2018 Audi TTRS

By: Alex Forrest

Remember the first Audi TT?

With styling that made you want to hug it, the 1999 TT was distinctive and today that first TT remains an automotive design icon.  

However, it wasn’t until 2005, when Audi rammed a 184kW, 3.2-litre V6 into the TT, that it became a truly capable sports car, and one that could give rivals such as the BMW Z4 3.0 something to worry about.

Today, the Audi TT is not defined by looks alone. It’s a sharp-handling, responsive sports coupe with pointy handling and a breathtaking interior.  That’s just the base model, which has a four-cylinder, 169kW turbo engine.

But in this part of the market, luxury sports coupes need to do better than that. This is where the Audi TTRS comes in, complete with Audi’s five-cylinder, 294kW turbo engine.

Five-cylinder engines are unusual, but Audi has been making them for a long time and is very good at it indeed.

In fact, in the early 1980s, Audi put one of these five-cylinder jobs and a quattro all-wheel drive system into a small family saloon. It dominated the World Rallying Championship so thoroughly, the competition had to get all-wheel drive too, just to get a whiff of Audi’s dust.

The TTRS isn’t cheap. It costs $152,000 drive away, the ride is very firm, no one with legs can fit in the back, it needs premium fuel, ANCAP rates it only 4 stars and the warranty is for only three years.

But think of it this way. For those occasions where you can safely enjoy it, the TTRS has the kind of performance that approaches that of a supercar.

Take it to a racetrack, and you’ll find it can reach 100km/h in 3.7 seconds, which is only 0.3 seconds behind a Lamborghini Huracan. Yet, the TTRS is also more than $240,000 cheaper than that Lambo.

Not many TTRS buyers will feel the need to justify its purchase, but if you do, just mention the Lambo comparison. You can add that the TTRS is also more fuel efficient, cheaper to service and nicer to sit in.

You’re welcome.