After years of spy activity and speculation preceding the official unveiling of the Audi TT RS, the stage was set for a firecracker announcement at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show. And so it happened: Audi took the covers off the two-door coupe and roadster. We have a bit more detail on the potent twins, including pricing.
The TT RS range is blessed with Audi's new 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo engine with FSI direct petrol injection. It makes maximum power of 340hp (250kW) and peak torque of 450Nm (332 lb ft) between a wide band of 1,600rpm and 5,300rpm. This power and torque is sent through to all four wheels via Audi's quattro permanent AWD.
Performance, according to Audi, confirms the TT RS as the fastest in its class. The Coupe fires off the line to 100km/h in 4.6 seconds while the Roadster does it in 4.7 seconds. Top speed is limited to 250km/h in both cars but can be increased to 280km/h if requested. The hard top weighs in at 1,450kg (3,197 lbs) while the Roadster is 60kg (132 lbs) dearer because of all the extra equipment needed to operate the canvass roof.
Average fuel consumption is 9.2 litres per 100km (25.57 US mpg) for the Coupe and 9.5 litres per 100km (24.76 US mpg) for the Roadster.
The standard wheel size is 18-inch with 245/40 tyres but customers can specify the bigger 19s or 20s for their baby. A standard sports suspension lowers the car by 10 milimetres while the optional magnetic ride adaptive damping system offers Comfort and Sport characteristics. The rear features a diffuser and a stationary spoiler. There is an optional one that retracts and extends.
The interior is laid out in leather and Alcantara. It also features heated sports seats, brushed aluminium inlays and a flat-bottomed multifunction sports steering wheel.
The TT RS Coupe will be priced at €55,800 and the Roadster at €58,650 when they are launched this European summer.
Five-cylinder engines are in Audi's DNA. The company is once again building such an engine - this time a high-performance engine. The Audi TT RS, developed by quattro GmbH, sports a turbocharged 2.5-liter engine with FSI direct gasoline injection under the hood that produces 250 kW (340 hp) and 450 Nm (332 lb-ft) of torque, yet consumes only 9.2 liters/100 km (25.57 US mpg). In conjunction with quattro permanent all-wheel drive, the powerful five-cylinder model offers explosive performance, making the compact Audi TT RS - whether the Coupé or the Roadster - a purist driving machine.
Potent five-cylinder gasoline engines enjoy a long tradition at Audi, powering cars like the "Ur-quattro" (original quattro) to the head of the pack. Audi has resumed using this recipe. The newly developed engine combines a turbocharger with FSI direct gasoline injection to make the TT RS an uncompromising sports car.
The TFSI delivers 250 kW (340 hp) from a displacement of 2,480 cc: an output of 137.1 hp per liter. Weighing only 1,450 kilograms (3,197 lb), the Coupé boasts a power-to-weight ratio of only 4.3 kilograms (9.5 lb) per hp. For the Roadster (1,510 kilograms (3,329 lb)) this figure is 4.4 kilograms (9.7 lb) - the low values are made possible by the extremely lightweight bodies utilizing the Audi Space Frame (ASF). They are made of aluminum up front and steel sheet at the rear.
The TT RS Coupé rockets from 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) in 4.6 seconds, the Roadster in 4.7 seconds. The governed top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph) is merely the official figure for both versions; as an option, it can be increased to 280 km/h (174 mph). Peak torque of 450 Nm (332 lb-ft) is available between 1,600 and 5,300 rpm, providing tremendous pulling power. The TT RS Coupé requires only 9.2 liters of fuel per 100 km (25.57 US mpg), while the Roadster consumes just 9.5 l/100 km (24.76 US mpg) - another example of how Audi combines dynamics and efficiency.
The powerful five-cylinder unit is very compact and particularly lightweight. Its large turbocharger generates up to 1.2 bar of relative boost pressure. At full load, the intercooler reduces the temperature of the compressed air and achieves an efficiency of more than 80 percent. When the driver pushes the standard Sport button on the center tunnel, a flap installed in the left exhaust tailpipe renders the exhaust noise even more intense while making engine response more direct.
Purist character: drivetrain and suspension
A manual six-speed transmission characterized by high efficiency and tightly spaced gears of a sporty nature distributes the tremendous power of the five-cylinder engine to the quattro permanent all-wheel drive system, which gives the TT RS enormous traction, superb dynamics and supreme stability.
The innovative mix of materials in the body provides of an exquisitely balanced axle load distribution and outstanding rigidity. This rigidity is the basis for the car's precise handling. The standard sports suspension lowers the body by 10 millimeters. Available as an option is the Audi magnetic ride adaptive damping system, which offers two basic characteristics: Comfort and Sport.
The Audi TT RS rolls on 18-inch tires shod with 245/40 tires. The internally ventilated brake disks measure 370 millimeters in diameter up front and 310 millimeters at the rear. The front friction rings are perforated. They are connected by hollow pins to the aluminum brake disks, which are encircled by black four-piston brake calipers bearing RS logos. The ESP stabilization system has a Sport mode and can be completely deactivated.
The full potential of the Audi TT RS driving machine is obvious at first glance. The front and rear skirts and the side of the car have been distinctively modified. A stationary rear spoiler is standard, though customers can opt for one which automatically extends and retracts.
The dynamic image of the TT RS carries over into the all-black interior. Standard equipment includes heated sport seats with leather and Alcantara surfaces, brushed aluminum inlays, a flat-bottomed leather multifunction sports steering wheel, a boost pressure indicator, an oil temperature gauge, a lap timer, automatic air conditioning, the concert audio system and xenon plus headlamps with LED daytime running lights. The Roadster also includes an electrohydraulic top and a power wind deflector.
Delivery of the TT RS begins this summer, with the Coupé priced at €55,800 and the Roadster at €58,650.
Performance
The Audi TT RS is the first classic sports car in the RS family. Like the RS 4 and the RS 6, the Audi TT RS was developed by quattro GmbH. Its key data are outstanding: 4.6 seconds for the sprint from zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) (for the Coupé) and 15.9 seconds from zero to 200 km/h (124 mph) on the way to an optional top speed of 280 km/h (174 mph) - the TT RS is the fastest production sports car in the compact class. And it is a purist driving machine - powerful, lightweight, efficient, conceived and implemented without compromise.
The 2.5-liter TFSI five-cylinder unit has two faces. When driven with restraint, the turbo conveys the composure that comes from having 450 Nm (332 lb-ft) of torque available in practically any situation - from the bottom of the torque curve almost to the very top, from 1,600 to 5,300 rpm. With this tremendous pulling power, the TT RS overtakes with casual ease.
When the driver pushes the five-cylinder he or she experiences its other side - the raw power of 250 kW (340 hp); the skin-tingling music as the engine revs enthusiastically up to 6,800 rpm; the unmistakable, throaty roar is the classic five-cylinder sound from Audi. A glance under the hood reveals the engine in all its glory, with no engine cover - an impressive piece of technology.
Winding rural routes or a few laps around a racetrack allow the superior handling to shine. The TT RS turns spontaneously, almost greedily, into curves and passes through them with aplomb, precisely guided by its responsive steering. As the car approaches its very high limits, it begins to understeer ever so slightly. This effortless controllability is another character trait of the compact driving machine from Audi.
As the car exits the curve, the quattro technology safely transfers the tremendous power to the road in situations where competitor vehicles with their two powered wheels struggle to find grip. All of these strengths and the stirring power of the engine make the TT RS the epitome of pure, essential dynamism.
At a glance
Engine
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Newly developed, 2.5-liter five-cylinder unit with turbocharging and FSI direct fuel injection
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250 kW (340 hp) and 450 Nm (332 lb-ft) of torque
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Exceptional performance: 0 – 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.6 seconds (Coupé), top speed 250 km/h (155 mph), with 280 km/h (174 mph) available as an option.
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Average consumption only 9.2 liters/100 km (25.57 US mpg) (Coupé)
Transmission
Chassis
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Advanced suspension mountings, four-link design in the back
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High-performance brakes with four-piston calipers up front
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18-inch wheels with 245/40 tires standard; optional 19 and 20-inch wheels
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Optional Audi magnetic ride adaptive damping
Body and design
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Lightweight and very strong ASF body of aluminum and steel, weighs only 206 kilograms (454 lb) (Coupé)
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Larger air intakes up front, distinctive diffuser insert in the rear, stationary rear spoiler
Equipment
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Comprehensive standard equipment, including xenon plus headlamps with LED daytime running lights, heated sport seats with leather/Alcantara surfaces, driver information system with indicators for boost pressure and oil temperature as well as a lap timer.
joelynn
May 29, 2009 1:01 PM
