Audi is bringing the latest and fastest version of their TT roadster to the New York auto show next week. The new Audi TT RS is the most powerful ever production TT, but the only transmission will be a dual-clutch box.
The RS will keep the five-cylinder layout that the hotter TTs have become known for, but it's an all-new 2.5L engine that makes 400 hp and 354 lb-ft. The new engine is more compact and uses exotic materials like a magnesium oil pan and has an aluminium block to save nearly 26 kg over the old engine. The extra power, combined with Audi's quattro all-wheel drive and the seven-speed dual clutch transmission makes for a 0-100 km/h time of just 3.6 seconds. That makes it more powerful and quicker to 100 km/h than its main rivals, the 2017 Porsche 718 Cayman S and 2017 BMW M2.
The quattro system can send almost all of the power to the rear wheels, for tail-out handling. Control of the system is integrated into the Audi drive select system for the first time to give four drive modes with different shift points, steering weight, throttle response, damper control, and power delivery.
The TT RS gets magnetically adjustable dampers that can change suspension firmness within milliseconds. A conventional damper suspension will also be available. Audi has given it a steering rack that has a progressive ratio. It becomes more direct as you steer, and Audi says it will give more precise feedback.
Audi is making carbon-ceramic brakes available on the TT RS for the first time. They'll come with the Dynamic Plus package and trim 5 kg off the curb weight. The regular brakes are no slouch either, with eight-piston calipers and 370 mm rotors up front.
There will be 19 and 20-inch wheels available along with standard aluminum-look exterior trim. The TT RS will have full LED head and taillgihts with - in a first for Audi - OLED lights available.
Inside, the TT RS gets the new ventilation controls from the base TT that integrate fan speed, vent selection, and temperature into the vents themselves. It frees up the dashboard and lets Audi remove the conventional center stack. Behind the three-spoke steering wheel, it will have Audi's beautiful virtual cockpit display that replaces the instrument cluster with a 12.3-inch screen. It will have Audi's latest MMI infotainment with navigation and smartphone interface and an available Bang and Olufsen sound system.
The 2018 TT RS is expected to arrive this spring. Canadian pricing isn't available, but with US pricing starting at $64,900, expect the Canadian TT RS to be somewhere around $75,000.
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