Of all the Audi motors ever built the TT is, in our eyes, the most beautiful, and of all the Audi TT models that have been released, the Audi TT RS is outstanding; awesome if you prefer. But to avoid the risk of hyperbole let’s look at some facts and figures so that you can make up your own mind.
First let’s look under the hood. What you will see might look a little strange, certainly for an Audi. The engine is a five cylinder turbocharged unit and this is the only Audi that uses a five cylinder engine. If is lust 2.5 litre (TFSI) yet is delivers a surprising 340 bhp and has no problem beating a Porsche Cayman S from the lights or the starting grid. The acceleration time from 0 to 62 mph is 4.6 seconds and the top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph.
The gearbox is a straight forward six speed manual, which might be a little disappointing if you were hoping to see a paddle shift tiptronic system, but it is quite slick and gear changes are fast. It has a light clutch pedal too.
The Audi Quattro four wheel drive system is standard and this works very well especially in wet and slippery conditions. The car has a good balance and is has very agile handling. The suspension is lower than on other TT models and considerable use is made of aluminium sections in the body which held weight distribution. As you would expect no body roll is noticeable even when taking tight corners quickly.
There is an optional extra called ‘magnetic ride’ which is essentially an adjustable suspension and includes a sports setting which firms things up a little for even better cornering performance.
All models also have a sports engine performance mode which adjust the ECU to give an improved throttle response which will on the downside reduce the economy but on the upside make the exhaust note sound even better. Keep your finger well away from the sports button and you can get a very respectable 29 mpg.