Audi TT RS Coupe - First Drive Review
Audi might be the hottest brand among luxury carmakers—more styling-oriented and more sporty than others, but still something of an insider's tip. What the brand doesn't have is a history as rich as that of Mercedes-Benz, or even BMW. Audi can be traced back to a number of companies originating as early as 1899, but the brand, as we know it today, did not surface until the 1960s—with some rather bland cars.
It took Ferdinand Piëch, now head of Volkswagen's supervisory board, to turn Audi into a high-tech, premium carmaker. As Audi's chief engineer, he pushed for projects such as the charismatic five-cylinder engine, Quattro all-wheel drive, turbocharged engines, and, ultimately, Audi's advance into the luxury segment with the all-aluminum A8.
Almost 30 years after the launch of the original Quattro, Audi is unveiling the TT RS. We have tried this car, which is unapologetically playing the theme of that legendary, Audi 4000–based coupe named Quattro that dominated the international rally scene for years.
And here we had thought the 265-hp Audi TTS was just fine. Its high-output, turbocharged four-cylinder gives the Porsche Cayman a run for the money, and it is a credible, sporty alternative to the silky 3.2-liter V-6 TT.
But deep within Audi, engineers wouldn't rest. Few of them have understood why the legendary inline-five ever was dropped from the lineup. They wanted a new five-cylinder powerplant. Of course, the TT, based on VW’s flexible PQ35 platform, still had potential. Audi's Quattro GmbH performance division came up with a plan.
Searching for More Turbo Power
Options were evaluated. According to engineers, the 2.0-liter TFSI four-cylinder is reaching its limits in the Audi S3 and VW’s upcoming Scirocco R and Golf R; At 265–270 hp, this four is still a well-behaved unit with controlled turbo lag after launch. But add a bigger turbo for another 40 hp or so, and you get an old-school turbo—lots of lag, with full boost coming at higher rpm. Turbocharging the 3.2-liter VR6, or the 3.6-liter variation sold in the Volkswagen CC? Possible, but VW and Audi are phasing out this engine because it is out of step with fuel-economy requirements.
There was a third option, off the radar screen for most European observers: Tweak VW's 2.5-liter, five-cylinder unit produced in Mexico for the U.S.-market Rabbit/Golf and Jetta. This sturdy, 170-hp unit is not exported to Europe. It was developed as a low-cost engine to cater to the North American preference for displacement. In Europe, where the focus is on power and torque instead of cubic inches, this straight-five's job is far more efficiently accomplished by the 1.4-liter twincharged four.
The Mexican inline-five is based on VW's venerable four-cylinder engine codenamed EA113. Michael Dick, Audi's board member for R&D, remembers: "For the Mexican engine, we added one cylinder to the four-cylinder unit, and we used a cylinder head basically coming from the Lamborghini Gallardo V-10. The focus was low cost." Dick smiles as he describes how Audi engineers added direct fuel-injection technology, an intercooler, and a turbocharger with up to 17 psi of boost to create an adequate TT RS powerplant. The result: 340 hp at 5400–6700 rpm and a 7000-rpm redline, twice the power of the naturally aspirated engine.
Thanks to direct injection, there is instant torque even at low rpm and before the turbo kicks in—and it kicks in quickly. From 1600–5300rpm, 332 lb-ft are on tap. This engine does everything well. You can cruise along lazily in top gear, or you can rev it up to the limiter, which you are guaranteed to hit if you don't watch the tachometer because the boost just does not drop off. This is one of the few turbo engines which accelerates seamlessly and eagerly beyond redline.
Manual and Dual-Clutch Transmissions to be Offered
So there's a lot of shifting in order. Presently, Audi only offers a short-throw, six-speed manual transmission for the TT RS. At the track, Michael Dick assures us that a six-speed dual-clutch automated manual is on the way. It will be a strengthened variation of the unit currently available in lesser TTs. We think the manual box is cool, but dual-clutch transmissions have been a smashing success for Audi (and parent Volkswagen). What's more, with their incessant throttle-blipping even when driven by amateurs, they are certain to improve the already impressive soundtrack of this engine. We do hope, however, that the dual-clutch transmission launches better than that in the TTS, which thinks for a couple of seconds before initiating meaningful forward progress.
Audi says the TT RS will do 0–62 mph in 4.6 seconds, and top speed is either a governed 155 mph or still-governed 174 mph (a quick check on the option list). Fuel consumption is rated at 26 mpg in the optimistic European cycle, a figure likely to improve with the smart dual-clutch transmission, which knows when to shift to please the authorities.
At around 3200 pounds (in European configuration), the TT RS is slightly heavier than the TTS. Taking out weight would have meant sacrificing everyday comfort, Audi says. We like the sound of the five-cylinder and could do with less sound dampening, but Audi has done us a favor by providing an "S" button, which not only sharpens throttle response but also opens a valve in the exhaust for a more authoritative sound.
A New Look for an Old Favorite
The TT RS still looks like a TT, of course, but the styling department, under the guidance of Stefan Sielaff, has come up with a few ideas to set you apart from the nice guys. The front air intakes have grown considerably, so much so that Audi had to lose the fog lights. There is an optional, silver bar on the lower end of the front skirt and the rear diffuser—an element that will resurface on the upcoming RS5. And the rear spoiler is now a large, fixed unit. If modesty is your trait, you can still opt for the regular spoiler, which deploys above 75 mph.
The Audi TT RS is available in Europe right now, either as a coupe or a roadster. At €55,800 for the coupe, it costs about €10,000 more than the TTS. The roadster version is a real one, no folding metal roof here. The decision on a U.S. launch will be made within weeks, says Michael Dick. Competitors include the Porsche Boxster and Cayman, the BMW Z4 sDrive35i, and the Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG. We believe it will stack up well against any of them. It's about time Audi created some more history here as well.
