Audi took the wraps off its new TT-S earlier this year at the Detroit Auto Show and then followed it up with the new TT 2.0-litre TDI diesel and entry-level 1.8-litre TFSI, however there’s one more TT variant in the works and it could potentially be the fastest production TT ever. The new car is the performance RS variant of the Audi TT and it’s expected to be launched in both coupe and roadster forms in the middle of next year.
The car was originally rumoured to be launched at the end of the year but its release date has since been pushed back because of the extra time required to further develop and test its all-new engine. Audi is also looking to use the same engine in a new RS variant of the A3 hatch as well. This model is expected to arrive soon after the launch of the TT-RS.
Powering both cars will be a five-cylinder twin-turbocharged engine developing between 260kW and 291kW. The older VR6 unit was ruled out early on because of its incompatibility with Audi’s latest turbocharger designs, according to Sweden’s Auto Motor & Sport.
The new engine will feature an inline-five design and is said to be only 6cm wider than the current four-cylinder 2.0-litre TFSI unit. This is because of the relatively small cylinder size of the new engine, which will reportedly total just 2.5-litres in displacement.
While the RS3 remains hidden, the upcoming TT-RS has been spotted in prototype form testing at Germany’s Nürburgring. Although engineers were using a TT-S shell, key features such as the oversized cross-drilled brake discs, upgraded calipers, electronically controlled rear-spoiler and carbon-fiber elements suggest the test car is an even sportier model.
First posted on 20 August 2008.
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