If there was ever a doubt that the Audi TT was more about style than substance, the new RS version is here to rubbish those thoughts. It still shares the similar styling as the standard TT , and it also has a 2.5-litre turbo petrol engine with all wheel drive. So, what’s new? Plenty.
Audi’s engineers in the RS world have been working away on the engine, making many changes to make it lighter, key amongst them being that they have now made the engine block out of aluminium. The many other niggles also mean that the engine now puts out 400 bhp and 354 lb ft of torque which gives it a top speed of 174 mph and lets this rocket go from 0-62 mph in just 3.7 seconds.
The Audi TT RS is a straight competitor to the all-new Porsche 718 Cayman S, but instead of reducing it to 4 cylinders, they have stuck to the 5 cylinder engine and made it better. It comes with a seven-speed dual clutch transmission gearbox only which works very well. There are many extras in terms of brakes and interior option, along with driving modes for variable stiffness to maximise the driving experience across different roads.
Visually too there are some major nods to the fact that it is an RS version – the big wheels, bigger arches, a new front fascia, the fixed rear wing, front splitter and much more. The sound of this new beast is also quite promising if you were to see the videos shared by Audi. The comforts and the interior are still as lovely as the standard TT with just a little more sportiness to it.
If you’re in the market for one of these, you have a tough choice to make. This one, or the 718 Cayman S?
The Auto Loons 