2018 Audi TT RS offers serious performance for $65K
Go on, make your "hairdresser's car" jokes. The TT RS doesn't care.
Audi is doing its damnedest to ensure the inline-5 engine doesn't disappear entirely. And considering what it helps the 2018 TT RS achieve, I think it's got plenty of staying power.
While we already slid behind the wheel of the TT RS late last year, the TT RS will make its Stateside debut at the New York Auto Show next week. It also now comes with pricing information -- it's available in just one trim, with a starting price of $64,900.
That may sound like a decent chunk of change, and it is, but you get some real hustle for your buck. Its 2.5-liter I5 engine puts out a healthy 400 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque.
Slightly more aggressive than your average TT.
Mated to a seven-speed, dual-clutch transmission and an all-wheel-drive setup that can send almost all its power to the rear wheels alone, the TT RS scoots to 60 mph in just 3.6 seconds, the same time as an Aston Martin Vanquish or a Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport.
It can stop just as well as it can go too, thanks to standard eight-piston front brakes. Throw in the Dynamic Plus package, and the front brakes are upgraded to carbon-ceramic units that offer more consistent stopping under heavy use.
There's also a healthy dose of tech alongside all the go-fast bits. The headlights and taillights are LED units, with optional OLED tails. Like the base TT, the climate controls are built into the vents, so there's no additional instrument panel. The gauge cluster is swapped out in favor of a 12.3-inch configurable display with a RS-specific screen that displays tire pressures, torque output and g-forces.
There's also a 4G LTE connection, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, navigation and a 12-speaker sound system available as optional upgrades. If you're not sold on the car's rearward visibility, there's an optional blind spot monitoring system, as well.
After it debuts in New York, the 2018 Audi TT RS will go on sale in the US this spring.
