

If you flip the gearbox into manual mode, the whole scale flashes red like an arcade game when you reach 7,000 rpm, urging you to shift and continue your assault on physics. In the TT RS, there’s a race-themed RS mode that puts the tachometer in the forefront, while also displaying tire pressure, torque, and g-force off to the side.
Audi tt rs driver#
The 12.3-inch Virtual Cockpit display - also found on the new A4, Q5, Q7, and R8 - displays Google Earth 3D maps in vibrant color and is completely configurable to driver preference. This is a car meant to be driven.Įven the vehicle’s tech reflects that. Yes, the TT RS can he hushed and toned down for daily driving use, but make no mistake, Mr. But like the troubled doctor himself, the car is a cocktail of civility and hostility. It was just a really nice place to be, and quiet too, unless you mash it. The leather RS sport seats were supportive and soft, all of the plastics were high-quality, and there were carbon fiber and aluminum accents aplenty. Leaving Madrid, I was really enjoying the Dr. The TT RS hooked me the first time I heard its five-cylinder bark
Audi tt rs plus#
There is a stiffer fixed suspension option with the Dynamic Plus package, but if I’m honest, the magnetic dampers suit the car’s dual personality better. In essence, the TT RS turns into a luxury car with the flip of the switch. Switching into Comfort softens the standard magnetic suspension nicely and lightens up the direct ratio steering, while also reining in the powertrain a bit and muzzling the exhaust.

Like many modern cars, the TT RS features a drive mode selector with four settings - Comfort, Auto, Dynamic, and Individual. Track session over, I left my racing helmet behind and ventured onto the public roads around Madrid. I found the seven-speed S tronic gearbox a joy to use as well, and even though I missed the manual option, the dual-clutch was lightning quick and very responsive. I had Quattro to thank for that, which uses a multi-plate clutch to distribute power to each wheel as needed. I could easily swing the back end around Jarama’s tighter corners if I felt like it, but the car never lost its composure or felt twitchy. What the TT RS does offer is absurdly flat handling and amazing control. Audis are sometimes criticized for feeling sterile and detached, but there’s absolutely none of that here. That means when you put your foot down, the coupe just screams forward like a jet launching from an aircraft carrier.

Made almost entirely from aluminum, the power plant is significantly lighter than its predecessor, and it’s been designed to offer peak torque right off idle at 1,700 rpm. I personally saw the car manage it in 3.5 seconds using Launch Control on the track straightaway, and I heard rumblings of engineers slashing that time down to 3.2 seconds. With Quattro all-wheel drive’s vice-like grip the road, 0 to 60 comes in just 3.7 seconds … officially. Like the original TT RS, the 2017 model is powered by a turbocharged 2.5-liter five-cylinder, but this time around, it’s been completely retooled to produce 400 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque. Clearly, the vehicle I was about to drive wasn’t your average TT. It sounded guttural, powerful, almost primal. Though I’d seen photos of the car beforehand, I didn’t feel truly connected to it until I heard the wail of its incredible five-cylinder engine ricocheting off the Spanish tarmac. My introduction to the TT RS came across the world at the Jarama Circuit in Madrid, Spain. In the automotive world however, more is often more, and with that in mind I’d like to introduce you to the 2017 TT RS - a car that offers more power, more tech, and most importantly, more fun. It looks sharp, it’s a blast to drive, and it’s stuffed to the gills with cool tech like Audi’s vibrant Virtual Cockpit. Performance and luxury go hand-in-hand in the TT RS - a stellar example of the modern supercar.īy most accounts, the third-generation Audi TT is a great little car.
