Audi S3

Audi’s latest-generation S3 has finally been revealed, with the initial three-door hatchback bodystyle so far the only version Audi has announced. The German automaker has decided not to bring its new A3 Hatchback to the U.S., so it’s likely this S3 Hatchback won’t be coming either. Instead, we’ll get a new A3 Sedan sometime soon, and with any luck a new S3 Sedan will also be offered.

So what does the S3 offer over its more mundane cousin. For starters, S3 buyers get a 2.0-liter TFSI turbo four delivering 296 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque to all four wheels. This engine is a brand new design for Audi, and it's brilliant.

It offers its peak torque from as low as 1,800 revs and maintains this all the way up to 5,500 rpm. This is about the same revs where peak power is delivered, and then the engine will happily rev all the way up to 6,800 rpm.

It also features many features not normally found in four-cylinder engines. For instance, it comes with two balance shafts rotating at twice the speed of the crankshaft for improved smoothness, port as well as direct-injection depending on load, aluminum-silicon construction, and an exhaust valve that opens up to really let the sound out when gunning it.