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Audi RS 3 Sportback

Audi states an optional 280 km/h limiter for the RS 3. Autocar's Carbon Vorsprung Sportback and evo both print 174 mph for that option.

Also known as RS 3, RS3 Sportback
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Top speed

Published as 280 km/hPublished as 280 km/hPublished as 280 km/h

Manufacturer claim for the Audi RS 3 Sportback with the optional raised limiter (Carbon Vorsprung / 280 km/h), not the RS dynamics package plus. Audi states 250 km/h standard, optionally 280 km/h, and 290 km/h with the plus package. Autocar lists the Carbon Vorsprung Sportback at 174 mph and evo prints an optional 174 mph. 280 km/h is 174.0 mph. The 155 mph standard car and the 290 km/h plus package are not stored.

ClaimedAudi (opens source in a new tab)

In context

  • 2.7× a cheetah's timed top speedSourced · Cheetah, 29 m/s. Sharp 1997, mean of three timed runs over 201.2 m
  • A football field in 1.2 sConstant · American football field, 100 yd (91.44 m)
  • London to New York in 19 h 54 minConstant · London to New York, 5,570 km great-circle

Worked out from the sourced figure above, which stays the ranked number.

This list

Why it's so fast

A car is fast when the force pushing it forward still beats the air, and when the tires and the gearing can use that force. A limiter is a different fact from an unlimited run.

  1. Drag and gearing

    Top speed is the balance point: thrust equals aerodynamic drag. The gearing has to still be pulling when the car gets there, or the engine falls off its power.

  2. What the sources signed

    A manufacturer claim, a magazine test and an electronic governor are not interchangeable. The measurement line says which one this page ranked.

A limited example is the Bugatti Chiron.

This is how the category works. A note written for this entry appears here once it is in the database.

Provenance

Every measurement

Claimed, measured and official figures side by side, each with its source. The ranked figure is marked.

  1. 280km/h174mph77.8m/s151knRanked figure

    Manufacturer claim for the Audi RS 3 Sportback with the optional raised limiter (Carbon Vorsprung / 280 km/h), not the RS dynamics package plus. Audi states 250 km/h standard, optionally 280 km/h, and 290 km/h with the plus package. Autocar lists the Carbon Vorsprung Sportback at 174 mph and evo prints an optional 174 mph. 280 km/h is 174.0 mph. The 155 mph standard car and the 290 km/h plus package are not stored.

    Claimed
    Audi (opens source in a new tab)

Reference

Specs

Model
RS 3 Sportback, optional 280 km/h
Layout
All-wheel-drive hatchback
Not ranked
155 mph standard and 290 km/h plus package

Spot a wrong number?

Every report is read by a person, and corrections are dated on the page.