New RS 3 LMS to build upon first-gen model’s winning legacy, deliveries to begin near the end of 2021 for 2022 global touring car season.
Five years ago, Audi dropped a hammer upon the touring car world with their first-ever RS 3 LMS. A total of 180 cars delivered to customer teams across the world, each one landing poles, wins, and podium finishes all over the place. We’re talking 764 spots in the top three in 1,051 races. The compact sedan also claimed 16 drivers’ and 38 other championships, plus TCR Model of the Year in 2018 for the Ingolstadt crew.
Of course, Audi Sport can’t rest on its golden laurels. Come 2022, a new RS 3 LMS will carry the torch into the decade, improving upon the car’s TCR legacy thus far.
Dawning of the New RS 3 LMS
“We are underlining the importance of motorsport for our road-going products and presenting a race car still in disguise before the spearhead of the corresponding production model is on the market,” said Audi Sport Managing Director Julius Seebach. “The Audi RS 3 LMS is a clear commitment to customer racing and stands for records in our program. We want to continue the remarkable series of successes of the first generation with the new model.”
Improving Upon the Original
“The 340-horsepower, two-liter, four-cylinder engine is the last Evo IV generation of our four-cylinder unit,” said project manager Dr. Andrea Miloco. “With the previous generation of this engine, our customers already made tens of thousands of kilometers without troubles on the race track.”
A new six-speed sequential unit brings tons of durability to the RS 3 LMS, needed when racing across bumpy surfaces. Meanwhile, mechanics and pit crews can easily change the handling with quick-swap shims in the control arms and track rod. Braking gains more cooling, too, and the overall cooling system is strengthened for the rough-and-tumble of TCR.
More Love for the Driver
“In the cockpit, we support the driver even better,” said technical project manager Detlef Schmidt. “We have got a central module on the steering wheel, a keypad with 12 main functions, all in order to make the driver comfortable and not use too much of his attention maneuvering the switches.”
The driver is placed closer to the center within the Audi Sport protection seat. Meanwhile, protection nets, side-impact protection, and a roof hatch all ensure the driver’s safety when things get hairy. Not to mention the 82-feet of tubing protecting them from potential impacts.
How Soon is Now?
Right now, the new RS 3 LMS is scheduled to undergo extensive testing through most of 2021. Deliveries are expected to begin by the end of the year, just in time for the 2022 racing season. May the wins continue in the new era.
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