At paultan.org, we've seen more than our fair share of video-based hijinks as manufacturers resort to creating the oddest, most attention-grabbing commercials to promote their vehicles. But it's been quite a while since we've seen something quite as strange or as disturbing as the latest spot for the new 2016 Audi RS3.

The video starts out innocuously enough, with the outgoing R8 V10 (a Competition model, no less) sitting in a sort of futuristic dystopian chamber. Then, robots disassemble the rear bumper and the weirdness begins – the entire rear section of the car starts to split open, the V10 emits its trademark piercing wail to simulate screaming, and what's that weird gooey brown stuff the robot squirts onto the engine?

But by far the creepiest part of the whole video comes near the end, when the RS3 emerges from the "womb" covered in some kind of waxy red substance, before it gets cleaned up for its reveal. We really don't understand how the RS3 is "related" to the R8 – yes, the former is four-wheel drive like the latter, but it's front-engined, has a far more doldrum five-door hatch body style and comes with five cylinders instead of ten.

Still, there's no denying that the RS3 has all the makings to be quite an exciting car, with the 2.5 litre TFSI turbo five-pot pushing out (hah!) 367 PS and 465 Nm of torque through a seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission. Just keep the weirder, wilder ideas to yourself next time, okay, Audi?