Audi TT RS – Is this your baby R8?

By Lawrence Minnie 

When the Audi R8 V10 Plus was launched in South Africa, I had the pleasure of piloting it around the freshly rebuilt Kyalami Race Circuit. To say that it was mental would be an understatement. In fact, the R8 made such an impression on me that it became the yardstick by which all other sports cars I’ve driven have been benchmarked.

Now, this review isn’t about the R8, but rather a car that comes across as a similar, smaller, and more affordable variation on the same theme, the Audi TT RS.

Separated at birth

The TT RS doesn’t look anything like the R8 from the outside, but just one glance tells you that there is a lot going on under the skin. The first giveaway is the 20-inch, seven spoke, titanium look wheels, attempting to hide the huge brake rotors and their attendant bright red calipers. If you need that much stopping power there has to be a powerful motor under the bonnet, right?

The body has an aggressive appearance thanks to the ground effects from the side skirts, as well as the blacked out rear diffusor and large bore tail pipes, but the party piece here is the front end. Sharp edges and angry lines tie in with the Quattro badging, making for a mean looking machine that will gobble up kilometers of tar and possibly the odd errant pedestrian as well.

Interior fitment for what?

Climbing into the TT RS, it immediately becomes apparent where you are. It’s not sparse, but it is minimalist. Audi has deleted everything you don’t need and highlighted the things you do. Gone is the large center-mounted screen and any unnecessary switches and toggles - you only need three of those, after all: Engine Start, Drive Select and the all-important Active Exhaust button just to let people know you’re passing them. Meanwhile, copious amounts of suede and textured aluminium trimmings signal that this is a serious performance machine.

There are a few extras available, if you really want them. Our test car was fitted with a reverse camera, electric seat adjustment, and a Bang and Olufsen sound system, but to be honest, none of these are any more enticing than the sound track from the engine.

The TT is a two door Sports Coupe but it has 4 seats. There’s the beautiful front seats, covered in a supple quilted leather, and then there’s the rear passenger area… I can’t really call these seats, as there is practically no leg room at all, so it’s really just a place to put your jacket or handbag. Who needs passengers anyway? The only thing you need are the voices in your head telling you to go faster!

I am speed

This is where we get to why the TT RS is so much like its big brother, the R8. Its quick, and not just fast. In fact, the underpinnings, drive train and engine of the TT behave so much like the R8 that it’s quite uncanny.

The TT is powered by a 2.5l turbo charged 5-cylinder petrol engine which punches out 294 kW and 480Nm, and in a car which weighs about as much as my Aunt Cecilia, that makes for a genuinely rapid car.

So it’s clearly fast in a straight line, but it’s when you get to the corners that the TT RS really surprises. Turning into a corner will see your retinas detach, just because it changes direction so very quickly. There is almost no body roll at all, and the steering so direct that you almost feel as if YOU are over compensating in the turn. It never feels as if the back end is going to step out on you, but stays true at all times. That’s all thanks to the Dynamic Ride Control System combined with Audi’s Quattro drivetrain.

The power from the engine gets transferred to the tarmac by a 7 speed S-Tronic transmission via the Quattro all-wheel drive system. It’s extremely effective, with the torque instantaneously sent to the wheels with the most traction.

When we said it was fast, we weren’t joking either: the 0-100 km/h sprint happens in just 3.7 seconds, according to Audi’s claims, and based on the brutal acceleration on offer, those claims are spot on. The party piece of the TT RS has got to be the active exhaust, as it burbles and crackles on the overrun, sending tingles up and down your spine. Add the 5-cylinder engine’s bassy, off-beat rumble to the equation, and the experience becomes quite addictive. That is most likely why it gave me flashbacks to hurtling around Kyalami in the V10.

When you couple this exceptional handling and power with minimal weight, what you end up with is essentially a rocket ship painted in a stunning Ara blue.

There is a cost though, and it will be your fuel consumption figures. We were able to get the TT RS down to around 9.1 litres per 100km when applying some serious self-control, but during spirited driving those figures deteriorated to around 14 l/100 km.

Realistically, you could expect to get around 480km in range from the 55l tank, if you mostly behave yourself.

In the end

The Audi TT RS is unapologetically true to what it is. It’s fast, loud and sometimes obnoxious, and if the bright red brakes and suede interior trim don’t convince you of that, then you are buying the wrong car. It’s not very practical at all, it doesn’t fly under the radar, and you will constantly be asked to rev it by car enthusiasts.

But you will love every second you spend behind the wheel, and it’s the closest you can come to driving an R8 without the attendant massive pricetag. Driving this car made me very happy, as well as glad that car makers are still building purposeful machines for people who love driving.

Model and Price

Audi TT RS Coupé 2.5 TFSI Quattro S Tronic       -       R 971 900

1 year / Unlimited km warranty and 5 year / 100 000km service plan