First drive TT RS

Left foot pressing the brake. Right foot pinning the accelerator pedal wide open. The engine of the new TT RS Coupe spins up, stutters, settles. With the car’s Launch Control software now holding revs steady in the middle of the tachometer dial, it’s time to find out what the latest in Audi’s long line of famous fives can do.

What happens when the brakes are released is savage but smooth. There’s no wheelspin as the first-gear clutch of the S-tronic transmission bites. Torque flows through the quattro all-wheel drive system to all four of the TT RS’s broad tyres, and the car bursts forward.

First gear is over in a turbo-boosted rush. The upshift to second is heard more than felt. There’s virtually no pause in the surge of acceleration, but the pitch of the five-cylinder rasp deepens as engine revs drop for the higher gear.

This fluid ferocity delivers truly extraordinary performance. Audi’s conservative engineers say the new TT RS Coupe can, in the right circumstances, sometimes better the official 0-100km/h performance claim of 3.7 seconds. Such a number, only a few years ago, was the territory of the ultra-exotic and hyper-expensive. 

From the middle of 2017, when the TT RS Coupe is scheduled to arrive in Australian showrooms, the price of supercar-style acceleration will be around $145,000*.

While this new Audi’s performance is something special, the TT RS is significant for other reasons. The five-cylinder engine that makes it so explosively quick off the line is essentially an all-new design. One of the few things unchanged is the 2480 cubic centimetre engine capacity, but almost every working part of the engine has been redesigned.

Instead of cast iron, the new 2.5 TFSI’s engine block is made from aluminium. While forged steel is still used for the crankshaft, it’s been slimmed and trimmed. The oil sump is now a magnesium casting, not aluminium. A complete rethink of the cylinder head brings improved inlet tracts and adds variable exhaust valve timing. The single turbocharger is bigger than before, with larger diameter turbine (+2mm) and impeller (+3mm).

These changes yield increases in, well, everything. Fuel efficiency is also improved, maximum torque rises to 480Nm and maximum power, most important number of all, jumps to 294kW. This extra 29kW means the new 2.5 TFSI delivers exactly double the power of the turbo five-cylinder engine of the original, and legendary, Audi Quattro of 1980.

According to Philipp Ade, technical project manager for the five-cylinder engine, work on the new 2.5 TFSI began back in 2012. With four years of engineering expertise invested in the update, it’s clear Audi remains firmly committed to keeping its five alive. In an automotive environment that’s growing ever more conformist, it’s good to know someone is dedicated to preserving a rare species of engine.     

Weighing 26kg less than the engine it replaces, the redesigned 2.5 TFSI also benefits the handling of the new TT RS. With less weight over its front wheels the handling is better balanced than before.

Audi based the international launch of the TT RS at the Circuito del Jarama. Opened in the 1960s, this racetrack outside Madrid was once used for Formula One. It’s a technical and challenging place, perfect for highlighting the Audi’s astonishing grip and accurate handling.

Most impressive are the way it slows for the circuit’s tighter corners and then squirts out of them. The TT RS is equipped with XL-size front brake discs clamped by eight-piston calipers, and they’re plenty powerful. And its specifically tuned quattro all-wheel-drive system is equally effective.

Even when the car’s full capability isn’t being exploited on a historic Spanish racetrack, there’s plenty to enjoy from the driver’s seat of the TT RS. The steering wheel isn’t like lesser TT models. Instead, it’s the same as that in the new Audi R8.

This means there are two satellite buttons, one for engine start-stop and another for cycling through the car’s Drive Select options. There’s also a View button to select the display shown on the TT RS’s standard, and brilliant, Virtual Cockpit display screen. As well as the usual Classic and Infotainment options, there’s an RS view, which puts the tachometer front and centre. The RS-specific sport seats are firmly supportive, in line with the car’s sporty-driving mission.

That this is a car built for speed is even more obvious from outside. With its lower ride height (-10mm), big wheels, wide tyres, fixed rear wing, large-diameter twin elliptical tailpipes and sharp-looking snout, there’s no room for doubt.

The TT RS also introduces a brand-new technology for Audi. It’s the first model offered with tail-lights using the same OLED (organic light-emitting diode) technology as the latest generation of television screens. The illumination of the four red-glowing OLED wafers in each light cluster is carefully choreographed, which makes simply locking or unlocking the car something of a show.

Audi hasn’t yet decided whether the OLED taillight option, which would cost around $1500, will be offered in Australia. And a decision is yet to be made about whether to import the TT RS Roadster as well as the Coupe.

What is certain, though, is that the TT RS is a real thriller. Thanks mainly to that lively five in its engine compartment.

*Pricing and specifications for the Australian launch of TT RS Coupe is yet to be confirmed.