- Audi Sport’s boss admits the engine matters too much to walk away from.
- A next-generation RS3 is still on the table, but nothing has been decided.
- Spreading the engine across more models may be the only way to justify it.
Will Audi kill the 2.5-liter turbocharged five-cylinder, or won’t it? The engine built its reputation on the Ur-Quattro and the Group B rally cars of the 1980s, and it survives today in the RS3. The question has been circling the internet for months, and Audi’s own messaging is why. Some statements out of the company point to the engine being axed. Others suggest it lives on in some form. Take your pick, because the automaker hasn’t committed to either.
The key challenge in keeping the five-cylinder alive is Euro 7 emissions regulations. As it stands, the 2.5-liter turbocharged unit doesn’t comply with them, and Audi will somehow need to justify the investments required to update the engine. While speaking recently about the engine’s future, Audi Sport boss Rolf Michl acknowledged just how iconic it is and appeared to leave the door ajar for it to remain in Audi’s line-up.
Read: Audi Is Killing Its 5-Cylinder Engine, But One Market Still Has Time
“We’re well aware about the historical meaning of the five-cylinder,” Michl said while speaking with Autocar. “Evaluations are still running, and people who know me know that I also have a personal relationship to the five-cylinder engine. It’s so characteristic and also deeply rooted in history – so let’s see.”
Audi Sport Knows It Needs A Compact Car
According to Michl, the RS3 serves as an important “entrance into the RS world,” acknowledging that “emotion starts in the compact segment.” He added that “negotiations are ongoing” about a next-generation RS3, but noted “we’re not at the decision point yet,” adding that “everybody really knows about the meaning, and therefore we’re still evaluating with our colleagues from Audi AG.”
Perhaps the easiest way to keep the five-cylinder around would be to hybridize it, as we’ve seen other brands do to keep some of their distinctive engines around, a prime example being Lamborghini with its 6.5-liter V12. Adding a hybrid setup to a car like the RS3 would make it even more ferocious, and if it means the 2.5-liter turbo can continue being offered, then the car world will be a much better place.
But it may be difficult for Audi to justify developing a new hybrid 2.5-liter five-cylinder for just a single model like the RS3, which does not sell in significant numbers. One way to get around this would be to offer the five-cylinder in more cars, spreading the development costs and perhaps convincing the VW Group’s finance team to give it the thumbs-up.
