Audi RS Q3 8U: unleashing the five-cylinder, the complete exhaust system guide
The RS Q3 8U was the first compact RS SUV, and its 310 hp five-cylinder engine makes it a used buy with rare character today. The well-behaved factory exhaust only tells part of the 2.5 TFSI story. Our exhaust system tells the rest. For your Audi RSQ3 8U, this guide sets out what each choice changes: material, front section, sound, valves and fitting.
Written by ROG Motorsport · Updated
Your ROG exhaust for the Audi RSQ3 8U
From €2,655 in stainless steel, €3,320 in titanium
Configure my exhaust- Vehicles
- Audi RSQ3 8U (2013-2018)
- Engine
- 310 hp · 420 Nm
- Exhaust
- Valved cat-back, built for your VIN
- Material
- 304 stainless steel or titanium
- Front section
- Optional: catted downpipe with 200 or 100 cells, or decat
- Valves
- ROG remote, or factory control if your vehicle has it
- Lead time
- 20 working days from order confirmation to delivery
- Warranty
- 3 years, parts and workmanship
Closely related versions have their own guide: Audi RSQ3 F3.
The 2.5 TFSI: the legendary five-cylinder, held back by its factory exhaust
The 2.5 TFSI five-cylinder is one of the most charismatic engines on the market, voted best engine in its class many times over. Its 1-2-4-5-3 firing order creates that inimitable sound, inherited directly from the Audi rally quattros. The problem with your RS Q3 8U: emissions standards have imposed filters and silencers that smother precisely what makes this engine unique. A five-cylinder you cannot hear is a contradiction in terms.
The ROG exhaust corrects that contradiction. Free-flowing layout, controllable valves: the 2.5 TFSI regains its instantly recognisable syncopated growl, and you set the volume on demand.
How the exhaust on your Audi RSQ3 8U is put together
An exhaust system is best understood in two parts. Here is what each one does, and what ROG replaces.
The cat-back is the complete exhaust system
It is everything you can see under your Audi RSQ3 8U, from the outlet of the front section to the tips: pipes, silencer, valves. This is where our research and development is focused, and it is what shapes the sound. On its own, it changes the character of the car.
The front section, where the catalytic converter sits
On your Audi RSQ3 8U, this is the downpipe, the pipe that leads away from the engine. It contains the factory catalytic converter: the second restriction in the exhaust, after the silencer. Replacing this part is optional: it frees up the flow, and an ECU remap is what turns that into power.
Your Audi RSQ3 8U in figures
On a modern car, an exhaust system first changes the voice, the breathing and the weight at the rear. Power, on the other hand, comes from an ECU remap.
Power
Torque
Published factory and Stage 2 figures.
Our exhaust systems work perfectly with or without an ECU remap. On your Audi RSQ3 8U, however, we recommend one at an approved tuning centre: it is what lets the engine deliver its full potential.
Let's be frank: the exhaust alone brings a moderate gain by reducing back pressure. The true potential of the 2.5 TFSI is unlocked at Stage 2, the exhaust plus an ECU remap at an approved tuning centre: it is one of the most receptive engines on the market, proven by a huge tuning community, and the figures above stay within its reliability zone.
Configuring your exhaust, step by step
4 choices, in the same order as the product page configurator.
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Step 1 of 4: Material: stainless steel or titanium
For your Audi RSQ3 8U, the exhaust costs €2,655 in stainless steel and €3,320 in titanium.
304 stainless steel
€2,655
- Weight
- Baseline
- Sound
- Full and rounded
The benchmark for high-end exhausts: tough, corrosion-proof, with a full, rounded sound. The choice of most of our customers.
Titanium
€3,320
- Weight
- Around 40% lighter
- Sound
- Metallic, crystal-clear
Around 40% lighter than stainless steel for the same design, with a more metallic sound that turns crystal-clear at high revs. Its finish ranges from brushed to blued tints.
Over time, both hold up: 304 stainless steel stands up to winter salt and damp, and titanium does not rust. Stainless steel or titanium: what really changes.
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Step 2 of 4: Front section: downpipe and catalytic converter
Optional: the downpipe on your Audi RSQ3 8U, with its catalytic converter. Sound intensity is rated on our scale of 0 to 10, valves open; the factory exhaust scores 3.
Cat-back only
Included
7/10Factory emissions control
The factory catalytic converter stays in place. The starting point and, for many of our customers, more than enough.
200-cell sports catalytic converter
+€885
8/10Road use and inspection
Emissions control is still very much there, and flow improves noticeably. The choice for everyday driving.
100-cell sports catalytic converter
+€885
9/10Inspection: depends on local rules
Half as many cells: flow comes close to a decat and the sound gains real aggression at high revs.
Decat
+€695
10/10Track use
No emissions control: maximum flow, raw sound, the sharpest revving.
Sound intensity, on a scale of 0 to 10
- 10/10Decat downpipe + ROG cat-back
- 9/10100-cell sports catalytic converter + ROG cat-back
- 8/10200-cell sports catalytic converter + ROG cat-back
- 7/10ROG cat-back only, factory catalytic converter retained
- 3/10Factory exhaust, for comparison
Valves open. With the valves closed, every configuration becomes discreet again.
What about the engine warning light? A sports catalytic converter can trigger it: the oxygen sensor after the catalytic converter detects less cleaning than with the factory unit. It is not a fault. An ECU remap recalibrates the sensor, and a session with a diagnostic tool clears the fault code. With a decat, the warning light is almost certain without a remap. If it happens to you, call us and we will point you in the right direction. Passing vehicle inspection with a sports exhaust.
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Step 3 of 4: Valves: ROG remote or factory control
Two ways to control the valves on your Audi RSQ3 8U.
ROG remote
A small control unit fits in the boot. Two buttons, open and closed: the valves respond at any moment, whatever the drive mode. Simple to fit, and we stay on hand throughout the installation.
Factory control
- Only for vehicles fitted with factory valves
- Controlled by the drive modes
If your vehicle is fitted with factory valves, the exhaust keeps their existing control. The drive modes decide, just as they did from the factory, with no added electronics.
On the motorway, with the valves closed, the gases pass through the silencer, designed for cruising: no drone at a steady speed. You open up when you feel like it, not when the motorway decides for you. More about exhaust drone.
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Step 4 of 4: Tips: the visual signature
Match the tips to the style of your Audi RSQ3 8U, understated or bold. A particular finish in mind? Send us a photo and we will look at it together.
- Stainless steel
- Black
- Carbon
- Blued titanium
The ROG sound signature on the 2.5 TFSI
The five-cylinder has a voice nothing else produces: that syncopated growl, half raspy and half howling, the signature of the rally quattros. Our exhaust unleashes it completely: a gust of sound under acceleration, rich crackles on the overrun with the valves open, and presence from the moment you start it. With the valves closed, your car becomes perfectly civilised again for everyday driving.
From order to fitting
-
Configuration
You choose your exhaust and enter your VIN, found in box E of your registration document or at the base of the windscreen.
-
Check
We check compatibility with your VIN before manufacturing begins.
-
Manufacturing
Your exhaust is made to order, for your car.
-
Delivery
Free, insured to your door, tracked from dispatch.
-
Fitting
No welding or cutting: clamps and gaskets, around two hours on a lift.
20 working days from order confirmation to delivery
- Warranty
- 3 years, parts and workmanship, from the date of delivery
- Payment
- In instalments with Klarna
- Installation
- At the garage of your choice
What about the manufacturer's warranty on your Audi RSQ3 8U? In Europe, a manufacturer cannot refuse warranty cover simply because a part from another brand has been fitted: it has to prove that the fault comes from that part. Our article on the manufacturer's warranty.
Our recommendations for your Audi RSQ3 8U
-
Daily driving
€2,655
- Stainless
- Cat-back only
- ROG remote
Your Audi RSQ3 8U stays easy to live with, the factory emissions control is retained, and you open the valves when you decide.
View this configuration -
Fast road
€4,210
- Titanium
- 200-cell downpipe
- ECU remap
More sound, more breathing, and a car you can still present at vehicle inspection.
View this configuration -
Track
€4,015
- Titanium
- Decat downpipe
- Stage 2
The most extreme configuration, for track use only.
View this configuration
And if you are still unsure, that is perfectly normal: it is exactly why we answer the phone.
Audi RSQ3 8U: your questions
How much power does an exhaust add on the Audi RSQ3 8U?
As standard, the Audi RSQ3 8U produces 310 hp and 420 Nm. An exhaust system on its own mainly changes the sound, the breathing and the weight; power is gained with an ECU remap. With a Stage 2 build, the published figures reach 380 hp and 510 Nm.
Stainless steel or titanium: which material for the Audi RSQ3 8U?
For the Audi RSQ3 8U, the ROG exhaust costs €2,655 in stainless steel and €3,320 in titanium. 304 stainless steel is tough, rounded in tone and the most popular choice; titanium is around 40% lighter for the same design, with a more metallic sound at high revs.
Do you need to replace the catalytic converter on the Audi RSQ3 8U?
No. On the Audi RSQ3 8U, the cat-back alone carries the valves and already transforms the sound. Replacing the downpipe is an option for going further: with a 200-cell sports catalytic converter for the road, 100-cell or decat for more radical use, with an ECU remap to turn it into power.
Will a ROG exhaust pass vehicle inspection on the Audi RSQ3 8U?
With the cat-back only or the 200-cell sports catalytic converter, emissions control is retained: present the car with the valves closed. The 100-cell brings more sound and flow, and whether it is accepted at the emissions test depends on the car and local rules; the decat version is intended for track use.
How is the ROG exhaust fitted on the Audi RSQ3 8U?
No welding or cutting, using clamps and gaskets. Allow two hours on average for a well-equipped mechanic. The exhaust is built for your VIN, which guarantees compatibility before it ships.
What price and lead time for a ROG exhaust on the Audi RSQ3 8U?
From €2,655 to €4,210 depending on the configuration. Allow 20 working days from order confirmation to delivery. Free delivery and a 3-year warranty.
Unsure about your configuration? Give us a call.
Stainless steel or titanium, cat-back only or the complete system: the right choice depends on how you use your Audi RSQ3 8U. We take the time to talk it through before you order, with a reply within 24 hours. We are not here to sell to you over the phone: we help you choose, even if that means a cheaper option because it suits the way you drive.
RogMotorsport is a French brand built on one conviction: with an exhaust system, the support matters as much as the product. More than 500 exhaust systems fitted and a rating of 4.9 out of 5.
Further reading
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