Quick information

🏎️ Audi TT RS 1st gen. 8J
📍 Germany
🛠️ 5-cylinder in-line 2.5 450NM 340HP
💨 4,6 seconds
🔝 250km/h (which become 280km/h under request)
💶 No longer on sale

What is it?

The first generation of the Audi TT RS is a high-performance car that serves as a supersport version of the second generation of the TT, codenamed “8J”. Although the TT 8J was presented in 2006, the debut of the RS in the Coupe and Roadster versions dates back to 2009. When it came out, the TT RS was a unique car in its genre. The TT RS was also the only RS car that was not built in the same factory as all the other RS models. As a matter of fact, These cars were built in Hungary and not in Germany.

Design

The RS clearly shares its aesthetic with the contemporary TT and TT S but boasts some distinctive elements, such as a flashy spoiler, two wide aluminum exhausts, and 19-inch alloy rims. The interior is characterized by the typical Audi sobriety, although the many details with the “RS” logo and the sports seats make it immediately clear to passengers that they are sitting in a sports car. While the mass of the car stands at 1450 kilos, the dimensions are 4,19 x 1,84 meters.

Mechanics

The introduction of the TT RS marks the debut of one of the most successful Audi engines: the 5-cylinder in-line that will undergo numerous improvements over the years and will be adopted in other models, such as the RS3 and RSQ3, as well as on the second generation of the TT RS itself. This 2.5 motor initially delivered 340HP and 450NM, taking the RS from 0 to 100 km/h in 4,6 seconds as regards the Coupe variant. In 2012 the Plus version was also introduced, in which the 5-cylinder was raised to 360HP and 465NM and makes the TT RS Coupe jump from 0 to 100 in 4,2 seconds. Top speed is limited to 250 km/h unless specifically requested to have it bumped up to 280km/h. The traction is the typical AWD “Audi Quattro”, which gives great stability and control to the car. The gearbox can be either 6-speed manual or 7-speed “S-Tronic” automatic/sequential. The double-clutch makes the gearbox very responsive. The USA only got the 8J TT RS in 2012 and 2013, and all of them had 360HP and a 6-speed manual gearbox.

Competitions

In 2010 Audi collaborated with Raeder Motorsport to participate in the Veranstaltergemeinschaft Langstreckenpokal Nürburgring, in which the car, which took the name of TT RS VLN, won in the “SP 4T” class. The VLN is very similar to the road model but features more efficient aerodynamics.

Our vote: ⭐⭐⭐⭐️ (4/5)