Car Throttle

That was fast! Some media outlets just can’t hold their proverbial horses, and this time CarScoop let the cat out of the bag on the 2010 Audi TT-RS, which will be debuting next month at the Geneva Auto Show.  The TT-RS will be the fastest production TT since the curvaceous sports car’s launch in 1999.  The TT-RS will feature a totally new engine, exterior and interior upgrades, reworked suspension, and some massive brakes.

Under the hood is a 2.5L, direct-injected turbocharged 20v inline-five cylinder.  It’s safe to assume this motor is a derivative of the 2.5L port-injected motor used in the US market VW Jettas and Rabbits (which makes 170bhp), but Audi has turned the wick up just a notch.  This turbo 5-banger, in the great Audi rally tradition, produces  a healthy 340 bhp and 332 lb-ft of torque (450nM), which is 40bhp more than the ultimate road-going evolution of the original urQuattro, the 302bhp Quattro Sport from 1984. Power is sent to the ground exclusively through a 6-speed manual transmission and Haldex IV all-wheel drive.

No specific details about braking or suspension hardware have slipped through yet, but check out those huge multi-piston calipers and ventilated rotors: mmm!

As mentioned before, the TT-RS is also getting some subtle (or not-so-subtle, depending on your relative opinion of such things) bodywork, and a tasteful fixed rear spoiler -- which has a hint of 911 GT3 in my eyes.  Interestingly, as you can tell from the pictures, the TT-RS will be offered in both hardtop and convertible form.

All this aside, perhaps the greatest thing about the TT-RS is how it’s going to sound:  oh my gosh.  Just lovely.  Take a listen to this audio clip of the TT-RS on YouTube:

The bad news is that Audi doesn’t seem to have any plans to offer this hotrod TT to consumers in the US, which strikes me as a very serious mistake.  Meanwhile, since I’m such a flaming Audi fanboy, we’ll be covering the TT-RS like white on rice (what does that even mean?) when it debuts in Geneva.  Keep your eyes open!

Edit: Three More Press Images available today!

That looks stunning.  No lie.  Come on, Audi -- can we have some in 1600x1200 so I can get a new desktop image?