First Drive: 2010 Audi TT-RS

Story and photos by John LeBlanc ZOLDER, Belgium – Is this the one? Is the new RS the Audi TT that finally threatens its German sports car rivals? The model that will stop prickly critics (including yours truly) from slagging off the TT as a mere Volkswagen Golf in drag? The Golf reference has always irked Audi. The TT debuted as a 2+2 coupe in 1998 and then in two-seater roadster form a year later. However stunning its styling and beautifully crafted its interior, it had to make do with VW Group's plebeian compact platform that features transversely mounted engines up front.Its rivals, such as the Mercedes-Benz SLK and BMW's Z Series roadsters, were designed with the more traditional front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, or, in the case of the Porsche Cayman and Boxster, with the engine mounted midship, and nuts and bolts from the larger, rear-engine 911 Carrera. Because of this, the TT (even in all-wheel-drive format) has always been seen as a sports car wallflower by hardcore enthusiasts. Ignore the fact that Audi may be running out room on the TT's trunk to add more letters to its name - the 2010 RS is Audi's most serious attempt at making the TT a real sports car. Part of the formula relies on the return of an inline-five engine to Audi's lineup. A novelty in the TT, five-pots aren't anything new to the brand. Between 1977 and 1997, these engines were available in most Audis, the most famous being the original Quattro Coupes that won multiple world rally championships. With its combination of turbo power and all-wheel-drive traction, the Quattro single-handedly put Audi on the performance car map. Needless to say, as the brand's latest five-cylinder AWD sports car, the new TT RS, has quite the reputation to uphold.As a supercharged V6 replaces a V8 in the forthcoming Audi S4 sports sedan, the TT RS's choice of powerplant follows the German automaker's trend towards replacing larger, naturally aspirated units with smaller, forced-induction ones. In the TT RS's case, it's a 2.5-litre inline-five with direct-injection and a single turbocharger, which pumps out 340 horsepower and 332 lb.-ft. of torque. As the highest performing TT ever, the new RS also leaves most of its competition behind in a straight-line drag race. Not only does its power rating top the V6-powered TT 3.2's 250 hp and last year's 265-hp TTS, it also leaps the Audi ahead of the 320-hp Cayman S, the 310-hp Boxster S, and 300 hp BMW Z4 sDrive35i. Only the eight-cylinder Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG has more power (355 hp) and grunt (376 lb.-ft.). Audi's standard all-wheel drive helps the TT RS rocket from zero to 100 km/h in only 4.6 seconds - the fastest in this class.Set to go on sale sometime in 2010, Canadian equipment levels and pricing have yet to be confirmed, but based on how much Europeans will pay this summer, expect the 2010 TT RS Coupe and Roadster to sell for around $15,000 more than the current $57,600 TTS Coupe and the $61,900 TTS Roadster. In other words, Cayman S/Boxster S money. All-weather road missile The 2010 TT RS certainly looks like Audi's most serious attempt at a real sports car. A stationary rear spoiler (that looks like it was yanked from a touring car), combined with a 10 mm lower suspension and front, rear and side aero pieces bless it with a sucked-to-the-pavement look that the more easy-going TTs lack. The new aero package seems to work. On fast-running autobahn traffic heading northeast out of the German city of Cologne, my white TT RS Coupe's first left lane highlight was how composed and stable it was at more than double the legal limit in most Canadian provinces.The second RS revelation is its newfound oomph. Even compared to the one-rung-down TTS, the extra 75 horses can easily be felt. Where the TTS comes exclusively with a dual-clutch gearbox, the RS features a traditional short-throw manual transmission (it's the only one available). Max torque in the new turbo-five peaks at just 1,600 rpm. The redline may say 6,800 rpm, but the engine's sweet spot is between 3,500 and 5,300 rpm. In top gear, the push from 160 km/h to 260 km/h (standard top speed is 250 km/h, which can be raised to 280 km/h as an option) is nearly as fluid as one of Germany's high-speed rail trains that run parallel to us on the autobahn. Off the highway, heavy traffic during our day with the car precluded truly aggressive back road driving. But at eight-tenths, the RS knifes into curves like no other TT to date. The optional Magnetic Ride adaptive damping system, which can be set for either Comfort or Sport, is a real boon that keeps the RS flat through tight turns. And newly optional sports seats are must-haves for the enthusiast driver, at least for those who can fit their backsides into the aggressive side thigh bolsters.Other on-road highlights? When the driver pushes the Sport button on the centre console, a flap installed in the left exhaust tailpipe enhances the warble that only five-pots can generate. Sweet. And there's always the knowledge that AWD is on hand, something of importance to many Canadian drivers, and a feature none of the Audi's chief rivals offer even as an option. The first track-ready TT In Audi's performance hierarchy, adding an "R" to the already competent "S" model means you can take the cars on the track without any fears that they will trip over themselves. So it was off to Zolder, the circuit that hosted the Belgian Formula One Grand Prix on 10 separate occasions in the 1970s and 1980s. Unfortunately, it is better known as the track where Canadian racing legend Gilles Villeneuve lost his life while attempting to qualify for the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix. Compared to the S model, the RS gets toned and buff for track work with firmer suspension mounts, high performance brakes with four-piston calipers up front and a stability control system with a Sport mode that can be completely deactivated. For the most part it all works. The TT RS Coupe felt secure and safe through the big, fast corners at the beginning of Zolder through turns three and four. With the magnetic suspension set to Sport, it could also handle the left-right Kliene Chicane at turn five in a flat and precise attitude. Then it's up to that fiercely blown five-pot and AWD to pull you through the apex and onto the next corner. There's no doubt that the RS is the easiest TT yet to drive fast and accurately. It's the most complete TT driving package to date. Yet one of its biggest on-road assets is also its biggest on-track weakness. Unlike its rear-drive Teutonic rivals, the TT RS's standard AWD means that understeer will crop up sooner than in, say, a Cayman S, with less tactility at the helm as well. Cancel the Golf-in-drag jokes If you can live without telepathic messages from the steering, the new 2010 Audi TT RS is the first Audi sports car since the legendary Quattro to raise the hairs on driving enthusiasts' necks. With its best-in-class acceleration, locked-down high-speed stability and more agile handling traits, the RS version has finally shaken off the TT's forebearer's wallflower image, making it ready to finally dance with the sports car stars. Specifications and features of the 2010 Audi TT RS have yet to be finalized and are subject to change. 2010 Audi TT RS
Price: TBA
Type of vehicle: AWD sports coupe / roadster
Engine: 2.5L, 20-valve DOHC I-5 turbo
Power/Torque: 340 hp/332 lb.-ft.
Transmission: Six-speed manual
0-100 km/h: 4.6 seconds (Roadster: 4.7 seconds)
Fuel consumption: TBA
Competition: BMW Z4 sDrive35i, Lotus Evora, Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG, Porsche Cayman S/Boxster S PREVIEW SUMMARY PROS
- Best-in-class acceleration
- High speed stability
- All-weather capability CONS
- Hard to make an AWD car steer like a rear-driver
- Engine fades a bit in the upper rev ranges

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