Wednesday 30th October 2013

Audi TT RS Mk1: Spotted

Yes, that title is correct, but you can't actually buy it...

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Though perhaps not the most glamorous automotive celebration of the year, 30 years of Audi's Quattro GmbH was one we didn't want to see pass by. Neither did Audi, which is why it's currently exhibiting a 30th anniversary display at the Audi Forum Neckarsulm.

Looks like a standard TT from here...

Its predominantly the newer RS-badged stuff and the motorsport cars on show, but there's one TT that has rather caught our attention. Yes really, a TT. The Imola Yellow Mk1 you see here was the development car for a proposed TT RS Mk1.

Doesn't look much, does it? But there's far more to this TT than meets the eye. Its engine is the same Cosworth-tuned 2.7-litre twin-turbo V6 from the original B5 RS4, which you'd imagine would make for a rather rapid TT. But engines in the Mk1 TT had to be mounted transversely, whilst the RS4's engines sat longitudinally. Hence the only V6 in the first TT being the 3.2 VR6.

So what you're looking at here isn't a TT at all. It's an RS4 platform and running gear with 170mm taken out ahead of the fuel tank and a TT body dropped on top. Unconventional yes, but a very cool piece of engineering nonetheless.

Certainly not from here though!

Furthermore, the logic behind the project is entirely sensible, rather than being an engineer's flight of fancy. According to quattro's product boss Stephen Reil, the project was started simply because Audi felt a sports car was needed to sit with the RS4 in the product range. No R8 back then, of course.

This TT development car was used for about a year and a half after it was built, recording around 20,000km in that time. Reil claims it was faster than contemporary 911s; how we'd like to find out!

But the first TT RS of course never made production. Rather like the Sport Quattro concept of a few years back, it's another fascinating 4WD coupe concept that didn't see the light of day. The rather labour-intensive construction process will surely have counted against it. The fastest Mk1 TT remains the quietly impressive TT Sport. The Mk2 TT RS, ironically enough with less power than this car, is now available from just over £25K.

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AUDI TT RS MK1 PROTOTYPE
Engine: 2,671cc twin-turbo V6
Transmission: Six-speed manual, four-wheel drive
Power (hp): 380@6,100-7,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 324lb ft@2,500-6,000rpm
MPG: 23.5 (EC combined RS4 Avant)
CO2: 288g/km (RS4 Avant)
First registered: Well, it was built in 2001
Recorded mileage: 20,000 km (12,400 miles)
Price new: Not actually sold
Yours for: It's a museum exhibit...

[Source: Fourtitude via Jalopnik]

 

[tomoleeds]

There is the MK1 TT 3.2 with 225 bhp not in the same league as this but only £4- £6 k

[Visionist]

That would have been a right little cracker.

Still the best interior I've ever sat in. Six figure priced cars included.

[exceed]

I'll start the bid at £20.00 and a pint of Guinness.

Manufacturers need to stop teasing us with these prototypes, should have released it before the R8 as a stop gap halo car.

Maybe cost was too prohibitive with no real mention here of indicated price!

[Richard-G]

you can't buy it?

well show me to the nearest tall building, i cant live with that.

[sandman77]

tomoleeds said:

There is the MK1 TT 3.2 with 225 bhp not in the same league as this but only £4- £6 k

The 3.2 TT had about 250hp.

[Amirhussain]

Love that, and the colour, Imola Yellow?

[Guffy]

fastest hairdresser in the west...

[Wammer]

How longs it going to be before someone posts a YouTube clip or a link to someone's attempt at this.

[aka_kerrly]

That's cool, I expect there are far more of these type of creations that are yet to surface.

You could build something reasonably similar using a 3.2VR6 + turbos but it's not the same as saying you have a RS4 with a TT body on top.

No doubt there will still be all sorts of wild suggestions that the car will understeer, have no steering feel, have too stiff suspension, be only suitable for your mrs to drive to the shops in.;)

[Richair]

What could have been!?.. Building this could have given the TT a lot more credibility amongst us lot, but then I suppose they didn't exactly struggle with sales.

I like it.

[PHMatt]

So basically Audi crossed an RS4 with a TT in exactly the same way the Ford crossed an Escort and a Sierra RS Cosworth 4x4 in 1992
Well done on being innovative. Well done.

[BBS-LM]

Never new about this car at all, what a great story, shame it never went into production, maybe this is why it never seen the light of day. " Reil claims it was faster than contemporary 911s"?

[stolenink]

Ah, Tubro power... All together now - "I get knocked down, but I get up again!..."

A'hem.

I'll get my coat...

[Remagel2507]

Always love seeing these working concepts a bit like all of the ones BMW has stored away in a car park somewhere. I do think its a massive shame though, I reckon some of these could have really taken off. Though I doubt this PHer feels the same http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[aka_kerrly]

Richair said:

Building this could have given the TT a lot more credibility amongst us lot,

It would have a lot more credibility among petrolheads if instead of relying on stereotypes and Clarksonism's people went and tried one themselves before forming an opinion.

[Matt Bird]

stolenink said:

Ah, Tubro power... All together now - "I get knocked down, but I get up again!..."

A'hem.

I'll get my coat...

Good spot! It's been corrected now, no more tub thumping unfortunately...


Matt

[Hellbound]

Mk2's will start dipping below decent mk1 values and I don't see ropey TT values falling any further.

Like it or loathe it, the mk1 is destined to be a classic.

[j_s14a]

I think the MK1 TT is too numerous to be a true classic.

It's a shame, because aesthetically the MK1 TT coupe was a departure from convention. Ironic that subsequent Audis are about as conventional as cars get.

[CraigyMc]

sandman77 said:

tomoleeds said:

There is the MK1 TT 3.2 with 225 bhp not in the same league as this but only £4- £6 k

The 3.2 TT had about 250hp.

Yup.

They also made a 1.8T called the Quattro Sport later on in the production run, with 240bhp.

[TaylotS2K]

Looks very similar to the ABT TT. Certainly the rear wing. Although it doesn't have the terrible alloys the ABT one had.