Thread: Audi TTRS

I dont care if ppl call this a "chick's" car, because I totally want this car. Matter of fact after I drove one in Germany.. I fell in love. I miss my S5, but this was so much better and I am going to find a way of buying one very soon!

Originally Posted by BlackKnighTT

I dont care if ppl call this a "chick's" car, because I totally want this car. Matter of fact after I drove one in Germany.. I fell in love. I miss my S5, but this was so much better and I am going to find a way of buying one very soon!

you better get on that quick, they're only making 1000 for the US market, 2012 and 2013, and all for 2012 have been spoken for.

It's too bad the US-spec TT RS won't be nearly as nice as the European version. No DSG, no launch control and no Recaros...

The European version has ridiculous rocket-like launch which is what I'd love. I remember Car and Driver measured the G's caused by acceleration and the TT RS was up there along with cars like the Bugatti Veyron

My coworker's just came in a few weeks ago.

such a sweet ride, this should never be referred to as a "chick's car".

very nice.

Originally Posted by Sesto

It's too bad the US-spec TT RS won't be nearly as nice as the European version. No DSG, no launch control and no Recaros...

The European version has ridiculous rocket-like launch which is what I'd love. I remember Car and Driver measured the G's caused by acceleration and the TT RS was up there along with cars like the Bugatti Veyron

The U.S. spec is still great! It has 20 more hp & more torque than the European version. It is only available with the great MT, which further diminishes the "chick-car" stereotype. It is much cheaper here than the prices they pay in Australia, U.K. Germany, etc. The 4.0 sec. 0-60 that Car&Driver says they obtained with the U.S is amazing, and should drop dramatically when the chips are developed for it.

Yes, the European Recaros are much nicer... we can't get the from the factory here because our's have air bags. C&D says the difference in 0-60 they got from the dual clutch AT was mainly due to the quicker shifting... not the launch control. I guarantee not many will be disappointed with a TTRS. I've had mine for a couple of months and it is amazing! The best things I like are the fantastic engine sound and the supercar-like acceleration. It is small & relatively light and turns like a go-cart.

From the December 2011 issue of Car & Driver...

Last May, we judged an Audi TT RS similar to this one to be a “devastatingly effective single-purpose tool.” We also judged it second-best in a three-way free-for-all versus an Infiniti IPL G37 and a (winning) BMW 1-series M coupe.

The similarity in this case is rooted in power delivery. In the comparo car, thrust was vectored via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic whose function, like that of other Audi S tronic gearboxes, was brilliant.

But you can’t buy an S tronic TT RS in this country. American-spec cars come only with a six-speed manual. Is this a bad thing? That’s what we’re here to find out.

The do-it-yourself tranny is an exemplary “Save the Manuals!” unit: crisp gear engagements, short throws, sweet clutch. More important, it reinforces the sense of man-machine connectivity.


Sad to say, though, it’s not the optimal device for extracting maximum go from Audi’s formidable 2.5-liter, direct-injection turbo fünf (360 horsepower, 343 pound-feet of torque). The combination of the S tronic and launch control yielded a 0-to-60-mph sprint of 3.6 seconds in the car we tested for the comparo, which carried the old 335-hp Euro-spec motor. The best we managed with the manual six-speed was 4.0.

What this demonstrates is the advantage of a dual-clutch automatic—its gears are never completely disengaged, its shifts are instantaneous, and power delivery is never interrupted. Launch control helps, but a key difference between a manual and an automatic transmission is the manual’s brief accelerative pause during each upshift.

Still, four seconds doesn’t leave a lot of time for admiring the scenery. That 4.0 sprint is a half-second quicker than our May forecast for the manual model, a tenth quicker than Audi’s official forecast, a half-second quicker than the 1-series M Bimmer, and just a tenth slower than the BMW M3 that topped a September 2010 comparison.

So, slower but far from slow. How about the other demerit for that May  TT: “The TT RS is so competent,” we reported, “so coldly immune to human clumsiness as to diminish the role of the driver.”

It’s true that the Audi tracks like a slot car and that it would take extraordinarily bad judgment to provoke disaster. It’s true that its combination of grip (0.96 g) and all-wheel drive pretty much eliminates scary stuff like oversteer. And it’s true that only ordinary skills are required to take the TT RS to its absolute limits, ultimately defined by progressive understeer.

But those limits are very high indeed. So if you’re negotiating a series of high-speed turns, is it better to have absolute certainty about the car’s dynamics? Consider a track-day environment. In low- to medium-speed corners, a little tail-wagging can be titillating. But in really fast ones—for example, the infamous Kink at Road  America—oversteer is a peril few would court.

Other demerits for this TT RS are consistent with those of its S tronic counterpart. Seductive as it is in short bursts, the optional sport exhaust system ($1500) can become tedious in extended driving. The seats, though supportive, aren’t quite up to BMW standards, while the rear seats are basically unusable for adults.

Neither is price the car’s most endearing feature. With the sport exhaust, an aluminum trim package ($950), and red pearl paint ($475), the $60,650 as-tested total is almost 10 grand more than the 1-series M that prevailed in May. Unfortunately, 1-series M production ceased in October.

As for diminishing the role of the driver, it’s fair to say that the manual transmission mitigates this aspect of our earlier indictment. It’s also fair to say that for some, the ability to drive quicker than ever before will be enough, whether or not their skills have actually improved.

The RS model is as cool as a TT will ever get. At 4.0 seconds to 60 mph, the TT RS also is quicker than the Audi R8 Spyder we recently tested. Oh and it has more grip too. Now that is cool.

Highs:
Seriously fast, exceptionally high limits, exceptionally easy to drive at the limit, sweet six-speed manual.

Lows:
Optional sport exhaust can get tiresome, point-and-shoot competence may not appeal to everyone.

Specifications >
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 3-door hatchback
PRICE AS TESTED: $60,650 (base price: $57,725)
ENGINE TYPE: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 20-valve inline-5, iron block and aluminum head, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 151 cu in, 2480 cc
Power: 360 hp @ 6700 rpm
Torque: 343 lb-ft @ 1650 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 97.2 in
Length: 165.3 in
Width: 72.5 in Height: 53.1 in
Curb weight: 3312 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 4.0 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 10.3 sec
Zero to 130 mph: 17.7 sec
Street start, 5–60 mph: 5.3 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 12.7 sec @ 112 mph
Top speed (drag limited): 172 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 159 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.96 g

FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway: 18/25 mpg
C/D-observed: 20 mpg

TEST NOTES: Because it lacks launch control, the best way to get the TT RS going is by dropping the clutch with the revs near the redline. Such launches are not for the faint of heart, but this car’s drivetrain endures the abuse with no signs of distress

AUTOMOBILE Magazine Announces 2012 All-Stars

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Nov 09, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- AUTOMOBILE Magazine, America's leading automotive lifestyle publication, today announced the winners of its 2012 AUTOMOBILE Magazine All-Star awards, which is open to all vehicles on sale in the United States, however only 10 ultimately receive the honor.


(one of the winners of the 2012 AUTOMOBILE Magazine All-Star awards is the Audi TT RS)

Audi TT RS

Powerful, refined, and emotive - the Audi TT RS is much more than its subtle, stylish exterior suggests. The Audi's roaring turbocharged five-cylinder, unrelenting all-wheel-drive grip, and sharp, accurate steering create an exhilarating driving experience. "It's a perfect tool for driving perfectionists, worthy of a choice parking spot in the dream garage," declares Jennings.

All Grown Up

The sporty TT coupe has been on our list of delightful cars since the day we drove it through the Italian countryside and sharp-eyed grandmothers walking along the roadside yelled, "Che bella macchina!" as we passed. Beautiful it most definitely was, a stunner from the fertile pen of Freeman Thomas (now in charge of Ford's dream-car studio), who had just delivered the Volkswagen Concept 1. But the luscious TT lacked the sizzle promised by its charismatic shape.

O, precious day! It seems that Audi can do it all now. Today's TT RS -- freshened with a more sinister face -- lives and breathes R8 from every pore. It is Audi's very own Porsche Cayman -- close, personal, fiery, rewarding, and cosseting all at once. The soul-stirring sound of its turbocharged five-cylinder engine (magnified by an optional sport exhaust) is so stunning as it roars to its 7000-rpm redline that you want to jump out and make someone else drive it past you, just to hear that killer soundtrack from the great outdoors.

Along with twice as much horsepower as the original 2000 TT produced comes virtually twice as much torque -- a massive 343 lb-ft -- fully delivered by 1650 rpm and managed with a six-speed manual transmission that is a quintessential component of this TT's perfection. The TT RS is a brilliant road car with none of the petulance of its hot-dog, bully-boy track competitors. Its superior Quattro traction had us spoiling for a rainstorm. Or a wide, gravel rally road. Nirvana!

The TT RS doesn't cost twice as much as the original TT, but it is very close to twice as much car -- not just a beautiful machine inside and out but a soul-stirring one, the epitome of everything that Audi means to us. It's a perfect tool for driving perfectionists, worthy of a choice parking spot in your dream garage.

-- Jean Jennings, President and Editor-in-Chief of AUTOMOBILE Magazine.