In a crushing blow to our “Save the Manuals” campaign, we have received word that the next-gen Audi TT RS, due to be launched in 2016, will lose its manual shifter entirely. Excuse us while we mourn the decision to ax yet another sports-car variant that allows its driver to select gears by means of a traditional shifter.
This means Audi’s strategy has taken a drastic turn. The previous model (pictured above) was offered with both a six-speed manual and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic in Europe; on the U.S. market, it was actually a manual-only car. The next version will come only with the VW Group’s DQ500 seven-speed dual-clutch unit, which is a reliable and quick-shifting ’box that’s currently offered on the European-market RS3 Sportback (which is overwhelmingly likely to come here in sedan form).
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