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Audi TTRS (MK3)
We just reviewed the 2016 Audi TTS, with its 292-horsepower version of the base car’s 2.0-liter turbo-four engine. It’s perfectly fine, but doesn’t quite give us the performance kick in the ribs we want at its nearly $52,000 price point. Perhaps, then, we ought to just shell out a little more cash for the Audi TT RS you see here, which was just unveiled at the Beijing Motor Show. It’s got everything we like about the standard TT, but with a 400-hp engine underhood. Yowza.
The engine in question is a 2.5-liter turbocharged five-cylinder mill – it’s a new version of the five-pot used in the last-generation TT RS. In addition to 400 hp, this engine cranks out 354 pound-feet of torque, all of which is available between 1,700 and 5,850 rpm and sent to all four wheels via Quattro all-wheel drive and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Hitting 62 miles per hour should take just 3.7 seconds in the Coupe, or 3.9 seconds in the slightly heavier Roadster. Both cars’ top speeds are limited to 155 miles per hour, though Audi offers an unrestricted 174-mph top end as an option.
The TT RS sits 0.03 inches lower to the ground than the base car, and at 3,174 pounds, the Coupe is 22 pounds lighter than the previous RS. This car comes packed with way more stuff, but the redesigned five-cylinder engine is 57 pounds lighter than the outgoing powerplant. Audi says the TT RS Roadster tips the scales at 3,373 pounds, and that its cloth top only takes 10 seconds to retract and can be operated at speeds up to 31 mph.
If the fixed rear wing doesn’t give it away, the RS is separated from lesser TTs with a different front fascia (with huge air intakes) and unique sets of 19- or 20-inch wheels. RS-specific shades of Nardo Grey and Catalunya Red look great, too. Inside, RS sport seats are the only noticeable upgrade versus the standard TT interior, but that’s just fine – we love the TT’s cabin, especially with that great Virtual Cockpit display front and center.
Audi will launch the TT RS in Europe this fall, priced from 66,400 euros for the Coupe and 69,200 for the Roadster. The car will expand to other global markets shortly thereafter; stay tuned for US-specific pricing later this year.
The engine in question is a 2.5-liter turbocharged five-cylinder mill – it’s a new version of the five-pot used in the last-generation TT RS. In addition to 400 hp, this engine cranks out 354 pound-feet of torque, all of which is available between 1,700 and 5,850 rpm and sent to all four wheels via Quattro all-wheel drive and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Hitting 62 miles per hour should take just 3.7 seconds in the Coupe, or 3.9 seconds in the slightly heavier Roadster. Both cars’ top speeds are limited to 155 miles per hour, though Audi offers an unrestricted 174-mph top end as an option.
The TT RS sits 0.03 inches lower to the ground than the base car, and at 3,174 pounds, the Coupe is 22 pounds lighter than the previous RS. This car comes packed with way more stuff, but the redesigned five-cylinder engine is 57 pounds lighter than the outgoing powerplant. Audi says the TT RS Roadster tips the scales at 3,373 pounds, and that its cloth top only takes 10 seconds to retract and can be operated at speeds up to 31 mph.
If the fixed rear wing doesn’t give it away, the RS is separated from lesser TTs with a different front fascia (with huge air intakes) and unique sets of 19- or 20-inch wheels. RS-specific shades of Nardo Grey and Catalunya Red look great, too. Inside, RS sport seats are the only noticeable upgrade versus the standard TT interior, but that’s just fine – we love the TT’s cabin, especially with that great Virtual Cockpit display front and center.
Audi will launch the TT RS in Europe this fall, priced from 66,400 euros for the Coupe and 69,200 for the Roadster. The car will expand to other global markets shortly thereafter; stay tuned for US-specific pricing later this year.
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