The official word from Ingolstadt is that we shouldn?t plan on buying an Audi S3 in the United States anytime soon. It is, after all, a three-door hatchback, and we all know that Americans don?t buy three-door hatchbacks.

But the S3, Audi?s hotted-up version of the A3 five-door we?ve already embraced with open arms, is just too good to leave the U.S. market out of the plans.

Audi has shown a tendency to deny us its best hardware initially, but then eventually comes through with the goods. See S4, S6, S8, and most recently, the rocket ship RS4, for evidence.  

If and when the S3 comes to these shores, what can we expect? S3 is equipped with a turbocharged 2.0-liter 265-hp, 258-lb-ft four-cylinder engine, driving all four wheels via quattro and a six-speed manual gearbox.

A lowered sport suspension, 18-inch aluminum wheels and bigger brakes, along with ?S? exterior and interior trim modifications, complete the package.  
 
Look for the S3 to make a world debut in Paris this fall. Europeans can place their orders for the car in August and expect deliveries starting in the fourth quarter of 2006. Pricing starts at e35,150. That works out to about $45,000, if you?re already counting your pennies.