A3 in Quattro Quaterly

[Tom Nas]

Jenny Curtis <jenny at physics.umn.edu> wrote:

>Just out of curiosity, does the A3 (sold in Europe only) have the
>quattro system?

Yup, only it's pseudo-quattro: it's really the Haldex-based 4Motion system 
used by VW. Quattro only works with longituninal engines, the (Golf-based) 
A3 has a transverse engine.

>Anyone on the list own an A3 TDI?

My brother does. '98 TDI 110 hp. Faster than a Golf GTI in most conditions. 
Faster than a lot of other cars on the road, actually. Excellent car.

>The article was musing over the fact that there is a possibility that
>the A3 or a model with a similar engine might be sold in the US.  I
>think it would have tremendous appeal to the Volkswagon tuning crowd,
>especially since they already have no problem driving what essentially
>amounts to tarted up Golfs.  (This isn't a slam, I dig the VR6 totally
>and think they are ubercool. All they really need, that I can think
>of, is All Wheel Go )  It would also appeal to proponents of diesel
>engines in mass-produced automobiles.  Heck it would even appeal to
>me, especially if gas heads back towards the the $2 and $3 a gallon
>level.

I don't think Audi would want to lose their carefully-built luxury car 
maker image in the US by introducing a small hatchback, albeit a high-class 
hatchback. It's somewhat different in Europe, where Audi already made the 
50 (sub-A3 hatch) in the 1970s.

Regards, Tom