Test drive: Audi TT RS, an R8 in miniature

There was a time, not so long ago, when the beautiful, rounded original Audi TTs were evolved into brutal machines such as the one Laurent Aiello drove in the DTM. The Audi TT-R, as it was nicknamed, was the “beautiful savage,” and it had just 460 CV.

This dates back almost to the early days of the Audi Sport and was an important part of that racing passion, which set out to demonstrate that there are no limits to the technical capability of Audi. With this car they won in the DTM, with dimensions very similar to today’s TT, though pushed to the extreme with oversized aerodynamic add-ons that did their job, because that Audi TT carried a savage 90-degree V8 engine capable of producing 460 CV!

Those were undoubtedly different times, with a different way of measuring, seeing and using power, because this road car now offers 400 CV. The Audi Sport family counts this TT as one of its smaller members, but be careful not to show it disrespect, because it is a genuine RS, thanks in large part to its punchy 5-cylinder inline engine that delivers 400 CV.

There are cars that time doesn’t touch. Or perhaps it does. Seeing a Audi TT still causes a stir, not because it is new, but because of the purity of its design, its balanced concept, its technology and range of performance, and also a touch of exclusivity, blended with luxury and plenty of sportiness. That is the recipe of the Audi, and even more so for its special cars, the RS models. The original TT was launched in September 1998 and since then it has received countless updates and new versions that have completely changed it, yet it has stayed true to that concept. They have transformed it, made it grow, and it is now a genuine pocket GT, especially if we talk about the Audi TT RS, which is the one we have tested.

The Audi TT has never been a cheap car: design, technology and quality are paid for in equal measure. In Germany it was perhaps at least accessible in its basic versions, but in our market it has been an expensive car, and even more so with the RS badge, which makes it even more exclusive than its own design. With this one we are close to one hundred thousand euros… But it has everything, and everything is well executed. The rear is very distinctive thanks to the design of the fixed spoiler with side fins, so racing-inspired it looks taken from a single-seater, and it is not merely decorative: aerodynamics carry real weight in the car and certainly contribute to its dynamic performance, as do the rear diffuser or the front spoiler, the vertical side air intakes that optimise engine and brake cooling, and even the double exhaust outlet, which are oval, probably for the sake of style, yet equally efficient and spectacular.

2.5 TFSI 5-cylinder engine: all heart

With 400 CV under the accelerator pedal there are no low-performance zones and a complete guarantee of pleasure. Torque stays flat from just over 1,200 rpm up to 6,000, with a sweet fuel cut a little beyond that. The TT RS is all heart, and it is easy to wring out every last horsepower, although that is not entirely advisable outside a circuit.

The 2.5 TFSI is the reason driving this car is so enjoyable. Audi Sport has been awarded the prestigious “International Engine of the Year” title nine times for the 2.5 TFSI. It is the magic of five cylinders: their smoothness and their sound. The power range says it all with those muscular 400 CV and especially the immense 480 Nm of torque, fully available at all times. It is a total guarantee of acceleration and in-gear recovery, which, well assisted by the quattro full-time all-wheel-drive system, translates into 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.7 seconds, with a top speed electronically limited to 250 km/h. Being an RS, that limiter can be removed, and we could then comfortably talk about a little over 300 km/h, though only on the best German autobahn stretches without speed limits, of course. The engine works in perfect harmony with the permanent all-wheel drive and the seven-speed S tronic gearbox with manual sequential control and steering-wheel paddles.

Although the all-wheel drive carries the quattro badge even though it is a transversely mounted engine car, it uses a Haldex-type clutch which distributes power between the two axles depending on the slip of the front axle. All of this is complemented and improved by the electronic selective torque control between the different wheels, which is not as radical as a mechanical limited-slip differential, but is roughly as effective and much lighter. In addition, it offers the different driving modes, which are more than a gadget for enjoying the drive: they are a kind of set-up that gives you several cars in one. This is the Audi drive select, which lets you choose between comfort, auto, dynamic and individual, driving modes that electronically adjust the all-wheel-drive system, as well as the steering and gearbox, the engine’s electronic map and the commands the engine receives, and even the exhaust flaps, altering the sound that can be heard with absolute clarity both inside and outside the cabin.

The fun behind the wheel of the TT RS is assured both by the performance and by the gearbox, with its Formula 1 / PlayStation-style operation… and especially by the combination of all-wheel drive with variable distribution and the car’s lightness, which at under one and a half tonnes moves around a circuit like a fish in water. It was on this very surface that we found, perhaps because we are getting older and some reflexes are failing, or because we hate to punish the engine too much, that using the sport mode of the gearbox let us exploit the engine up to the limit set by the electronics and the fuel cut.

And the car is faster. Driving it ourselves, using the gearbox the way we know how, we never reached the fuel cut, and although the car encourages you to head into the red zone, there is something instinctive, perhaps protective, that makes you shift up to avoid stressing the engine and gearbox assembly. We might do it to save fuel as well… No, that can’t be it. The fact is that in the automatic version the car is unbeatable, and faced with that evidence we record it here, although for sheer driving pleasure, the control of the paddles is far superior.

Audi TT RS Coupé image gallery