Glorious five: Audi RS 3 competition limited

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  Exclusive: limited edition to celebrate “50 years of five cylinders”
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  Essential: the legendary 2.5 TFSI engine and its evocative throaty sound
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  Exciting: adjustable coilover suspension with new rear stabilizer
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  Expressive: exterior with carbon elements and special malachite green paint
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  Extraordinary: interior in Neodymium gold and consecutive numbering

New Zealand, 12 March 2026 - To celebrate the 50-year anniversary of the legendary five-cylinder engine, Audi Sport is unveiling an exclusive special-edition model: the RS 3 competition limited. With only 750 examples to be built, and only 10 available in New Zealand, it stands for a five-decade-long success story from the brand with four rings. Its inline five makes the brawny compact unique in its segment, combining extraordinary performance with an unmistakable sound. When driven, the RS 3 competition limited lives up to its sporting pedigree thanks to a coilover suspension and a stiffer rear stabiliser. Visually, extra carbon elements leave no doubt about its credentials. Combined with the exclusive interior, including a matte serial number in front of the shifter which reflects the model’s limited run and how special this vehicle truly is.

Greg Leet, General Manager of Audi New Zealand, says the RS 3 competition limited is a true celebration of Audi Sport heritage “It honours five decades of our iconic five‑cylinder history and brings our motorsport DNA to the road in a way only Audi Sport can. With its exclusive specification and unmistakable character, this limited edition model represents a rare opportunity for New Zealand customers to own a piece of Audi history.” 

Pricing: one limited edition, two body styles, two colours 

The RS 3 competition limited will be limited to 10 vehicles in New Zealand split evenly across Sportback and Sedan. All vehicles for the New Zealand market will be pre-specified and have extensive standard equipment. Both body styles feature matte carbon elements on the exterior, Neodymium gold wheels, and an exclusive interior with RS bucket seats, special digital dials, and consecutive numbering. Pricing and specifications for New Zealand will be released next quarter, but customers are encouraged to register their interest or contact their local Audi dealership due to the limited nature. 

There will be two exterior colour options available in New Zealand: the exclusive options Malachite green and Glacier white. 

Exterior: sharpened front, plenty of carbon, and subtle details 

The special edition combines expressive design with matte carbon elements. These include two new canards on either front corner, which are arranged on top of each other and are made of carbon to match the vertical blades of the air curtains. Combined with the now split front lip, which is fitted below the intakes, this makes the special edition appear even wider.  

Imposing 19-inch wheels with ten cross spokes in Neodymium gold matte fill the arches. Mirror caps, side skirts, and a rear spoiler, all in matte carbon, as well as the matte carbon trim above the large functional diffuser complete the model’s technical appearance. Partial matting on the rear side window to show the model name underlines it even further. Carbon is also found under the hood: the engine cover atop the five-cylinder impresses with its technical look. 

The darkened matrix LED headlights are also unique to the special edition. When locking or unlocking the car, their segments illuminate in a 1-2-4-5-3 pattern – a nod to the five-cylinder engine’s firing order. 

Two exterior colours can be specified for New Zealand: the new Glacier white matte and the exclusive Malachite green finish. This iconic colour is reminiscent of the Audi Sport quattro that provided the basis for a golden age of rallying with five-cylinder power. 

Badges boasting heritage colours at the front and rear also stand for maximum individuality.  

Driving dynamics: coilover suspension and stiffer rear stabilizer 

For the first time, the Audi RS 3 features a coilover suspension including a new rear stabiliser. In combination with the torque splitter and the standard ceramic brakes, the limited edition offers distinctly sporty handling. The coilover suspension was specially developed and tuned for the RS 3 competition limited. The materials used in the twin-tube shock absorbers’ construction – stainless steel at the front and aluminum at the rear – were chosen for stiffness, and their increased volumes help cool the hydraulic fluid. The front shock absorbers have external reservoirs. Better cooling means the dampers perform consistently, even under high loads. At the rear, larger diameter damper tubes with thicker piston rods compared to the standard model provide more stable mounting and rigidity. 
 
Flexibility and a wide spread in driving characteristics are offered by three-way adjustable shock absorbers: High-speed and low-speed compression can be changed separately and rebound can be adjusted too. As a result, the driver can customise the comfort and performance of the vehicle to suit their personal requirements, driving style, and the road conditions. A setup manual for adjusting compression and rebound as well as the needed tools are on board the RS 3 competition limited. 

Adjusting compression means changing how quickly the shock absorber shortens. It works by altering the oil flow inside the cylinder and thus changing the damping force that works against the suspension as it loads up. Low-speed compression changes how the suspension reacts to forces like those occurring during cornering and significantly influences tire grip. It can be adjusted in 12 steps using a dial. The further it is turned towards the “+” sign, the stiffer the damping. This maximizes lateral grip, leading to higher cornering speeds, more eager turn in, and thus more direct handling. The further the dial is turned towards the “-” sign, the lower the damping force. This makes for a more comfortable ride.  

High-speed compression determines how the body reacts when suddenly high forces impact the chassis. This includes driving over bumps as well as rapid steering movements. It can be adjusted in 15 steps. Stiffer high-speed compression (turning the dial towards “+”) means high-frequency vertical excitations are damped more, resulting in sharper feedback to the driver. As damping force is reduced (turning the dial towards “-”), the ride becomes more comfortable and the RS 3 competition limited encounters imperfections in the road surface more smoothly.  

The adjustable rebound offers even more variety for the driver to change the vehicle’s reactions and handling. It controls how directly the body is linked to the road, which can be altered in 16 steps. High damping on rebound means the suspension decompresses more slowly; handling therefore becomes very precise and direct. Lower damping on rebound means the springs can expand more quickly, thus increasing ride comfort. 

Stability at the rear is further increased by a new tubular stabiliser with increased wall thickness. With a stiffness of 85 Newtons/millimeter (N/mm), it is stiffer than on the standard model. The spring rates at the back have increased to 80 N/mm to match. As a result, the RS 3 competition limited provides the perfect combination of directional stability, safety, and agility when accelerating out of a fast corner. 

Complementing the additional aerodynamic elements at the front, the specific roof spoiler of the RS 3 Sportback competition limited also influences driving dynamics. Those new elements reduce lift at both axles and were developed specially for the limited edition in the wind tunnel. On the sedan, the split chin spoiler and the canards improve balance between the front and rear axles. As the brawny compact agilely rounds corners, it is helped by the torque splitter with fully variable torque distribution at the rear as well as by brake torque vectoring. When turning in, torque is delivered to the outside wheel. At the same time, the inside wheel is braked slightly, positioning the RS 3 competition limited to exit the bend perfectly. Like its RS 3 predecessor, the special edition has a confident stance on the road and is optionally equipped with Pirelli PZero Trofeo R semi slicks. Ceramic brakes with red calipers are always on hand to reign in the speed. They are both especially light and resistant to thermal fade. 

Interior: exclusive design and iconic displays 

The special model’s exclusivity also becomes apparent when opening the doors, thanks to a color combination of black, Neodymium gold, and Ginger white. The door lighting projects the lettering “RS 3 competition limited*” with the same adorning the black floor mats, the cover below the headrests, and the trunk carpet. In the center console, a matte serial number in front of the shifter reflects the model’s limited run and illustrates how special this vehicle truly is. 

No matter how dynamic the cornering is, the driver and front passenger are perfectly held in place by highly contoured RS bucket seats. Their bolsters are covered in black leather and centers fashioned in Dinamica microfiber colored Neodymium gold. The arm rests in the doors and center are also golden. Contrast stitching in Ginger white accentuates the cabin and underlines the diamond pattern on the seats.  

Rear passengers also get a sense of the vehicle’s exclusivity. The centers of their seats as well as their arm rests are covered in soft Dinamica in Neodymium gold with Ginger white contrast stitching. The front seats’ matte carbon backs are large visual reminders of the model’s sportiness.  

The 10.1-inch touch display in the instrument panel provides information about RS-specific performance parameters: the temperature ranges of the coolant, torque splitter, brakes, as well as engine and transmission oil are illustrated in color; tire pressure and temperature are also shown.  

The wheel – flattened at both the top and bottom – has a Ginger white mark at the top. Contrast stitching in the same color goes around its rim made of black Dinamica. The Audi virtual cockpit plus also features an exclusive design. When the Audi RS 2 Avant debuted with the first RS five-cylinder engine in 1994, it had white instrument dials. Harking back to those, the digital instruments of the Audi RS 3 competition limited also have a white background. They are joined by displays of the engine’s current power and torque outputs, G forces, acceleration, and a lap timer. When launch control is used to fully exploit the turbocharged inline five’s potential for acceleration, starting lights indicate the ideal moment to launch.  

Reach for the Ginger white seatbelts, press the start button to awaken five raucous cylinders and experience impressive driving dynamics. In the meantime – looking at the quattro badge in the matte carbon decor inlay – the front passenger will remember that Audi's quattro history has lasted almost as long as that of the legendary five-cylinder engine. 

To register your interest, visit the Audi website here.