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So it really isn't difficult for many not to know that this car is actually of a different breed from the regular TT Coupe.
Looking at it from the outside, apart from a loud and wild statement in outrageous orange, hardly anything else would give it away. Yes, some might argue that it has this fin and that lip, but the point is that it never arrived with any feature that really nudged hard at the passing car enthusiast and yearning for a little bit more attention. Even with its four tailpipes, to the inexperienced eye, it could have easily passed off as a simple mod job.
All it had, apart from a prominent colour scheme, were some not very significant styling differences - no bulbous red nose or pointy lime green hat. It could have very well sat in a row of regular TTs and no one would have been able to spot it.
Understandably then, it should receive less attention because it honestly doesn't hold as much substance, right? Err™ no. Wrong. Very, very wrong.
People always say that you can never really find out the true potential of any car on normal roads, only on a track. Oh, and look what we have here - an Audi TTS waiting to be driven on Malaysia's Sepang International Circuit!
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The veins surrounding my temples throbbed hard with each heartbeat and my palms were glistening with sweat. As I gripped the steering hard and gently cruised along the pit lane, I thought to myself, "We've just stepped out of the RS6, which is something that wouldn't hesitate to ram down the gates of hell, run over all the top demons and drag Beelzebub back to Earth on his knees, and making him beg the evil 580 hp V10 to stop. The TTS, on the other hand, has only 272 hp. No sweat."
In reality, just after four corners, my heart was pounding against my ribs like as if it was the mighty V10 banging on the gates of Hades, and I was still desperately trying to recover from the punishing G-forces.
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Cautiously pushing the TTS into Turn 1, the four wheel drive system held on so tightly that if the car had fingers, it would have left stripes of pale skin and blood red marks running along my arms. Tail angle could be delicately and calmly adjusted by little throttle inputs, while the electro-mechanical steering fed back just about the right amount of firmness.
A careful lift-off the accelerator pedal, a quick alignment of the car, and back to a hard left it swerved. Gracefully into Turn 3, the magnetic ride suspension worked its magic to hold the car in a very respectable poise, while the R8 in front of me nimbly wagged its tail. Audi might as well call its suspension system the Magic Carpet.
The next set of turns were getting harder and harder - on my physical fitness more than anything else. Yet, at every corner, the TTS only displayed more finesse and style.
"Pop! Pop! Pop!" the exhausts would go, with plenty of bass and clarity, as I floored the lively little car out of each bend. The two clutches in its S tronic transmission worked seamlessly to manage each gear change as if they were coal miners, given burning hot stones to handle without gloves. As soon as I released the pressure from my fingers after a quick tug on the paddle-shifters, the TTS would already be in the following gear, with 350 Nm of torque and 272 horses ready to burst out again, blitzing towards the next corner.
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Later on, while cooling myself down beside an industrial fan, I could not stop replaying the scenes in my head as at every turn was a huge strain on my lungs, while I was furiously fought to hold in air and keep my body in position while the G-forces viciously attacked. And if it weren't for the supportive sport seats, the laws of physics would probably have broken my ribs, even way before the car lost grip.
The TTS is truly a brilliant concoction of Audi's best bits. You get the 272 hp 2.0-litre engine together with the Audi Space Frame, the four-wheel drive quattro system which gives it breathtaking handling while the God of Lightning shifts gears for you. On top of that, there's the Audi magnetic ride adaptive damping system, which lowers the body by 10 mm in "Sport" mode, that's mated to its McPherson fronts and four-link rear suspension. Neatly place all of that into a beautifully sculpted coupe profile, with matching aerodynamic fins and aggressor-warning pipes, and you get a fusion of one the best modern day mixes of fine art and high technology.
Better still, with a price tag of S$225,000 it's almost perfectly positioned, because there is barely anything in its range that can offer the same experience. There's no doubt in my mind that this is one of today's most brilliant cars that arrived very quietly, waiting for the right connoisseur to sign on the dotted line for it.
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Prior to this, the Audi Sportscar Experience is usually found in Europe where the civilizations there have built great works of art and science, like the Nurburgring and the Paul Ricard Circuit. Recently, though, Audi has brought us this wonderful event.
Held in Sepang at a cost of S$2,100 (free if you happen to own an R8), the Audi Sportscar Experience in December was open only to customers. However, next February, its doors will be opened to interested members of the public.
The sports range of models will be showcasing their prowess and abilities, and you can expect to pilot a range of cars like the RS6 and the TTS.
Professional coaches will first guide participants through various sections of the circuit, imparting knowledge on important skills like tackling oversteer and understeer. After convincing them you can drive around without ending up in a tyre wall, there will be plenty of time spent going round the entire track.
The Audi Sportscar Experience will be available again in February 2009 at the Sepang International Circuit. Interested parties may contact Audi Singapore for more information.
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