Audi TT-RS Gets Its Official Price Tag

Last September, Audi confirmed that the TT-RS would be be sold in the United States. That came after much hand-wringing over its arrival by enthusiasts here in North America. The car was introduced after a petition campaign started by Audi that resulted in 11,500 "expressions of interest."

The TT-RS marks the most expensive Audi TT yet, and also the fastest. It has been officially priced at $56,850, before destination, taxes and the myriad litany of other fees we get stuck with when buying a new car.

0-60 arrives in just 4.1 seconds, thanks to a turbocharged 2.5-liter five-cylinder under the hood that makes 360 horsepower and 343 pound feet of torque. Audi says peak torque comes between 1,650 and 5,400 rpm for "power on demand." Indeed. An interesting fact is that these numbers are up over the European market car's 340 HP and 331.9 lb-ft of torque.

Those figures whip the competition; for instance BMW's 1-Series M hits 0-60 in 4.7 seconds. We already know what Audi's five-cylinder is capable of thanks to a recent drag race that was conducted between the Audi RS3 and BMW 1-Series M. The RS3 is powered by the same engine as the TT-RS, and is a good deal heavier thanks to four extra doors and a rear liftgate. The TT-RS is going on sale at Audi dealers around the U.S as we speak.