2001 Audi S3 8L Facelift — Kemora Grey Restomod, 6-Speed Manual, Florida
About this vehicle
The first-generation Audi S3 (8L) never made it to the United States through official channels, which makes any clean example here genuinely uncommon. It's a 3-door hatchback riding on Volkswagen's PQ34 platform, pairing a turbocharged 1.8-litre four-cylinder with Haldex-based quattro all-wheel drive — a system that runs primarily through the front axle and pulls the rear in only when slip is detected. This right-hand-drive, European-market 2001 car came over from England at 170,355 miles and has since gone through a thorough restomod. It's in Florida now, clean title in hand.
Resprayed in 2025 in Kemora Grey Pearl, a colour carried forward from the modern RS3 range — though the seller notes the pearl content in this particular formula was bumped up from the standard mix. Kemora Grey is still an active RS3 exterior option today, so the car reads period-correct while carrying something a little sharper. OEM wheels, refurbished and finished in gloss black, are fitted with two new tires and two in good condition. Xenon HID headlamps, which were standard factory equipment on the 8L S3, remain in place. The seller reports no dents or scratches, matched door jambs, and original paint still on in the engine bay. The front-right fender was repaired rather than replaced — a parts-availability call made at the time of the respray.
Black throughout inside. The heated Recaro leather seats are OEM fitment on the 8L S3 from the factory and are described as very good condition with firm bolsters, though the seller is upfront about wear consistent with the car's age. A new Alcantara headliner covers the roof and pillars. There's a CarPlay head unit installed; the original OEM unit comes with the car. One thing to flag: the center multifunction display doesn't work, which is a known fault on these.
The 2001 model year is the post-facelift 8L S3, which added variable valve timing and lifted output to 225 PS (222 hp), with 280 N·m of torque on tap from 2,200 to 5,500 rpm. Power goes to all four wheels through the standard 6-speed manual. This particular car also carries an unknown aftermarket tune and an aftermarket exhaust. The mechanical refresh is substantial: new timing belt, water pump, tensioner, idler pulley, alternator, air-conditioning compressor, radiator, cooling fans and shroud, and oil cooler. Fresh spark plugs and coil packs, all-new silicone boost hoses, vacuum lines, and PCV hoses, two new brake calipers, a new ABS module, and Raceland coilover suspension round out the work.
The sale includes a clean title, owner's manuals, a spare tire, sales literature, the original OEM head unit, the original service book, receipts and service history from its time in England, digital MOT records, and one key.
