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2017 Audi RS5 DTM racer is a smorgasbord of carbon-fiber wings

Along with the reveal of the new RS5 coupe, Audi took the wraps off its corresponding DTM racer here at the Geneva Motor Show. This concurrent debut strategy is completely by design. "For the first time, we developed a new DTM car in parallel with the production model. This underlines once again how closely motorsport and production work together at Audi," said head of Audi Motorsport Dieter Gass. As much as Audi would like you to believe its DTM racer shares a lot in common with its production RS5 ... well, it doesn't. Gone is the new biturbo V6, and in its place is a 4.0-liter V8. It's not a Quattro – all DTM racers are rear-wheel drive – and the chassis is a carbon-fiber monocoque. And, of course, there is an extremely complex set of wings, vanes, and splitters that you'd never see on a production car. View 15 Photos Interestingly, the 2017 DTM regulations actually reduce the total amount of downforce allowed. That ought to mean slower cars, but Audi promises the opposite is true, due to sticky new tires and a 4.0-liter V8 engine tuned to deliver "more than 500 horsepower." That's more than last year, thanks to changes made to the air intake and cooling systems. Audi won the Constructor title in DTM last year with the old RS5 racer, so the pressure is on to follow that feat again in 2017. We'll find out soon enough how good the new car is – the 2017 DTM season starts on May 6 in Hockenheim. Related Video:

The 2018 Audi RS3 sedan priced above the BMW M2 and Mercedes CLA45 AMG

Today, Audi finally released pricing for the 2018 RS3 sedan and it's not quite the performance bargain you may have been hoping for. The RS3 sedan, available for the first time in the US, will start at $55,875 when it hits dealer lots later this year. That's thousands more than the competition from BMW and Mercedes-Benz, though it's not quite a straight one-to-one comparison. View 23 Photos For reference, a BMW M2 starts at $53,495 while a Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG will set you back at least $50,875. With an all-new 400 horsepower inline-5 under the hood, the RS3 is packing more punch than its German rivals, and, unlike the M2, sends power to all four wheels. Standard features include LED lighting, Audi pre sense basic, and blind-spot monitoring. Other standard equipment hasn't been announced yet, so it's difficult to make a straight comparison to the M2 and CLA45 AMG. The RS3 sedan will make its North American debut next week in New York. While the car will hit full production for the 2018 model year, there will be a limited number of 2017 RS3s produced. At $55,450, the 2017 model is slightly less expensive than the 2018 RS3. That small batch will be preconfigured with carbon trim, Audi virtual cockpit with MMI Navigation plus, a Bang & Olufsen sound system, 19-inch, five-arm-blade design wheels, red brake calipers, and the RS sport exhaust system with black tips. Sounds like a good deal if you've already got your heart set on the latest from Audi Sport. Related Video:

Audi updates the RS3 hatch to sedan specs, but we still aren't getting it

As great as the upcoming Audi RS3 sedan looks and sounds, we're still a bit jealous of the Europeans and others who get the five-door Sportback version. And now even more so, because for 2018 the RS3 Sportback is being updated to match the specs of the RS3 sedan that debuted last fall at the Paris Motor Show. We'll see the revised extra-hot hatch next month in Geneva. Even though we haven't had a chance to get behind the wheel of either model, the raw numbers alone get us excited. An updated Quattro all-wheel-drive system, a 400-horsepower turbocharged inline five-cylinder engine (up from 362), and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission will send the 2018 RS3 hatch from 0 to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. That puts it in Porsche 911 and Chevrolet Corvette territory. Other improvements include a wider track to fit wider rubber, a lowered and stiffened suspension, and a larger set of brakes. Carbon-ceramic front rotors will again be available, like they are on the sedan. Inside, the RS3 comes with a boost pressure indicator, an oil thermometer, and a lap timer. Audi's Virtual Cockpit fully digital instrument panel is available as an option, and one we highly recommend. Aside from all of the performance and tech upgrades, the RS3 has a number of changes to the interior and exterior design. Black Nappa leather sport seats are standard, with special contoured RS sport seats available as an option. Lighting elements have been updated to match those of the restyled A3 and S3, the front fascia has been sharpened, with larger intakes on the bottom corners of the bumpers, a slightly more aggressive front splitter, and the Quattro logo emblazoned on the bottom of the grill. Out back, the car gets two large exhaust tips compared to the S3's four outlets. The overall design is typical Audi: handsome, but conservative. The RS3 sedan goes on sale in Europe in April with the Sportback following soon after. We'll have to make do with the sedan version, which is expected to arrive here next year. The only Sportback model Audi offers here from the A3 family is the plug-in e-tron model, and we don't expect that to change any time soon. But we can dream. Related Video: