MotorWeek’s road test review of the 2012 Audi TT RS
Motorweek is made possible by rock auto and tire rack as the rodney dangerfield of cars the audi tt never seems to get any respect despite packing a decent amount of performance under its squash beetle looking skin for many it is too cute to be taken seriously well while the looks haven’t changed that much aldys latest tt this rs packs a smoke and 360 horsepower
And a race track worthy suspension so let’s see if that’s enough for the tt to get its proper do in an effort to earn more respect outtie engineer sent the tt back to school to get some of the ladybugs worked out and to make the 2012 audi tt-rs a true performance car that’s more at home on a race track than at the bush wood country club we headed to our favorite
Club racing circuit savannah’s roebling road raceway to find out if they succeeded in this mission well after a few days of putting the tt rs through its paces all of our drivers came away quite impressed roebling road is comprised of mostly high speed corners and it has a way of eating under powered cars alive but the rs proved well suited to this track as you
Can keep the throttle pinned to the floor and scoot through most turns with ease steering is quick almost to the point of being dirty and the rs will still understeer in typical audi quattro fashion but you can get a little oversteer as well with well-timed throttle inputs it speaks volumes to both a good chassis design and a good balance of power with that
Chassis our testers also used words like agile fun nimble and responsive which are all good ones to hear when someone is describing a sports car but one word we heard more than most was awesome and it was used when describing the brakes corner after corner they provided fade free whoa downs and delivered good feedback while doing it straight-line stopped from 60
Average to short 120 feet transmission is a six-speed manual only and quattro all-wheel drive a standard when engaged sport mode quickens throttle response firms up the suspension settings and gives you a more aggressive exhaust note the throttle pedal when engaged makes the rs leap off the line with gusto and helps you hit 60 in just four and a half seconds while
The quarter-mile passes in only twelve point eight seconds and 112 miles per hour motivation for these speedy sprint’s comes from volkswagens 2.5 liter inline 5 here it’s turbocharged and puts out an impressive 360 horsepower and 343 pound-feet of torque despite the pumped up track performance on the street the tt rs remains a very civilized and enjoyable daily
Driver seats are comfortable and the ride is not too harsh though it can get a bit noisy in the cockpit especially when you add the optional sport exhaust package which is louder but not particularly pleasing and sitting in the tt rs is very much like being in a cockpit there’s not a lot of room to go around but the design makes very good use of what space there
Is it’s also refreshingly simple and built quality is first-rate all controls are within easy reach a 9 speaker 140 watt sound system is standard but for navigation you must add the optional tech package a flat-bottom steering wheel adds a sporty touch and aids and entry while aluminum sill plates and pedal covers add a bit of shiny front seats are well bolstered
And supportive for track work but we weren’t crazy about the white stitching while the tt-rs might have bulked up at every possible performance measure but it comes to styling it’s mostly the same smooth looking squashed insect that you either love or love to hate it does wear a more aggressive looking front end with larger air intakes and a black diamond pattern
Version of audi single-frame grille it also gets standard xenon plus headlights and audi’s much copied led daytime running lights the rs also sports matte finished aluminum side mirrors 18-inch wheels are standard but opt for the titanium sport exhaust package and you’ll get these nice-looking 19 and back there’s a new rear fascia with integrated diffuser a fixed
Rear wing is standard but this deployable rear spoiler is a no-cost option from the sides there’s still the same minimal greenhouse but down lower extended side sills that help to give a more substantial look government fuel economy ratings for the tt rs r18 city and 25 highway the energy impact score is average sixteen point five barrels of oil consumed per year
With annual co2 emissions of 7.3 tonnes as for pricing the 2012 audi tt-rs coupe comes in at 57 thousand seven hundred twenty-five dollars and a roadster version is also due so is the tt rs a true cinderella story did it indeed come out of nowhere to become a champion well in the words of that great caddy talent scout karl speckler it’s in the hole you
Transcribed from video
Road Test: 2012 Audi TT RS By MotorWeek