithet 'Plus' - we've already seen the SQ5 Plus and S8 Plus. Well, Audi is doing a similar thing with the even faster RS models, although these are called 'Performance'.
And, following on from the 605hp RS 6 and RS 7 Performance versions announced last year, the next to get the treatment is the RS Q3 SUV. To identify the RS Q3 Performance from the kerb, you'll need the most hawkish of eyes, as the styling updates amount to matt titanium-look trim - it's on the front air intakes in the lower bumper, clothing the Singleframe grille, and on the side window trim strips, door mirror caps, roof rails, the upper edge of the rear diffuser and the fins for the boot lip spoiler. The colossal 20-inch five twin-spoke V-design alloys might be easier to spot, given they're exclusive to the Performance and come in a (yes, you guessed right) matt titanium-look finish. The brake callipers behind them are also red, although for no cost you can opt to have them in black.
Ascari Blue is a new colour offered on the RS Q3 Performance, while inside seems to be marked out by a lot of blue detailing, including carbon twill blue dash inlays and contrast stitching. But as it doesn't look much different to the 'regular' RS Q3, all this stuff is merely bunce on top of the main delight, which is more power.
By fiddling with the 2.5-litre TFSI's fuel pump and uprating the cooling capacity of the main radiator, Audi has bumped the RS Q3 from the more-than-adequate 340hp/450Nm normal figures to 367hp and 465Nm for the Performance iteration. That slashes 0.4 seconds off the 0-100km/h time, leaving us with a phenomenal 4.4-second benchmark sprint, while the RS Q3 Performance has a standard top speed of 270km/h, instead of 250km/h.
Audi has retuned the S tronic seven-speed transmission for quicker responses, added a more lenient ESC setting for the quattro drivetrain in Sport mode and will offer the RS Sport Suspension Plus with damper control as an option, making the RS Q3 Performance a serious bit of kit. Incredibly, Audi claims it has the same 32.8mpg (8.6 litres/100km) economy and 203g/km CO2 emissions as the normal version.
Anything else?
Due for a debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March, the RS Q3 Performance... doesn't look like it will be going on sale in Ireland, as we don't even get the piffling 340hp model. Damn. However, it'll cost €61,000 in its native Germany, which is an increase on the €56,600 needed for a regular RS Q3. They're also much more expensive than the RS 3 Sportback over there, and that is a model we get over here... where it costs from €65,900. So we'd surely be looking at €75,000+ if the RS Q3 Performance ever comes to our shores.