Review of the new Audi TT RS

The Audi TT started life as a design icon, an acutely modern trinket to be looked at and lusted after but one that never completely convinced as a driver's car. The second generation model rectified that little faux pas to a large extent and confident that its creation now had sound foundations in the handling department, Audi saw fit to let it stretch its legs. The TT S was the fastest and most focused TT ever at its time of launch but it's the TT RS that seeks to restore the car's iconic status, this time in its new area of specialisation.

Try as it might, the TT has never been taken completely seriously in performance car circles. The affordable front-wheel-drive models didn't help in a market populated by rear-wheel-drive hooligans that were always going to get more column inches by virtue of their penchant for smoking tyres and going sideways. The quattro four-wheel-drive cars at the top of the range are fast but still feel mild mannered, beset by the lingering suspicion that they could handle more power. The TT RS is that extra power made metal. If this doesn't convince the doubters that the TT can sit at the same table as the Z4, 370Z and Cayman, nothing will.

The desire for a TT RS presented Audi with an engine problem. The 3.2-litre V6 engine has the power but it's a big weighty unit that when positioned over the front wheels of the little TT, saps agility. This is why the sporty TT S uses the excellent and ubiquitous 2.0-litre TFSI turbocharged engine, uprated to deliver a buzzing 268bhp. With the V6 something of a dynamic albatross, the turbo four-cylinder unit approaching the end of its tuning tether and Audi loath to assign its hallowed RS badge lightly, heads must have been scratched at Ingolstadt. Eventually, they arrived at a classic compromise, a specially designed turbocharged five-cylinder engine in the mould of those that powered the Audi quattro road cars of the eighties. Power is rated at 335bhp, torque of 450Nm is available from 1,600rpm all the way to 5,300rpm and 0-60mph in the TT RS Coupe takes 4.6s. This TT demands respect.

"The RS will take it to another level"

The engine is unusually compact and built from lightweight materials so that it weighs 183kg. Together with the TT's steel and aluminium bodyshell, it helps the TT RS Coupe to arrive at a final kerb weight of 1,450kg. This is heavier than any other TT but not by much considering the performance braking and cooling systems and other modifications made to the RS model. It all adds up to a formidable power to weight ratio of 240bhp per tonne.

The RS gets a specially designed close ratio six-speed manual gearbox and, of course, Audi's quattro four-wheel-drive system to feed its power efficiently onto the road. A sport button next to the gear lever produces a snappier throttle response and lifts a flap in the exhaust system to intensify the five-cylinder exhaust note.

If the sound of the TT RS doesn't convince the world at large that here's a two-seater Audi with serious intent, the sight of one should. The front air-intakes yawn, the wheelarches bulge and the dramatic rear spoiler gives startled bystanders something to remember it by as it hurtles off up the road. Audi hasn't gone too far in pumping the RS full of aggression but customers who'd prefer to retain the classically truncated TT rear end can swap the fixed spoiler for one that only pops its head over the parapet when deployed by a button on the dash.

Audi has got slick interiors down to a fine art and the TT RS employs the alloy pedals, flat-bottomed steering wheel and RS-branded leather sports seats that we've become used to seeing on the quickest cars in the brand's stable. There are also additional displays in the Driver's Information System for boost pressure and oil temperature, while a lap timer is also included.

Both Coupe and Roadster versions of the TT RS are offered and both come with an advanced ESP stability control system with a built in Sport mode. When selected, this makes the system less eager to step in by applying braking to individual wheels and reducing engine power when it detects a slide or wheel slippage. The safety net can be switched off completely but then drivers are at the mercy of their own talents and the updated braking system with its four-piston callipers and 370mm front discs.

The TT RS is the ultimate TT and is priced accordingly. Buyers will be asked for around £43,000 for the Coupe and a couple of grand more for the Convertible. This puts the TT RS into the company of some serious performance cars and how well it performs against them will determine its eventual place in the market. The Z4 M Coupe, the Porsche Cayman S and the Lotus Exige will all face off against the TT RS Coupe while the drop-top versions of these cars will challenge the Roadster.

The kind of economy you can expect from a TT RS will depend to a large extent on how you drive it. The official combined economy figure is 30.7mpg for the Coupe but put the hammer down on a regular basis and you're unlikely to get close to that.

Audi's RS models have built up a strong reputation over the last few years and extending the line into the TT range appears to make sense. The TT has sometimes struggled to shake off the soft-centred, fashion accessory image it obtained in first generation guise and be taken seriously in comparison to the top performance two-seaters. The RS will take it to another level and if successful, should destroy any notion that the TT can't live with the fastest and the best.

TOP 5 TT DEALS

The results below show the top TT deals on buyacar

Audi TT 2.5T FSI TT RS Quattro 2dr Rs Coupe
Price £42,652 Read TT Reviews	Save £1,568
Audi TT 2.5T FSI TT RS Quattro 2dr Rs Roadster
Price £44,495 Read TT Reviews	Save £1,665
Audi TT 2.5T FSI TT RS Quattro 2dr [2011] Rs Coupe
Price £41,364 Read TT Reviews	Save £3,106
Audi TT 2.5T FSI TT RS Quattro 2dr [2011] Rs Roadster
Price £43,139 Read TT Reviews	Save £3,271
Audi TT 2.0T FSI Sport 2dr S Tronic [2011] Coupe
Price £25,912 Read TT Reviews	Save £2,013
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