Audi TT RS First Drive - Did They Really Fall Short Of The Mark?

The 2009 Audi TT RS bears not a little weight of expectation. This is the latest product of Quattro GmbH, Audi's crack tuning division responsible for the acclaimed R8 and RS4. It also enters a sector of the market enlivened by the arrival of the brilliant new Lotus Evora, the Nissan 370Z and the revised Porsche Cayman. If you can raise the funds, there's never been a better time to indulge in a baby supercar.

The 2009 Audi TT RS enters the fray with no shortage of firepower. The turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-5 offers up a mighty impressive 335 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque. It can, in other words, stand front splitter to front splitter with the Porsche Cayman S. Priced at $68,400 in the U.K., the TT RS also matches the Porsche for price, however.

As things stand, Audi has no plans to bring the RS to the U.S., although there's no technical reason why it can't. "We'd need to do a bit of emissions work but it's not a big deal," says Stephan Reil, the head of Quattro GmbH. If the marketing boffins can make a case for the hottest TT ever, then America will be indulged.

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GermanNut - 5/29/2009 1:10:08 PM

0 Boost

Audi's string of exciting, high-performance cars ended with the R8. The RS6, while absurdly fast, is nothing more than a straight-line missile. It fails to perform the ballet dance in the curves. The TT-RS follows in the RS6's footsteps of offering huge straight-line speed but little in the way of excitement, feel, and precision handling.

Audi was previously 2 for 2 with the RS4 and R8.However, it has gone 0 for 2 in its last two attempts.

If Audi wants to keep the aura of its high-performance Quattro GmbH division glowing, the RS5 better be a return to the old RS4 and R8 brilliance which seems to fade deeper and deeper into the shadows with every subsequent Quattro GmbH failure.

VISO - 5/29/2009 1:14:19 PM

-1 Boost

How did they fall short of the mark? The title makes no sense, and there is no description of any first drive either. The TTRS will likely hit 0-60 in about 4.4 to 4.5 sec. Damn fast! Add the magnetic ride and the sound of the original urQuattro and this will be a sweet ride.

HSCenterconsole - 5/29/2009 1:23:58 PM

+4 Boost

VISO, stop the Audi spin for a moment and read the review:

"Even on the famous Zolder racetrack in Belgium, where we also tested the car, the TT RS failed to come alive. There's no shortage of grip or ultimate traction, but there's no delicacy. Push the limits and you'll be met by safe, dependable understeer. In sum, this car feels too much like an Audi of old — capable and competent but ultimately uninvolving. From Audi and especially from Quattro GmbH, we've come to expect so much more.

We drove both the coupe and the roadster versions. The structure of the latter is impressively stiff — remarkably so if you've ever driven a first-generation TT roadster — but you suffer a surprisingly high level of wind buffeting at speed."

MrBratwurst - 5/29/2009 2:52:39 PM

0 Boost

The reason is simple - because TT is based on the Volkswagen Golf.

And the Golf is a front wheel drive mass market hatchback, not a dedicated platform to build a true driver's car.

Yes, they added a lot of power and a Haldex clutch-based all wheel drive but intensive makeup and face powder won't turn a minger into a hottie.

supermoto - 5/29/2009 1:38:04 PM

-1 Boost

Great looking car. Heresy I know, but almost better looking than a 911.

inspirion7 - 5/29/2009 2:23:35 PM

+2 Boost

As usual, Audi has a great interior. This car would be stunning in black with smoked rims. Attention to detail is awesome, but I'm thinking as Audi continue to add features, the porker weight climbs. To say this is a Cayman competitor doesn't even work. As sweet as the TT is, Audi needs to start from scratch with a model to compete in that league. I don't know if that would be in the cards. Why compete within your own company? the R8 is hot newness, Porsche 911 models for hardcore traditionalist. Same for the Cayman and TT. I would say the TT is trendy and the Cayman pure sport.

Now the Carrera GT, that is a different story...

MrBratwurst - 5/29/2009 2:54:18 PM

+1 Boost

— inspirion7:

| As usual, Audi has a great interior. [...] Attention to detail
| is awesome

I think the interior of the new Z4 BMW is just as good. Same quality touch and a bit of stylish design avantgarde.

EIII - 5/29/2009 3:53:13 PM

-1 Boost

Wow,I'm impressed with all of the jaw jacking on here. The true quattro
driver will get this car and know why. That why is what you must figure out. ref check out the Drivers Republic S4 Avant drift attempt test by Chris Harris.. Great Driver and repeated the same process over and over incorrectly. It's not FWD it's not RWD It's Quattro and he tried to drive it like he knew it and proved he did not. Too many think they get it and just don't so few get the chance to experience it and don't understand it thus negative comments fly

http://quattrofever.blogspot.com/2009/04/oversteer.html... watch him learn...SCHOOL'S IN how many times did he realy do it wrong wow!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHxMWEMHYxY&feature=related S5 School Drift ..this ain't new stuff

Trust what you know not what you read!!!

The first time he's got it right other than the R8... How many times did he get it wrong and then sit down in front of the keyboard?????Hmmm

I95SPEEDINGTICKETS - 5/29/2009 7:14:57 PM

0 Boost

Thats exactly what i tried to tell the IDIOTs on this site. Not every auto reviewer knows how to drive and so their reviews should be taken with a grain of salt.

Real Drivers that know Quattro's Ability will choose this over any Cayman/S especially as this has the Rear Torque Bias.

The rest of the armchair warriors here will continue with typing and will probably never get anywhere near these types of vehicles.

investor27 - 5/29/2009 4:37:21 PM

+5 Boost

Wow! Same price as the Cayman S. Now the 09 DPK Cayman S can be bought for around $8,000 below the MSRP here in the US this month, and you know Audi's don't discount their RS cars at all. The Cayman S is a pure sports car, and it can be had at a great value. But that's not to say that this TT-RS is short of the mark! In fact, the more comfortable ride of the RS and the straight line, raw power are what others may be looking for. Not everyone wants to tackle every corner like a race-car driver. I think the RS will appeal to a different type of buyers. I don't see any cross shopping between the Porsche Cayman S and the Audi TT-RS buyers. These two are apples and oranges. Two different market. One is a pure sports car, and with the 18" wheels and PASM, the Porsche Cayman S will rival (if not better) the Audi TT-RS in ride comfort. The other is just a luxurious coupe with straight-line performance, but lack the superb steering feel, balance handling, and agility of the Porsche Cayman S.

Personally, I'll take the Cayman S over the TT-RS.

chewy - 5/29/2009 6:22:43 PM

+2 Boost

Converted prices are pointless. TT RS starts @ 55,800 Euros in Germany and Cayman S starts @ 61,976 Euros.

I95SPEEDINGTICKETS - 5/29/2009 7:24:05 PM

+2 Boost

CHEWY

I told you guys before, the prices will not start at 55,000 Euros. It will most likely start at 48,000 Euros.

I don't know why you guys cannot do some simple thinking before regurgitating the stuff you read online.

A TT RS will not cost more than an S5 hence it cannot cost over £45,000 GBP or 48,000 Euros base.

Simple Common Sense.

AlexTx - 5/29/2009 6:06:08 PM

-2 Boost

And yet you will see some TT-RS pushing over 400hp really soon.... and blow away the Porsche.
Dont get me wrong, I love the Porsche, but unlike the Edmunds guys say, the Flat 6 has NOTHING... NOTHING on the sound of the 5 cylinder....

ThierryHenry14 - 5/29/2009 7:14:44 PM

+2 Boost

I never liked edmunds. Still don't, never will...

Though I know it will never be like the class leader, the cayman, it is more of a fashion car (though Audi will beg the differ), than a true driver's car. Its just like the SLK55. That car, no matter how they try to make it aggressive and fast, will be more show than for the performance.

dhkss2002 - 5/30/2009 10:38:49 AM

+1 Boost

To heck with quattro, ATTESSA is far superior. Check out the latest test in Autobild where the GT-R and the 997 turbo kick the living hell out of the R8 V10. Quattro, Smathro...

EIII - 5/30/2009 7:05:00 PM

+1 Boost

I find it shocking to hear some of you decide what you would take over something else you haven't even put your arse in the seat of not to mention driven. I guess your driving will be that percieved ( great)also??? You sound like a bunch of women making decisions from across the room. Let me know who wants to go to school..
On this TT RS article Question didn't the writer say that the TT RS never ran out of grip??? Do you know what that means??? It means that the slip or loss of control point for the car was beyond his driving skill level duh! think guys come on. Anyone driven and R8? I know it's capable of things that I can't do. Why do you think so many get wrecked?
The car is amazing,,,, are you???