Audi hots up its TT

Green Car Centre

Biodiesel Cars & Hybrid Cars

Audi is debuting a hot new model to the TT range at the Detroit Show. The TTS will head the range, for now, featuring a turbocharged 2.0-litre engine boasting a thumping 272bhp. It's based on the same unit that powers the Audi S3, having been strengthened and tuned to boost output for its new use in the TTS. With this hot new engine under the bonnet of the TTS it can cover the benchmark 0-62mph sprint in just 5.4 seconds, its top speed electronically limited to 155mph. The new car's introduction marks the 10-year anniversary of the TT, Audi's coupé having been a phenomenal success for the company.

Befitting a high-performance edition the TTS comes with Audi's magnetic damper control system - which lowers the TTS by 10mm in its most focussed setting - and quattro four-wheel drive. The TTS is also offered with Audi's S tronic dual-clutch paddle-shift system, which shifts faster than any driver could manage. Not only is it faster, but it also benefits both the performance and economy figures. With S tronic the TTS's 0-62mph time drops from 5.4 seconds to 5.2 seconds, while fuel consumption improves over the manual car's 29.3mph to 29.7mpg. Other enhancements to improve the driving appeal of the TTS further include a recalibrated ESP system, improved brakes and an interior that features heavily bolstered Alcantara sports seats.

Visually the TTS is identified by its more aggressive chrome accented front grille, deeper front and rear bumpers - the rear one punctuated by four tailpipes and featuring a diffuser - and 18-inch alloy wheels. Perhaps the most obvious change though is the adoption of Audi's signature LED daytime running lights up front, giving the TTS some of the R8's visual menace. The fastest TT yet will go on sale in the UK in both coupé and roadster guises, with prices starting at around £34,000. We say fastest 'yet', as rumours still persist that Audi will introduce a TTRS model in 2009, expected to offer power in the region of 320bhp. Crikey...

Kyle Fortune