2015 Audi S3 Cabriolet Revealed! Will Be Shown in Geneva and On Sale End of 2014

Handsome and well-tailored, but soulless and uninspired.

Many of the most well-respected auto magazines do not agree with your opinion, cidflekken:

Car and Driver states: "It’s a short wait for the boost to build, and the S3 pulls strongly and evenly in any gear."

"Befitting an Audi, the chassis control is superb, and the S3 made light work of the switchbacks up to the Col de Braus, the 3280-foot Alpine pass behind Monte Carlo, where Audi staged its media event."

"The S3’s controls, from steering to brakes to shifter, are a fine toolbox with which to build speed safely. The S tronic’s shifts come rapidly with a satisfying “blap!” from the quad tailpipes whether they’re actuated automatically or via the steering-wheel paddles. The gratifying manual has heavy counterweights and pronounced over-center spring loading, which actively pulls the stick into each successive gear."

Neither does Motortrend:

"You climb into any modern Audi and know how it will look, how it will drive, and how it will take care of you. The key here, of course, is that it's all been consistently good, and the new S3 is no exception. The new S3 drives like a smaller S4, and whether from your own experience or from our reviews, you'll know it's good."

"What this means on the road is that the S3 is super-quick and very, very confident. The DSG dual-clutch gearbox is in peak form, shifting lightning-quick and with almost no perceptible interruption in power, going up or down. The transmission programming, like other Audis, is quickly approaching Porsche's vaunted PDK gearbox in terms of accurately predicting when you'll want an up- or downshift."

"Audi hasn't announced pricing for the new S3, but we can take a guess based on other S models. The S4 is 40 percent or so more expensive to start than the A4, so given the A3's starting price of just over $30,000, plan on spending in the neighborhood of $40,000 to pick one up when they go on sale in late summer 2014. That's a lot of coin to be sure, but consider that it drives as well as a Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG while being only marginally slower in a straight line, and that the Benz starts at more than $48,000. Unlike the Benz, the S3 even has a comfortable back seat and a usable trunk, not to mention a sharper interior. In all, if you're looking for a lot of performance in the compact luxury segment without spending midsize luxury money, the S3 is the car for you."

The Audi S3 sedan should be ultra-successful here in the U.S. as buyers get an incredible package of performance, cost, luxury, quality, and utility all wrapped in an attractive body.

The only thing "uninspired" is your moronic post. Please stay with your little turner cars.

Gorgeous looking car!!!

Hey, Nuttie, defensive much? Frankly, I don't give two craps what anyone else says. That's MY opinion of the car. Maybe you need to be able to formulate your OWN opinions as well, instead of relying on others' in order to incessantly copy and paste their drivel.

And gkearns, I believe your post was directed at me. I'll stick with my S5 which actually looks like it was designed with passion and inspiration.

Cute and that will be it's biggest problem.

I'll wait until I see one in person. It's probably fine as a car, but the short rear overhang on the previous model just ruined the styling, and left me too much in mind of a Mk3 Golf convertible. Plus, why don't Audi just do the right thing and make a proper Coupe in the A3 range? I'd rather a coupe over a convertible 99 times out of 100!

gkearn, it was a simple cut and paste job.

The S3 sedan looks athletic, clean and aggressive. Most importantly, it drives very well too. Here's hoping the convertible maintains the latter almost equally as well.

cidflekken, it's hilarious how your opinion of the car is directly in contrast to what the experts think. Fortunately, you don't get paid to write auto reviews that are read by tens of thousands of people.

Now that I see your "soulless and uninspired" comment was in reference to the Audi S3's exterior design, here's another quote from an expert magazine that directly contradicts your opinion:

Courtesy of Road and Track:

"Curb appeal is a challenge in the entry-level luxury market. Here, Audi really nailed it. The design of the S3 is sophisticated enough to stand on its own, and still point the way toward the premium market. We have a styling breakdown with designer Danny Garand that's worth a read. Especially cool are the deep, hard cuts that define the fenders, front and rear. Those precise lines are unique to Audi and show off the attention to detail that makes a car stand out. Which, of course, the S3 does."

From auto expert Jalopnik:

"And they really bribed them, because the sedan barely shares any bodywork with the A3 hatch. The rounded hatch is replaced with a short rear deck, integrated spoiler, and angular lights. Character lines pull the sheet metal tight across the body. It's one hell of an attractive small sedan. If you choose your cars based solely on looks, I don't see how the Mercedes CLA could even be a choice. Unless you like cars that look like plastic after a stint in the oven."

Good god, Nuttie. Please take your meds. You can present to me 100 reviews from "experts" who disagree with me, but it won't change my mind. And you're right. I don't get paid to write favorable articles about certain cars. Clearly, the checks are being made to the "right people". Infer what you want from that.