UPDATED WITH VIDEO! Has nobody told Audi about the credit crunch? It’s working flat-out to ready its new TT RS for launch in 2009 – and we’ve scooped the high-performance roadster and coupe. The RS models will take TT performance to a whole new level, with a circa-340bhp 2.5-litre turbocharged engine nudging it up a class into proper Porsche territory.
CAR’s spy photos reveal both the coupe and the roadster version of the TT RS, which are distinguished by a butch body kit, flared arches and new aero and cooling tweaks punctuating the bodywork. They are likely to cost around £40,000 when sales start in July 2009 after a Geneva motor show debut.
Audi TT RS: where it fits in
It’s not long since Audi launched the TT S, a 268bhp 2.0-litre version of the coupe, but with the RS Audi will chase a whole new competition: the Porsche Cayman and the Nissan 370Z.
The TT RS will naturally use quattro all-wheel drive to keep all that grunt in check. Audi will use a single turbo – not the twin-turbo set-up that other media have speculated upon.
That 2.5-litre five-pot comes from a far-flung corner of the VW empire: the North American Jetta. And if a five-cylinder, turbocharged, 4wd Audi sports coupe rings any bells (Ur Quattro, anyone?) that’s deliberate. Expect many connections to be made in the marketing material.
With the latest version of Audi’s S tronic twin-clutch box, the RS is said to hit 60mph in around five seconds – putting it firmly in supercar territory.
Click ‘Next’ to read more about the Audi TT RS
Come back to CAR Online later this morning when we’ve uploaded spy video of the TT RS
The tech lowdown on the Audi TT RS
Why is the TT RS so fast? Not only does it pack between 340 and 350bhp from its five cylinders – and, according to our spy photographers, a warbling soundtrack to die for – but it’s also relatively svelte for a modern four-seat sports car.
The TT makes extensive use of aluminium in its construction and the RS model is said to weigh in at around 1400kg. That makes the power-to-weight ratio around 250bhp-per-tonne.
Other TTs in the pipeline
As our scoop photographs reveal, the TT RS will be available in both coupe and roadster bodystyles. And Audi is tweaking its range to take into account the changes in the marketplace; the 3.2-litre V6 option will be quietly deleted, as few buyers now need the excesses of six-cylinder power. Expect the new TT TDI diesel model to prove very popular in this CO2-obsessed age…
The final TT bodystyle will be the speedster version, as scooped previously by CAR Online. Only apply if you live in a rain-free climate, unlike the UK, which is in fact the world’s biggest market for the Audi TT.
Come back to CAR Online later this morning when we’ve uploaded spy video of the TT RS