NEW versions of the Audi A3 keep rolling out of the German company's factories ... and the latest sets the pulses racing.

For this is the hottest version of the A3 yet, fitted with the company's 367PS, five cylinder turbo engine which will rocket the car from a standing start to 60mph in little more than four seconds and power it on to a governed maximum of 155mph.

And if that's not quick enough, Audi will happily boost the top speed of this pocket-rocket to 174mph if you ask them nicely, although this tweek is mainly designed for drivers who make regular use of Germany's unrestricted autobahns.

The new RS 3 Sportback will be the flagship of the A3 range when it arrives in the UK next summer. A long time for enthusiasts to wait for what is being described as a spiritual successor to Audi's revered 1980s quattro models, but dealers will be taking orders from March next year for those who want to have first shout at the company's hottest hatch to date.

Its turbocharged engine is the most powerful five-cylinder unit ever produced by Audi and is mated to a lightweight, faster shifting, seven-speed, S-tronic, twin clutch gearbox coupled to the latest evolution of the classic quattro four wheel drive system.

The latest RS 3 bristles with electronic technology and sophisticated software including a drive select system, electronic stability control, progressive steering, an adaptive damper system and a sophisticated infotainment unit with navigation and internet connectivity available.

The RS 3 sits lower on the road than the standard Sportback model and the track has been widened. Its purposeful, sporting stance is further enhanced by a high-gloss black, honeycomb-look grille, a pronounced air intake and large side intakes. The blade integrated into the front apron extends upward into the air intakes to form a vertical dividing bar.

It comes with widened front wings, chiselled side-sills, matt aluminium-look mirror housings and a large roof spoiler while, at the rear, there's a re-modeled bumper with a high-gloss black diffuser.

Unsurprisingly a number of additional optional distinguishing features will be available at extra cost, including 19-inch matt titanium or high-gloss anthracite black machine polished alloy wheels as an alternative to the 19-inch five-arm rotor design fitted as standard, plus styling packages in matt aluminium and gloss black.

Inside, there are newly developed, lightweight RS sports seats upholstered in Nappa leather with contrasting stitching, a flat-bottomed RS multifunction leather and Alcantara sports steering wheel, stainless steel pedals and Alcantara door inserts and inlays. Instruments are framed in gloss black and have black-faced dials with red needles and white scales.

The new RS 3 Sportback takes the total number of RS models offered by Audi's high-performance subsidiary, quattro GmbH, to seven. Pricing will be announced nearer to next year's launch.