A DECADE after it shook up the sports car market, the Audi TT is not going soft but preparing for a game of hardball with the latest addition to this super successful series, the RS versions.
Joining the 75,000 TT models currently on UK roads as the largest world-wide market for the car, the RS also comes as a coupe, which is popular with about 80% of buyers, and a fabric topped Roadster.
It gets the new 340ps 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo engine, six speed gearbox and permanent four-wheel-drive which means the TT gives a massive 234ps of power per tonne but being all-wheel drive just 85ps of power at each wheel so traction is guaranteed.
This year Audio expects to sell around 7,300 TTs in the UK and 160 units of the RS Coupe and 40 of the RS Roadster will be available but 90 customers have already placed orders out of a total of 120 units currently reserved by Audi dealerships.
In 2010 there will be 320 TT RS Coupe and 80 TT RS Roadster units for sale in Britain. Current prices are £42,985 for the TT RS Coupe and £33,885 for the TT RS Roadster, plus added cost options.
Audi has also added 1.8-litre TFSI 160ps petrol engine option to the TT Roadster range and introduced a new 2.0-litre TFSI 200ps petrol engine for Coupe and Roadster models. TT coupe prices start from £25,420 and Roadster soft top models from £23,915.
Jon Zammett, head of Audi's UK Public Relations said at the launch of the TT RS quattro models: 'Despite the downturn in the new car market we are not having a new model drought. We have seen an avalanche of new models, 17 new or revised models, engines or transmissions in 2008 alone and last year for Audi was our 13th record year of sales worldwide with an increase of 4.1% to 1,003,469 cars sold'.
It is this growth in adding new and additional models and model ranges to the Audi line-up that has seen them become the number one German premium car brand in the UK this year talking over from BMW. Audi's UK market share of new car sales is now over 5% with nearly 47,000 new car sold. Audi have moved from 15 to 31 model ranges in 10 years and this will rise to 40 by 2015.
Describing the new RS versions of the TT is all about figures, power, torque with the 155mph top speed, derestricted at extra cost by a dealer, going up to 174mph for track use. In normal road use the 0-62mph time is just 4.6 seconds. The combined fuel economy is 31mpg, the CO2 emissions 214g/km and there is a six-speed short throw, close ratio manual transmission.
Clever engine and exhaust tuning gives the Audi TT RS a distinctive throaty sound, which intensifies in Sport mode, but visually it is different to the rest thanks to revised front air intakes, side sills, different wheels and larger ovoid tailpipes. The fixed rear spoiler can be replaced with a more discreet version which raises and retracts automatically.
Inside, the TT sports interior is finished exclusively in black, with brushed aluminium inlays and aluminium footrests and pedals providing contrast and RS logos adorning the heated Silk Nappa leather sports seats, the thickly-rimmed flat-bottomed steering wheel, the rev counter and the door sill trims.
True to Audi RS form, the standard Driver's Information System has additional displays for boost pressure and oil temperature, and also includes a lap timer for circuit use.
Customers looking for maximum designer tweaks to suit their image can add 19-inch wheels, bucket seats with folding backrests, black or matt aluminium styling packs and even Ibis White or Phantom black painted interior inlays at extra cost, in addition to the latest navigation and multimedia options.
At its launch a decade ago, the original Audi TT impressed with its simplicity and style, its speed and subtlety and to these attributes you now get additional agility and ability to eat up the miles over any type of roads.
The Audi TT RS is not only more eager but also calmer covering distances and it is possible to press on or switch off and enjoy the varied personality of this highly sophisticated sportster.
I briefly drove both Coupe and Roadster and discovered what I lost in visibility in the closed car I did not have to sacrifice when it came to enjoying the open-topped version. The hood opens or closes very quickly and simply and you can even raise or lower the windbreak at the push of a switch.
In convertible form it is very composed and there is no noticeable scuttle shake or rattles while the bootspace is modest but usable. In a sudden heavy shower it never leaked but felt snug and benefitted from the standard climate control to maintain clear windows.
The powertrain is excellent with immediate power pouring out, gearchanges are silky and the steering and brakes are both sharp and responsive.
For a sports car, the ride is good although some bumps can be felt but overall it does a good job at absorbing the regular ripples and bumps. Road noise is there but wind noises are very low.
Whether or not an owner would ever explore the Audi TT RS to the fullest extent must be doubtful, even on a track outing, but it is immensely enjoyable on quiet country roads and if you can say that about a car in today's traffic it has its own inner rewards.
It always feels safe and surefooted and instils confidence and contentment as one.