• Car Dealer Plus
No Result
View All Result
  • Latest
  • Used Cars
  • Live
  • Forum
  • Power 2020
  • UCA 2020
  • UCA 2021
  • CDX
  • Knowledge
  • Suppliers Guide
  • About Us
  • Latest Issue
  • Top 100
  • CD Plus
  • Latest
  • Used Cars
  • Live
  • Forum
  • Power 2020
  • UCA 2020
  • UCA 2021
  • CDX
  • Knowledge
  • Suppliers Guide
  • About Us
  • Latest Issue
  • Top 100
  • CD Plus
No Result
View All Result

Spiritual successor: Audi TT-RS

James Baggott by James Baggott
August 15, 2009
0
Home Road Tests

audi_ttrsSOME 100 years after it started, Audi is still making fine cars. There’s a reason why you see so many TTs on the road, after all.

It’s a great motor. Car buyers can’t get enough of them and Audi dealers know there’ll always be a market.

But as any brand expert professes, to continue this success, car ranges need to evolve. And thus, a few years after its launch, we have this: the Audi TT RS. A car that just so happens to be the closest recreation of the mighty Audi Quattro yet…


We say this for one reason above all: its five-cylinder engine. Sourced from a US Jetta, the new motor produces an impressive 335bhp – better than a Porsche Boxster S, and even BMW’s new turbocharged Z4 sDrive35i.

You can’t argue against the performance. Throttle response is instantaneous and the torque prodigious, so that at any speed, in any gear, the TT RS powers past traffic. The zero to 60mph sprint time of 4.6 seconds is impressive. Audi dealers can even remove the 155mph limiter, giving a 174mph max.

It sounds a bit like the original Quattro too, with a sonorous five-cylinder burble that’s heightened when you press the Sport button. This opens a valve in the exhaust, making it even meatier. Shame the gearbox can’t hit such highs. Lacking DSG, even as an option, the six-speed manual is imprecise and tiresome.

Suspension is 10mm lower and means the TT RS corners flat and very hard. Levels of grip seem unbreakable – while you will breach the limits if you turn off the ESP, often all that’s needed is an extra tweak on the steering wheel.


Shame it isn’t more driver-focused. The TT RS has the involvement of a computer game. A very good, latest generation, Xbox 360 game certainly, but one where ultimately you feel impressed rather than excited.

Even the interior isn’t that exciting; flat-bottomed RS steering wheel and Nappa leather sports seats apart, it’s hard to distinguish from lesser TTs. Mind you, fuel economy shows a rational side – it can average 30mpg, and emits just 214g/km of CO2. In contrast, the price is a bit irrational.

Although Audi reckons on selling just 400 examples of the RS in a full year, it still kicks off at an ambitious £43k for the coupe, and another £2k for the roadster. That’s a lot, even for a mighty halo car such as this.

It will sell, of course. Lots of intelligent engineering and computer trickery make it impressively fast, while the enhanced styling and lower suspension means it has just enough kerbside appeal to stand out.

However, it takes more than this to bring soul and excitement into a driving experience. So, is it a reincarnation of the original Quattro? No. But, a very capable and fast, albeit expensive car, that’s going to be much in demand.

DealerView

Clive Sutton, Clive Sutton Cars

‘I’m very excited by the Audi TT RS. It is a move upmarket that the high-image car can fully carry off. The company has been subtle with the styling changes, but it’s just enough to mark it out as something special.

‘The performance is excellent, and I’d say it’s competing in a strong marketplace – I can see it appealing to ‘downtraders’, who are stepping out of a Porsche to save some cash, but still want something special.’

Get more from Car Dealer

  • Premium stories
  • Used car data
  • Magazine early access
Register

Or Sign in

Related Posts

What is Nissan’s new e-Power hybrid system destined for Qashqai actually like to drive?
Car News

What is Nissan’s new e-Power hybrid system destined for Qashqai actually like to drive?

February 23, 2021
These were the UK’s best-selling cars in 2020
Car News

Road Test of the Year 2020: Ford Puma

January 19, 2021
Car News

Road Test of the Year 2020: Honda e

January 19, 2021
Road Test of the Year 2020: The Verdict
Car News

Road Test of the Year 2020: Polestar 2

January 19, 2021
Road Test of the Year 2020: The Verdict
Car News

Road Test of the Year 2020: Mercedes-AMG A 45 S

January 19, 2021
Car News

Road Test of the Year 2020: Porsche Taycan Turbo

January 19, 2021

Want the latest news?

Sign up to Car Dealer's daily news email updates

Subscribe
Electrified vehicle registrations overtake diesels for the first time in Europe
News

What is stopping car buyers from switching to EV? Our exclusive white paper reveals all

April 8, 2021
How many car dealerships does each manufacturer have in the UK? Car Dealerships Locations List 2021 revealed
News

How many car dealerships does each manufacturer have in the UK? Car Dealerships Locations List 2021 revealed

March 12, 2021
Used Car Awards with Mike Brewer and James Baggott graphi
News

Who won what at the Used Car Awards 2020? Mike Brewer reveals our winning car dealers

March 12, 2021
Used Car Awards 2021 logo
Used Car Awards

Used Car Awards 2021 will be back in all their glory on November 29 hosted by Mike Brewer

April 14, 2021
The Newcomers: Here are the 10 electric car brands coming to a forecourt near you soon
News

The Newcomers: Here are the 10 electric car brands coming to a forecourt near you soon

March 30, 2021
Trophy Cars forecourt
News

Investigation: Meet the hyper-specialist car dealers making their money from weird and wonderful motors

March 12, 2021
Car Dealer Top 100 – The list in full of the most profitable car dealers in the UK
Car Dealer Top 100

Car Dealer Top 100 – The list in full of the most profitable car dealers in the UK

February 10, 2021
BMW, Mercedes, Audi and Volvo, could they be sold under one roof?
News

Multi franchising: Premium brands rule out selling cars alongside rivals in same dealer – as others remain tight-lipped

March 11, 2021
  • Latest
  • Used Cars
  • Live
  • Forum
  • Power 2020
  • UCA 2020
  • UCA 2021
  • CDX
  • Knowledge
  • Suppliers Guide
  • About Us
  • Latest Issue
  • Top 100
  • CD Plus
Call us: 020 8125 3880

© 2020 Blackball Media

No Result
View All Result
  • Car Dealer Plus
  • Latest
  • Used Cars
  • Live
  • Forum
  • Power 2020
  • Used Car Awards 2020
  • Used Car Awards 2021
  • CDX
  • Knowledge
  • Suppliers Guide
  • About Us
  • Latest Issue
  • Top 100

© 2020 Blackball Media

Log In
Register
Register
Server 1