VIDEO: Audi A3 Turns Into Icicle after NY Water Main Breaks

An Audi A3 Sportback owner in New York City's East Village received a chilly surprise on Monday after finding his car literally encased in ice. The freakish incident occurred after a pipe broke under the street sometime during the weekend causing a sinkhole that formed a small pond around the Audi. The passing cars splashing water all over the A3 and subfreezing temperatures did the rest. As you can see in the video after the jump, the ice was so thick that the owner's attempts to free the car from its frozen cage with a chisel and a hammer proved futile.

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VIDEO: New Audi RS3 Sportback Drifts its Way on the Snow

Now here's a video worthy of the all-new Audi RS3's sporty credentials and quattro heritage. Forget about the bland static footage of the car released at launch because this clip is -mostly- about having some slideways fun on the snow accompanied by the howling sounds of the RS3's 340HP turbocharged inline-five. Enjoy the 7 minute long film, which was shot in Canada, right after the break.

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Audi A3 5 Top Cars

Audi A3

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VIDEO: New Audi RS3 Sportback 340HP

Earlier this week, we brought you a first look at Audi's second proposal in the hot hatchback segment after the 265HP S3, the new RS3 Sportback that borrows the TT RS' 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-five with 340 ponies. Now we have the first video that takes us up close and personal with the RS3. Unfortunately, the clip does not include any running footage of the car. The European market order books for the RS3 Sportback open in December with prices in Germany starting from €49,900.

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New Audi RS3 Breaks Cover, gets 340HP Turbocharged Five-Cylinder

It's official; Audi has finally lifted the wraps off the all-new RS3 Sportback that will be if not the, one of the most powerful and fastest hatchbacks in the market when it goes on sale in Europe in early 2011. It adopts the TT RS' 2.5-liter turbocharged five-cylinder engine producing 340-horsepower and 450 Nm (331.90 lb-ft) of torque available between 1,600 rpm and 5,300 rpm.

Power is transmitted to the road through a seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission with two auto and one manual modes, and the Ingolstadt firm's quattro permanent all-wheel drive system.

Weighing in at 1,575 kg (3,472.28 pounds), the RS3 completes the standard 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint in a mere 4.6 seconds, while top speed is electronically limited to 250 km/h (155 mph). Audi adds that the RS3 returns an average fuel consumption of 9.1 liters per 100 km (25.9 US mpg) and emits 212 g CO2 per km (341.18 g/mile).

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Audi A3 Marketing

In the Spring of 2005, Audi began a massive alternate reality game to advertise for the A3, known as The Art of the Heist.

In February 2010, the A3 TDI was featured in Audi's "Green Car" Super Bowl spot, which highlighted that model's "2010 Green Car of the Year" designation by Green Car Journal.


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Audi S3 Black Performance Edition with 337HP by MR Car Design

The Black Performance Edition is MR Car Design's tuning take on the latest Audi S3 hot hatch which benefits from performance and styling mods. The German firm reworked the S3's 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, pushing output to 337-horsepower and 450Nm or 332 lb-ft of torque through the use of a Stage III kit that includes among other upgrades, a reprogrammed engine control unit, a sport exhaust and cat system and a larger intercooler.

MR Car Design did not disclose performance figures but apparently the hot hatch will be faster than the standard 265HP model that hits 0-100km/h in 5.7 seconds (manual gearbox) and reaches a top speed of 250km/h.

The modded S3 rides on black 19-inch alloy wheels wrapped in Dunlop Sportmaxx high performance tires size 235/35 ZR19 while buyers can also opt for an upgraded braking system from StopTech and adjustable coilovers from KW Automotive.

The treatment is completed with a matte black vinyl wrap from Germany's Cover EFX that gives the S3 a more menacing look.

Nurburgring-Spotting: BMW M3 Coupe and Audi S3 in Police Wrap

You never know what you'll stumble upon in and around the famous Nurburgring circuit in Germany. It may be a heavily camouflaged prototype model performing test runs like the ones we often post here on Carscoop, or in this case, a pair of privately owned cars dressed in a eye-catching police uniform (okay, most likely a vinyl wrap). The M3 Coupe and Audi S3 faux police cars appear to belong to a group called 'Ring-Police' details of which remain unknown for the time being. More photos after the jump.

Via: Autogespot

Audi UK Prices A3 with S-Tronic and Start-Stop System

German automaker Audi has revealed UK pricing for its updated A3 1.4 TFSI petrol and 1.6 TDI diesel models with the S tronic dual-clutch transmission that benefit from the introduction of the fuel saving start-stop function which was previously reserved for four-cylinder manual gearbox models. Priced from £18,300 (OTR), the A3 1.4 TFSI S tronic with start-stop sprints from 0 to 62mph (100km/h) in 9.3 seconds and reaches a top speed of 126mph (203 km/h), while returning a combined 53.3 mpg UK (44.4 mpg US) with 124g/km of CO2.

The A3 1.6 TDI diesel S tronic with start-stop is priced from £18,905 OTR. According to Audi, it accelerates from 0 to 62mph in 11.7 seconds, has a top speed of 121mph or 195 km/h and achieves a combined fuel economy of 67.3 mpg UK (56.0 mpg US) with 109g/km of CO2.

Both models are available for order now with first deliveries expected in early December.

Audi Mates Start-Stop System to S-Tronic Dual-Clutch Transmission on A3 Models

Starting from this November, Audi will begin fitting certain European-spec A3 models equipped with the firm's S tronic dual-clutch transmission with a start and stop system. Available on the A3 three-door and five-door SportBack models with the 105HP 1.6-liter TDI diesel and the 125HP 1.4-liter TFSI petrol engine, the start and stop system improves fuel economy by turning the engine off as soon as the vehicle comes to a halt and automatically starts the engine as soon as the driver removes his or her foot from the brake pedal.

Both A3 models also feature an on-board energy-recovery system that converts mechanical braking energy into electrical power that is temporarily stored in the battery and is then fed back into the electrical system during acceleration, thus reducing the load on the alternator and saving fuel.

The German maker claims that the A3 1.6 TDI S-Tronic consumes on average 4.2 liters of diesel per 100 kilometers (56 US mpg) and emits 109g/km of CO2 while the 1.4 TFSI S-Tronic, 5.3 liters of premium unleaded for every 100 kilometers (44.4 US mpg) with 124 g/km of CO2.

Performance-wise, the 1.6 TDI propels the three-door A3 from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 11.7 seconds and on to a top speed of 194 km/h (121 mph) while the A3 1.4 TFSI goes from standstill to 100km/h in 9.3 seconds and tops out at 203 km/h (126 mph).

Prices for the A3 1.4 TFSI with the S-Tronic and start-stop system in Germany will remain unchanged at €23,700 for3-door and €24,600 for the Sportback. The new 1.6 TDI with S-Tronic and Start-Stop will sell at a base price of €25,500 for the 3-door and €26,400 for the Sportback.

Audi A3 and A3 Sportback get Revised 1.6 TDI with Even Better Fuel Economy and Lower Emissions

It's only been three months since Audi began offering the VW Group's new 1.6-liter common rail diesel engine on the A3 range, but the German firm has already announced a newer version of the 105HP 1.6 TDI with lower fuel consumption and improved CO2 emissions. In particular, the four-cylinder TDI continues to deliver the same output as before at 105HP but peak torque has been increased from 230Nm to 250 Nm (184.39 lb-ft). Audi claims that fuel consumption on the combined cycle has been reduced from 4.1lt/100km (57.4 mpg US) to 3.8lt/100 km (61.9 US mpg) with CO2 emissions of 99g/km, down from 109g/km.

The reworked TDI engine that uses Audi's start and stop technology is linked to a five-speed manual gearbox featuring a final drive ratio longer by some seven percent.

The German firm says that the diesel engine propels the three-door A3 from 0 to 100 km/h (62mph) in 11.4 seconds and on to a top speed of 190 km/h (118 mph) while the A3 Sportback reaches 100 km/h in 11.7 seconds. The corresponding figures for the current A3 1.6 TDI 105HP 3-door are 11.4 seconds and 194km/h.

Audi will begin selling the A3 1.6 TDI and the A3 Sportback 1.6 TDI in Europe in the first half of 2010 with prices said to be similar to those models already offered on the market.

Audi Brings 2010 A3 Sportback TDI diesel to the States, Priced from $29,950

The second diesel offering from Audi to be launched in the US this year after the Q7 TDI is the 2010 A3 Sportback TDI and it will begin arriving at the company's dealers in late November 2009. The base price for the front-wheel drive model with Audi's S tronic dual-clutch transmission is $29,950, but you'll have to add another $825 to that for destination charge, taxes, title, options, and dealer charges. Power comes from a 2.0-liter turbo diesel that makes 140 horsepower and 236 lb-ft of torque offering the five-door hatch a top speed of 130mph.

According to Audi the A3 TDI returns an EPA-estimated of 30mpg in the city and 42mpg on the highway. For some reason, Audi thought it would be a good idea to compare the diesel-powered A3 hatchback to the Lexus HS 250h four-door sedan in its press release saying that the Japanese model "offers similar combined fuel economy with hybrid technology, but not superlative highway mileage range."

For what it matters, the 187HP HS 250h, which starts from $34,200 in the States, received EPA-estimated ratings of 35 mpg city and 34 mpg on the highway for a combined 35 mpg.