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Audi S3 with manual transmission still on table for US

The fine folks at Fourtitude recently sat down with Audi of America President Scott Keogh, and among other things, learned that the potent little S3 sedan could be offered with a manual transmission in the United States someday. That sort of sounds like the usual company line to us, but Keogh reportedly said the company is "looking very closely" at adding the manual to the S3, which currently is only available with a dual-clutch automatic.
Fourtitude also brought up the possibility of a hotter RS3 - a vehicle we've seen testing before, as a hatchback. We don't doubt that this more potent compact is already a done deal, but Keogh reportedly mentioned that the sedan will get this treatment. An RS3 for the US? Sign us up, for sure.
Head over to the Audi enthusiast site to read more from their talk with the company's US boss.

Audi targeting hipsters with A3 launch parties

Audi is planning quite a shindig for the launch of the A3 sedan, and it only wants young folks to show up. The Four Rings' new entry-level model will begin hitting showrooms later this month, and it is planning a launch party on April 3 at all of its roughly 280 dealers aimed at youthful, influential buyers - hipsters, for lack of a better word.
According to Automotive News, the company has sent a 64-page party-planning guide to its dealers on how to appeal these tastemakers in their late-20s to early-40s. The guide says the audience "should reflect an uncompromising spirit in a generation that refuses to settle or sell out." Audi never specifically uses the h-word in its marketing, which is good because it carries some negative connotations. However, recommendations like serving craft beer and bacon doughnuts and playing indie bands like Chvrches, Empire of the Sun and M83 certainly show that the automaker would love to gain some hipster-cred.
It may seem odd for a free spirits to desire a new Audi, but the carmaker might be playing the long con with these parties. Maybe they can't afford an A3 yet, but the $30,000 compact is likely close enough within their financial reach to at least be realistic. If the brand can appeal to them early, then they could be more likely to come back later when it's affordable.

Is this the Audi C-BEV Concept?

The head of R&D at Audi, Ulrich Hackenberg, used part of his comments at the company's annual conference to broach the subject of an all-electric SUV. He didn't give many details, but he said it would be based on the same MLB 2 platform as the Q7, would have a range of more than 311 miles, and perhaps use a battery rated at 90 kWh. German publication Auto Motor und Sport has just published sketches of what that SUV, supposedly codenamed C-BEV internally, will look like when we see it in concept form at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Autocar's sources say this is a five-seat, "production-relevant zero-emissions concept" that offers hints about the coming Q6 and how Audi plans to battle the BMW X6 and Tesla Model X. Autocar says the lithium-ion battery, placed inside the platform, could hit that 90 kWh number, and power three electric motors. One of the motors is mounted in the transmission, two more at the rear axle, and combined output is reportedly 500 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. Styling will aim for something coupe-ish, the company expecting it to be so sleek that it will have a coefficient of drag under .30. For comparison, the Audi A6 has a Cd of .28. All-out luxury is the word here, with interior architecture shared with the next A8, and "Range Rover rivaling ride quality." We're not sure if this has anything to do with Audi's announcement that it will show a concept with OLED matrix lighting at Frankfurt, but the production vehicle that the Frankfurt concept leads to will go on sale in late 2018.