The TT RS is emblematic of how upstart Audi has completely upended the “form follows function” mantra of the German competition. The TT took the world by storm with its unique style (dubbed “bauhaus” by the press) and performance credentials, and the new TT RS is all this and more. The turbocharged inline-five takes Audi back to its rally roots (the original Quattro Sport used the same configuration to decimate the competition in the 1980s). It’s no retro tribute, however, as this all-wheel drive stunner is stuffed to the gills with modern engine tech like direct injection, and sports a cylinder head borrowed from the Lamborghini Gallardo. It’s a total package that makes the coupe scoot: 60 mph is dispatched in an exotic 4.5 seconds with a distinctive snarl from the 2.5-liter motor. The first TT to wear the storied RS badge, the TT RS caries over several RS trademarks like the enormous oval twin exhaust tips and larger front intakes, which complement the sporty dimensions of the coupe. With handling worthy of any of Audi’s RS models, the TT RS is most at home on a highly technical track.
