The world renown Worthersee Tour in Austria begins this week on May 21st. It's been regarded as the largest gathering of VW and Audi enthusiasts from around Europe. Manufactures have even taken notice of the event as Volkswagen debuted its GTI 650 W12 last year.
This year, Audi, the inventor of TDI, is about to blaze another trail in the field of engine manufacture with the A3 TDI clubsport quattro, a one-off show car featuring the most extreme incarnation to date of its advanced four-cylinder TDI engine. It will be one of the main stars at Wrthersee. The A3 TDI clubsport quattro extracts an incredible 332 lb-ft of torque and maximum power of 221 hp from its 2.0 liter, common rail fuel injected TDI unit, allowing it to race from zero to 62mph in just 6.6 seconds and on to a top speed of 149mph.
The Audi A3 TDI clubsport quattro will leave show-goers in no doubt as to its capabilities, emphasizing them both acoustically through its sonorous exhaust and visually with a series of exclusive parts mounted on the body and in the interior. Exterior components such as the large DTM-look rear spoiler and the bolt-on wheel arch extensions give the car a dynamic air, while the racing bucket seats and open gear lever gate in aluminum form the highlights of the interior. The show car is a true high-tech sports car.
Power is directed to the 20" wheels via a six-speed transmission and the quattro all-wheel-drive system. At the front wheels, stopping power is provided by six-piston brake calipers and ceramic discs. The Audi drive select driving dynamics system allows the driver to vary the throttle response characteristics, the exhaust sound, the level of power assistance for the steering, the cut-in thresholds for the ESP stabilization system and the operating mode of the dampers. The dampers deploy Audi magnetic ride technology, enabling them to react to changes in the driving situation with lightning speed.