- The high-performance TT RS arrives this summer at U.S. Audi dealers.
- The new TT RS is priced nearly $20,000 higher than the base TT 2.0T.
- The TT RS features a 360-horsepower turbocharged 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine.
HERNDON, Virginia — The new 2012 Audi TT RS arrives this summer at U.S. dealers, priced from $57,725 — nearly $20,000 more than the base Audi TT 2.0T, which starts at $39,172. Prices include an $875 shipping charge.
Where the entry-level TT gets a 211-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, the potent RS edition features a turbo 2.5 five-cylinder, rated at 360 hp and 343 pound-feet of torque. The engine drives all four wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox, providing 0-60 acceleration in 4.1 seconds.
The TT RS is distinguished visually from its lesser brethren in several aspects. The car sports unique 19-inch alloy rims, larger front air intakes, a gloss-black diamond-pattern grille, side sills, rear wing, rear diffuser shrouding oval tailpipes and matte-aluminum-finish exterior mirrors.
Inside Line says: A sexy — and expensive — beast.
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bestjinjo says:
11:23 AM, 07/11/2011
To address some comments about this car "is too heavy" and won't be that fast.
The manual car will do 0-60 in 4.1 seconds. This is slower than the 3.6-3.9s quoted for the DSG model, but is still by far the fastest in its class.
SLK AMG will cost at least $10k more. Z4 is not a competitor at all.
Weight wise, this car isn't heavy either despite claims:
TT-RS: 3,306 lbs
BMW 1 Series M Coupe: 3,362 lbs
2012 SLK350: 3,397
BMW Z4 35is: 3,549 lbs
BMW M3 Coupe: 3,704 lbs
So outside of Cayman / Boxster, this is also the lightest car in its class.
bestjinjo says:
09:44 AM, 07/11/2011
Most of us live in a variable weather world (rain, ice, snow) during the year. "On? a (dry) track" the all-wheel drive TT-RS is probably not anywhere near as fun as a Cayman R. But in the REAL WORLD where we all are for most of the time, TT-RS will crush just about any 2 door coupe in its price range. So if I could only own 1 vehicle for every day of the year and could afford this car, the TT-RS would be an amazing machine. If I wanted thrills, I'd pick the Cayman R, despite slower acceleration.
And some of you keep saying that TT is a chick car. I drove the TTS and it was a LOT sportier and more fun to drive than the 335i that so many people drool over. Smaller car is almost always more fun to drive and corner than a larger car. Perhaps 1M Coupe can give this car a run for the $ as well, but it's not good looking at all.
blkamg says:
05:03 AM, 07/11/2011
It's a nice car, but its a rare sight on the road.
dmpete says:
03:38 AM, 07/11/2011
The TTRS isn't a chick car.... sounds like the GTR guy is getting nervous that another extremely fast all wheel drive is coming on to the market, and look it's almost 20 grand cheaper than the GTR. Oh yeah and it's german.
dgmail says:
02:05 AM, 07/11/2011
Pretty expensive turbo VW Beetle
jeremy0818 says:
08:42 PM, 07/09/2011
@truecarfan
Then you gotta try driving a Caterham, it would make your Cayman experience feel like you drove a sporty SUV, such as X6M :-D
Don't think too much about the class, the interesting thing is that once you drive a TT and a GTI enough, you will feel that it is essentially the same car, due to how much things are shared. Okay, maybe the brakes would bite stronger and last longer and the suspension would produce less body rolls on a TTS or a TT-RS, and tires may be stickier, but thats where the differences end.
The Evo, at least feeling wise, has much sharper turn in, and later with insane pull at the exit. You can get in to 4 wheel slide relatively easily and very easy to control of the slide, where as a TT you really have to fight to get the car to slide (not saying sliding is the only fun thing, and may hamper the lap time, but just an example of few fun factors) Of course, TT-RS would have far more 'refined' power delivery, where Evo seems to have no power until 2000rpm, then pulls hard from 2500-5000rpm, then runs out of breath by 6500rpm (in stock form of course, you can easily jack up the boost and change the map and make it pull much harder at the top).
cz_75 says:
07:57 PM, 07/09/2011
I'd rather see the new Quattro make it to production.
bigcjm says:
12:55 PM, 07/09/2011
Wait how is it a hard arguement for sale when its an limited production car. i mean they are only bring 100 to the US i think. I am sure the chances of seeing a TTRS on the street are minimal. For that reason alone I'd get it over a porsche
truecarfan says:
10:37 AM, 07/09/2011
ryecatcher - every now and again you'll see stuff like that. I saw a an RS5 before it came out in NY. In NJ I saw the current A4 a few months before it was driven. There was a story (and pictures) of the next gen 3 series being driven in Manhattan (albeit with camo).
truecarfan says:
10:11 AM, 07/09/2011
jeremy0818 - compare it to a BMW Z... a Cayman is a mid engine vehicle. No vehicle in it's class can compare to the feel of a Boxster/Cayman. I've driven a Boxster and it was hands down the best driving vehicle I've ever gotten behind the wheel of (and it was a base version).
What you say about the Lancer - may be true.... depending on the driver. I don't think anyone would dispute though that driving day to day would be much more pleasurable in the TTRS... again - not the same class of vehicle. The Lancer would more compare to a GTI.