Audi’s much lauded S-Tronic seven-speed twin-clutch transmission has found its way into the recently facelifted S3 that is offered in 3-door and for the first time, 5-door Sportback forms. Available for order in the UK from October 1st at an extra cost of £1,450, the ‘two pedal’ S3 models are priced at £28,920 for the three-door and £29,420 for the five-door Sportback with UK deliveries expected to start in mid-December. -Continued

When equipped with the S-Tronic, the three-door S3 sprints from 0 to 100 km/h (62mph) in 5.5 seconds, 0.2 seconds quicker than the 6-speed manual version with which it shares its electronically governed top speed of 155mph or 250 km/h. Equally important, the twin-clutch transmission betters the S3’s combined fuel economy figure from 33.2mpg UK to 34mpg UK.