Audi TTS review (2008 onwards)

What – Audi TTS
Where – Munich-Ingolstadt, Germany
Price – £33,390-£36,790
Available – June
Key rivals – BMW Z4 3.0i, BMW 135i Coupé, Porsche Cayman S, Mercedes-Benz SLK 350, Nissan 350Z, Mazda RX-8

Summary - The first ever S grade TT is the most powerful TT ever, and comes complete with an even more effective quattro system. But speed isn't everything, especially these days...

We like - tougher looks, more power, super fast S tronic gearchange, huge grip levels, usual Audi build quality
We don't like - slight lack of emotional involvement, could do with more steering feel, ride may suffer in the UK

First impressions

It is - we're told - always raining in Ingolstadt. Since Ingolstadt is where Audi calls home, perhaps this explains why the carmaker remains so attached to its quattro four-wheel drive. Ok, so there is all that rallying history business. But we reckon the company is just trying to get decent grip on the local roads.Case in point: the second generation Audi TT. Such an excellent everyday sportscar in basic front-wheel drive 2.0-litre turbo guise, its 3.2-litre V6 quattro big brother seems almost irrelevant. The 2.0 is lighter, and more nimble, and manages perfectly well without the four-wheel drive - excepting the missing caché.

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However, that 2.0-litre turbo TT produces 197bhp. Clearly, this isn't enough. We know that the Volkswagen Golf and the Seat Leon can cope with as much as 237bhp from this engine driving through just the front wheels. But when the power output is jacked up to 268bhp, traction becomes a much more serious issue.This car, the new Audi TTS, is the most powerful TT ever. And the first to get that famous S badge. Transmitting such power through the front wheels alone would certainly be entertaining, but not necessarily effective. So, given that it is soaking wet outside, we're grateful that the latest quattro system is fitted as standard.

Performance

Fire it up, and you can immediately tell this is no ordinary 2.0-litre TT - the exhaust note is much bassier, and there's less of that vaguely diesely rattle you get with the regular car. Blip the throttle, and above the rising revs there's a distinct whistling noise. Presumably something to do with the larger turbo...Achieving that extra power is more than the work of a moment. Essentially similar to the unit found in the Audi's S3 hatchback - which means tougher components, as well as the bigger turbo - the TTS engine finds even more muscle thanks to an all-new intake system, and freer breathing exhaust.

The result is a Coupé that out strips anything in class at its £34k price point, ripping from 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds. Spend the £1,400 it costs to get the S tronic double-clutch gearbox that we sampled, and you can take another two tenths off that. At which point even the BMW 135i Coupé can't keep up.You can have a Roadster, too, which is only marginally slower - making 62 in 5.6 seconds with the standard six-speed manual 'box (5.4 seconds with S tronic). Top speed in either case is a limited 155mph. And since there's 258lb ft of torque between 2,500 and 5,000rpm, mid-range response is equally fierce.

Ride and handling

The TTS gets an S version of Audi's trick magnetic ride suspension system as standard. It works by using electromagnets to alter the viscosity of the magnetically charged damper fluid, switching between firm (Normal) and firmer (Sport) in this application. Neither is absolutely unbearable. At least, not on German tarmac.We actually preferred the more committed setting, for its tighter body control over surface intrusions. Either way, you get a car that serves up serious grip. Lead-footing it from stationary, we couldn't even get the ESP light to flicker; in fact this only ever engaged during some extremely optimistic cornering for the conditions.

Modifications to the quattro system help here. It's a thoroughly dynamic system now, capable of shifting almost 100 percent of power to the front or rear as necessary. This transition is virtually undetectable, thanks to a new control mechanism that pre-builds pressure, making the transfer twice as fast as it used to be.However, the result is a car that, while certainly effective, isn't the most emotionally engaging - something S tronic hardly helps with. And while we're bashing it, more detailed steering feedback would help. But if enthusiast drivers might prefer the feel of rear-wheel drive, for everyone else it's a safe and secure way of travelling very fast.

Interior

This is the most special TT, so it deserves a special interior. Sadly only the obsessive will spot the changes at first glance - which include slightly different dials, stitched leather seats, some extra aluminium (honestly, we couldn't tell you where this actually is...), and a lap timer amongst the instrumentation.Its exterior appearance is much more like it. There are LED running lights (another TT first), Xenon headlights, a bigger bumper with splitter and larger air intakes, new sideskirts, and a platinum coloured diffuser look to the rear. Out of which pokes no less than four exhaust exit pipes. Sounds great on the overrun.

Economy and safety

In addition to weight savings, the other advantage to tuning up the 2.0-litre turbo over the 3.2-litre V6 to create a flagship model is the environment. This car returns up to 35.8mpg combined, while producing as little as 188g/km CO2; better than any rival - including that TT V6.The two-stage ESP apparently allows 'sporty drift angles' in its more relaxed setting. Given the weather (and the traffic) we stayed well clear of experimenting with this, but with so much grip, we suspect you would have to try pretty hard to trouble it in the dry. S spec brakes are also fitted.

The MSN Cars verdict: 4/5

This is, in many respects, another great triumph for Audi. The TTS is as fast as you like, has masses of grip, and in most conditions - especially challenging ones - will show any of the opposition a clean set of tasty looking tail pipes as it disappears into the distance. But the problem is......like the rest of Audi's S car line up, you can't help thinking anyone in a less clinically efficient rival will actually be having more fun. Slower - yes - but more emotionally engaged with their progress. The TTS is a fine machine, and an excellent ownership proposition, but it isn't quite the all out exciting sportscar we would love it to be. So here's hoping for an RS version.

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