As you read this our Matt is off driving the
new TT RS
; while we await his first impressions Audi has confirmed a few additional details like pricing and availability in the UK. Assuming you're up to speed with the basics of its "character building" (Audi's words) 400hp five-cylinder turbo motor, 3.7-second 0-62 time, S Tronic-only transmission choice and 174mph top speed you'll no doubt be keen to hear them.
To the chase; coupe pricing starts at £51,800 with the Roadster version yours for £53,550 with orders opening later this month and first UK deliveries in November. To that base price you can add the Dynamic Package (does this imply something about the standard set-up? Matt, we're waiting...) that bundles RS Sport Suspension with Magnetic Ride dampers you can control via the Audi Drive Select. Upgrade further to Dynamic Package Plus to score that increase to 174mph over the usual 155mph limiter.
Standard wheels are cast 19-inch five-spokes in silver, matt titanium or gloss black with similar options for the unique to RS (and cost option) 20-inch seven-spoke wheels. Matrix OLED rear lights - previously seen on the BMW M4 GTS - are a first on a production Audi and contain the TT and RS logos within their pattern. These are, predictably, an option over and above the regular LED lights with their dynamic indicators and can be matched up front with Matrix LED headlights. Expect both to be popular with TT fashionistas seeking to make their mark in the retinas of fellow drivers. And there's the first tick on your 'lazy Audi stereotypes' scorecard... Brakes are eight-pot on steel rotors mounted to aluminium bells; carbon ceramics are there for "especially committed drivers" with pricing for all of the above options to be confirmed.
What else might tempt you for this kind of money? Well, if you're after a diametrically opposed dynamic experience for £55K you could have a Lotus Exige Sport 350 with a 350hp supercharged 3.5-litre V6, kerbweight a few hundred kilos less and, let's put this tactfully, more minimalist feel to the interior. Similarly pared back but, perhaps, a little more exotic would be the Alfa Romeo 4C, both cars appealing to the more hardcore driver but neither likely to tempt too many Audi drivers with their focus on weight-saving and feedback over gizmos and squishy dashboards.
The most obvious rival that can take the fight to the TT on both scores would be the
718 Cayman
, the 350hp S starting at £48,834 to give you a slight head start into the options spend. It is, of course, down on horsepower and cylinder count compared with the RS - emotive factors that will play strongly for the Audi given the general outcry over the Boxster and Cayman going from flat-sixes to turbo fours. A topic discussed at length in
our recent videoblog
. Nor can you ignore the charms of
the BMW M2
at this price point, its six-cylinder engine and heroic rear-driven handling obvious attractions.
We'll await Matt's driving impressions but against this lot we'd be surprised if the TT can overcome fundamental issues like less favourable weight distribution and a front-biased four-wheel drive system when it comes to the dynamic delights. On the flipside the sheer firepower, and the noise of that turbo five-cylinder, will impress as much as those natty lights.
In its press release Audi seems willing to pour fuel on the fire ignited by keyboard warriors claiming a TT RS is basically an R8 on the cheap by saying its performance "merits comparison with the supercar elite", a bold statement given it's still a Haldex-driven car with a transverse, front-mounted engine and shares its fundamentals with MQB-platformed Golfs, Octavias, A3s, Leons and many others. Whether it really lives up to this promise is something we'll know very shortly...