For those not in the know, the RS3 is the special race variant of Audi’s A3 lineup. Its powerful engine, sporty suspension, and short sedan stature prove that great things can come in small packages. But how do you make something great even greater? Let’s take a look at the new Audi RS3 Nardo Edition and find out.

Faster and rarer than ever

While the Audi RS3 is already a formidable performer right out of the box, the Nardo Edition kicks it up a notch by adding a little more speed. We’re not talking about crazy amounts of horsepower and torque, it’s just able to go faster. The regular RS3 is capable of 155 mph (which no one would most likely see under regular street driving conditions), but the Nardo Edition has the speed governor stretched out to 174 mph, just in case 155 wasn’t fast enough for you.

If a higher top speed isn’t enough to get you to buy an RS3 Nardo Edition, then maybe the fact that Audi is only making 200 of them will. That’s right, supply and demand is the name of the game with this special RS3, so if you’re into owning rare cars, especially rare Audis, now is your chance.

What about that special paint job?

In case you didn’t notice, the main highlight of this car is the Nardo Gray paint that covers its body panels. Nardo Gray is a color that’s typically reserved for Audi’s “RS series” cars, like the RS5 and TT-RS, however, they had yet to put on their RS3 pocket rocket. The Nardo Gray paint job has seen much popularity in the past decade, so much so, that other makes like BMW and even Honda have done what they could to make paint colors close to it.

In addition to the sleek paint job, the RS3 Nardo Edition will include the brand’s “Black Optic Package,” which is typically an extra option that must be selected on the regular RS3. This package includes a black single-frame grille, black exterior trim and mirror caps, black emblems and rear lip spoiler, and red brake calipers. The whole look is completed with a set of 19-inch, bi-color 5-arm blade wheels.

The interior

The RS3 Nardo Edition’s specialness extends to the interior as well. While the normal RS3 is only available with an all-black interior color scheme, this special edition receives a black interior that’s contrasted throughout by Crescendo Red stitching in the seats, seatbelts, and the Alcantara knee pads. One added touch that we like is the red-ringed vents.

Otherwise, the Nardo Edition’s interior comes standard with other features that are available on the regular RS3 including the Virtual Cockpit, which is a digital 12.3-inch instrument panel display that allows the driver to switched between different screen settings like the navigation map, speedometer, and tachometer, as well as other important vehicle information.

How much does it cost?

The Audi RS3 Nardo Edition is already on its way to an Audi dealer near you and will carry a price tag of $59,900 (plus an additional $995 destination charge). This is about $3,000 more than a base RS3.

Is it worth the price?

Yes, we definitely think so the Nardo Edition comes with the Black Optics package, which is normally a $1,600 add-on, so if you’re really counting dollar and cents, then the paint job costs about $1,400. We’re not paint specialists, but we’re sure that the actual paint job costs a lot more than $1,400. Top all that off with the fact that Audi is only making 200 of these cars, and we say that the RS3 Nardo Edition is worth the $59,995 price tag.