Porsche has showed a chink in its armour in 2016 with the still brilliant but much less charismatic four-cylinder Cayman S. So if you want a compact performance coupe with an engine that offers real personality, the new Audi TT RS offers a compelling alternative to the droning Cayman.
It’s fair to say the last TT RS wasn’t exactly a smash hit when it came to driving dynamics, but with its sharper MQB chassis, this latest car promises more involving, agile handling, a substantial hike in performance and even greater efficiency at the same time.
The heart of the TT RS is its 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo engine. It’s the same unit that powers the RS3, but here it’s been boosted to a colossal 395bhp, which has a profound effect in a small coupe like this.
The TT RS now offers proper supercar performance. With launch control deployed, the 0-62mph sprint is demolished in 3.7 seconds, but with 480Nm of torque spread over a wide range between 1,750rpm and 5,850rpm, you don’t have to wind the engine out to the redline to make eye-widening progress.
In the mid-range the motor pulls strongly and delivers a silky off-beat growl that’s full of character. It’s something you just can’t get in the Cayman range any more.
As in Audi’sR8 halo model, there’s only one gearbox available. It’s a seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch that sends power to all four wheels via Audi’s quattro system. However, seventh gear is so long it’s best to think of a it as a sportier, close-ratio six-speed unit with the top ratio best saved for high-speed cruising.
The shifts are rapid fire on the way up the box and perfectly blipped on the way down, with each upshift announced by a crack from the exhaust or a volley of pops when changing down.
Unlike the R8, though, the all-wheel drive system is based on Haldex technology, and while it gives the TT RS massive traction, it’s not as flexible as some 4WD setups. The TTR RS weighs 130kg more than a Cayman S PDK, and while the MQB underpinnings do a fair job of hiding this weight, with the sizeable 2.5-litre five-pot up front, a lot of that mass is concentrated in the nose. So while the RS grips and grips on the road, we found that the default balance is to settle into understeer if you push hard on the track.
It doesn’t have the balance of the Cayman, then, but if you’re slow into the corners and then lean on the four-wheel drive system and the engine’s savage power on the way out, it’s still a devastatingly quick way to devour corners.
There’s plenty of grip for road driving, with the fast, precise steering allowing you to exploit that, giving the RS impressive agility.
It used to be the norm that fast Audis were unapologetically stiff, but this isn’t the case any more. The TT RS sits 10mm lower than the standard car, and gives solid body control. Of course, with 19-inch wheels as standard and 20s available as an option as fitted to our test car, it does feels firm.
We drove the car on a smooth Spanish launch route, so we’ll have to wait to see what it rides like on UK roads - but the faster you drive the RS, putting more energy into the suspension, the better the car rides.
You can also go for the optional RS sports suspension with Audi’s magnetic ride control (expected to cost around £1,000); this widens the car’s breadth of ability even further.
Despite the TT’s capability on twisty roads, settle down to a cruise and drop the car into comfort mode and the RS’s dampers give just enough compliance over bad surfaces, with only the worst bumps fizzing through the structure. There’s just enough cushioning, but it still doesn’t flow with the road like a Cayman might. That big engine in the nose is evident once you start asking for more grip from the front tyres.
Stiffen the dampers up in dynamic mode and the Audi corners with the barest hint of roll, but the softer setting is better suited to road use. Indeed, it means you could easily use the TT RS every day.
Given the performance on offer, claimed fuel economy of 34.4mpg and CO2 emissions of 187g/km seem fair enough – though you won’t see anywhere near that economy figure if you extend the engine regularly.
In a bid to make the TT RS even more versatile, Audi is offering some new features, including new matrix OLED Organic LED taillights that makes the car look even sharper from the rear.
To go with its light signature, the RS-specific deep front bumper, flared arches and small rear wing mean the TT RS looks the part, while features like the 12.3-inch virtual cockpit screen (taken from the regular range but with a special RS mode) add a hi-tech feel inside.
- Model: Audi TT RS Coupe
- Price: £51,800
- Engine: 2.5-litre 5cyl turbo petrol
- Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch auto, four-wheel drive
- Power/torque: 395bhp/480Nm
- 0-62mph/Top speed: 3.7s/155mph
- Economy/CO2: 34.4mpg/187g/km
- On sale : Now
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