Firstly, it's that five cylinder engine that on top of giving the car such a boisterous character, pays homage to the original Quattro's of the eighties that hasn't seen a lump with that capacity under the bonnet until now.
Then you've got the tasteful and purposeful bodykit slapped around the dimensions of the car adding to the visual drama at standstill and in your rear view.
Even though I never had the chance to drive the base TT on our roads, the brief chance I got earlier in the year to push the TTS around the Sepang circuit up north didn't do much in changing my mind about the car being something of a comfort mobile more than anything else.
But that's exactly what the car is, isn't it?
So imagine my surprise when Audi announced that they'll be RS'ing their TT line.
Now, unlike its German counterparts who create performance spin-offs on most of their lines, the guys at Audi only chooses one lucky line of cars to be graced by the hands at quattro GmbH at any one time.
So when they do come out with such a line, the world pays attention.
Even more so when Audi talks about how the TT RS, with its engine setup, will pay homage to the original Quattro's of the eighties.
Certainly big shoes to fill.
Then you've got the tasteful and purposeful bodykit slapped around the dimensions of the car adding to the visual drama at standstill and in your rear view.
Even though I never had the chance to drive the base TT on our roads, the brief chance I got earlier in the year to push the TTS around the Sepang circuit up north didn't do much in changing my mind about the car being something of a comfort mobile more than anything else.
But that's exactly what the car is, isn't it?
So imagine my surprise when Audi announced that they'll be RS'ing their TT line.
Now, unlike its German counterparts who create performance spin-offs on most of their lines, the guys at Audi only chooses one lucky line of cars to be graced by the hands at quattro GmbH at any one time.
So when they do come out with such a line, the world pays attention.
Even more so when Audi talks about how the TT RS, with its engine setup, will pay homage to the original Quattro's of the eighties.
Certainly big shoes to fill.
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Part of being an RS comes from the visual impact of the car from its lesser brethrens.
So the TT, very civilized in normal guise, has been slapped with an aggressively formed bumper with air dams on either side.
The drama thickens as you move past the front to the wheel arches that have been given a severely blistered look to accommodate the 19 inch alloy's that fill up the gaps with great conviction. Beautiful as they are, the five-spoke design is just about thin enough to give away hints of the glossy black RS logo calipers at the front.
Without the permanently fixed spoiler at the rear (mechanical one is an option), passerby's won't be having too much trouble telling this apart from say the TTS since the RS has additional sporty touches like the unpolished wing mirrors, a rear diffuser at the back, some R8-esque twin pipes below the bumper and two very unmistakable TTRS badges at the front and the rear.
All this with the LED day-light lamps and you're left with a package that changes the stance of the car quite a bit and hints at the cars capabilities.
Overall they've kept it tasteful and not overdone which works well for Audi's first ever attempt at RS-ing a roadster.
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Interior
Inside its typical Audi with the now familiar clean layout of buttons and knobs covered in soft quality rubber and hard solid plastics that have made these guys a benchmark when it comes to the insides of a car.
The RS we took out came in a sports nappa leather seat that was comfortable enough although I would have though some alcantara somewhere around the cabin could have been an appropriate touch for such a breed.
Seating position is highly adjustable as well with the electronically enhanced seats and the steering wheel that reaches and tilts to your demands.
Besides the TTRS badge at the bottom of the steering wheel and the stitched TTRS impressions on the backrests, the car does away with over branding and overwhelming the driver of the car he's in when driving.
With the adoption of a folding fabric top instead of a hard top, the TTRS manages to pry itself away from adding too much extra weight (60kg) on the car and aids the usual dilemma facing these kind of vehicles - boot space.
Down 50 litres from the Coupe, the boot space is still abundant by cabriolet standards and the only thing you'd be having problems with is getting large bulky items loaded through the pigeon hole of a loading mouth.
Driving Impressions
Like with any performance model from Audi, the TTRS really comes to life and brings you back to life at the same time when the ignition is turned and the car put through its paces.
Inside its typical Audi with the now familiar clean layout of buttons and knobs covered in soft quality rubber and hard solid plastics that have made these guys a benchmark when it comes to the insides of a car.
The RS we took out came in a sports nappa leather seat that was comfortable enough although I would have though some alcantara somewhere around the cabin could have been an appropriate touch for such a breed.
Seating position is highly adjustable as well with the electronically enhanced seats and the steering wheel that reaches and tilts to your demands.
Besides the TTRS badge at the bottom of the steering wheel and the stitched TTRS impressions on the backrests, the car does away with over branding and overwhelming the driver of the car he's in when driving.
With the adoption of a folding fabric top instead of a hard top, the TTRS manages to pry itself away from adding too much extra weight (60kg) on the car and aids the usual dilemma facing these kind of vehicles - boot space.
Down 50 litres from the Coupe, the boot space is still abundant by cabriolet standards and the only thing you'd be having problems with is getting large bulky items loaded through the pigeon hole of a loading mouth.
Driving Impressions
Like with any performance model from Audi, the TTRS really comes to life and brings you back to life at the same time when the ignition is turned and the car put through its paces.
Most of the RS owners wouldn't bother getting this car tight into a corner and cleanly out of it when driving. So with it being my responsibility to test these machines solely so you can base your purchase decisions on it (I swear I didn't enjoy it), it's without biasness that I can sincerely tell you, this car grips like a raging bull latched onto the red on Superman's Speedo's.
Not only did this front-engine machine feel so composed and balanced into corners but the rear-biased differential does a really good job in getting the power down as soon as your foot hits the pedal, making for a very clean and satisfying exit.
And why wouldn't it when you've got a stonking 2.5-litre forced induced in-line five-cylinder engine sitting calmly under the bonnet.
A throwback to the in-line five's used back when Axle Rose still had an attitude, this particular model musters up an enviable 340bhp and massive 450Nm of torque that not only comes low in the rpm range, but lasts all the way through the band.
A word of advice for any potential owners reading this. If, like me before, you seem to have already decided on taking the Coupe because you like its shape and that it's more rigid than the cabriolet, I would suggest strongly against it.
Why? Well, you'd have to put the top down with the pedal to the metal and your hands slickly shifting through the six-speed gate to understand what I'm getting at. Oh, and make sure you've got the Sport button turned on. With "S" lighted, it means the flap in the exhaust has just opened.
Unlike the engine from the Focus RS that sounded like a V8 engine, the similarly displaced one in the TTRS didn't have the same harmonious and soothing melody but its throatier tune matched the Focus's score on the "hair-on-neck-standing" scale.
Steering was a tad on the lighter side though, and took away a little of the RS's hard-edged, hair-trigger image it seems to be carving out for itself within its younger admirers.
Not only did this front-engine machine feel so composed and balanced into corners but the rear-biased differential does a really good job in getting the power down as soon as your foot hits the pedal, making for a very clean and satisfying exit.
And why wouldn't it when you've got a stonking 2.5-litre forced induced in-line five-cylinder engine sitting calmly under the bonnet.
A throwback to the in-line five's used back when Axle Rose still had an attitude, this particular model musters up an enviable 340bhp and massive 450Nm of torque that not only comes low in the rpm range, but lasts all the way through the band.
A word of advice for any potential owners reading this. If, like me before, you seem to have already decided on taking the Coupe because you like its shape and that it's more rigid than the cabriolet, I would suggest strongly against it.
Why? Well, you'd have to put the top down with the pedal to the metal and your hands slickly shifting through the six-speed gate to understand what I'm getting at. Oh, and make sure you've got the Sport button turned on. With "S" lighted, it means the flap in the exhaust has just opened.
Unlike the engine from the Focus RS that sounded like a V8 engine, the similarly displaced one in the TTRS didn't have the same harmonious and soothing melody but its throatier tune matched the Focus's score on the "hair-on-neck-standing" scale.
Steering was a tad on the lighter side though, and took away a little of the RS's hard-edged, hair-trigger image it seems to be carving out for itself within its younger admirers.
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Should you buy it?
Yes if you've got $297,800 (at 12 May 2010) to spare!
Then again if you're looking to score yourself a sports car, you wouldn't be looking at the TTRS roadster.
Unlike its more cut out and much more ordinary sibling, the TT, the RS version feels great when driving, produces a sound that almost justifies the price, a gear-box that is slick enough to operate for normal drivers and has the mental bodykit to boot.
Such a gem of machinery is the in-line five that it has left so much more of an impression on me than the R8 V10 did.
Audi will probably be happy if they moved a handful of units but with the COE still high in the sky, it's just a pity such a memorable experience is pretty much unreachable for most of us.
Yes if you've got $297,800 (at 12 May 2010) to spare!
Then again if you're looking to score yourself a sports car, you wouldn't be looking at the TTRS roadster.
Unlike its more cut out and much more ordinary sibling, the TT, the RS version feels great when driving, produces a sound that almost justifies the price, a gear-box that is slick enough to operate for normal drivers and has the mental bodykit to boot.
Such a gem of machinery is the in-line five that it has left so much more of an impression on me than the R8 V10 did.
Audi will probably be happy if they moved a handful of units but with the COE still high in the sky, it's just a pity such a memorable experience is pretty much unreachable for most of us.
