After all, Audi may not remove the five-cylinder engines from its offer – at least in the near future. The subject is being considered, also considering the legacy of these thrusters.
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19/08/2026
by
News to Minutes
A Audi has a history of half a century in five cylinder engines, who now see their future doubted because of the ever tighter regulations on polluting emissions – which force many moves to make it conform. And they equip a small number of cars.
Does this mean the end of the line for an architecture originally introduced in 1976? The space in the current range is now confined to RS3, although the Cupra (also from the Volkswagen Group) also uses it in a model.
A few months ago the new Audi RS 3 was introduced. Competition – a special edition model limited to 750 units in the Sportback and Berlina variants. It is a tribute to the 50 years of five-cylinder engines, making it move precisely with a five-cylinder 2.5-litre thruster that debits 400 hp of power and 500 Nom of binary.
It could even sound like a farewell celebration. But the truth is there is still no final decision on the future of the five cylinders. At least that's what Audi Sport's director Rolf Michl meant in an interview with the British publication Autocar.
The manufacturer knows that it is a type of thruster with “historical meaning“ whose future is being considered, the leader explained. Who also claimed: “People who know me know that I also have a personal relationship with the five-cylinder engine. It is so characteristic and is also rooted so deeply in history. We'll see“.
Investment in deep changes to an engine that is only applied in a very small number of models may not be possible to justify. In any case, Rolf Michl stressed: “Negotiations are ongoing, so we are not yet at the point of making a decision”.