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Audi launching sport version of TT this year

Following the sport versions of Audi's larger cars, such as the S4, S5, and S8, the diminutive TT gets its own sports version, the TTS.

Wayne Cunningham Managing Editor / Roadshow
Wayne Cunningham reviews cars and writes about automotive technology for CNET's Roadshow. Prior to the automotive beat, he covered spyware, Web building technologies, and computer hardware. He began covering technology and the Web in 1994 as an editor of The Net magazine.
Wayne Cunningham

Audi TTS rear view
The Audi TTS launches later this year. Audi

Following the sport versions of Audi's larger cars, such as the S4, S5, and S8, the diminutive TT gets its own sports version, the TTS. Audi announced today that the 2009 TTS would launch in late 2008. We got a preview of this car at the 2008 Detroit auto show, and came away baffled by its engine specs. We were highly impressed by the 2008 Audi TT Coupe and Convertible, when equipped with the 3.2-liter V-6 and Quattro all-wheel-drive, but Audi specified a 2-liter turbocharged four cylinder for the TTS. Stats published with Audi's announcement today clear up that mystery, as the TTS' powerplant delivers 265 horsepower and 258 foot-pounds of torque, beating the V-6's 250 horsepower and 236 foot-pounds of torque. Audi managed to squeeze 133 horsepower per liter out of the turbocharged direct injection four-cylinder engine. The TTS also comes standard with magnetic damping and Quattro, two Audi technologies that do wonders for handling, and Audi's S-Tronic dual clutch transmission. Audi estimates 4.9 seconds to 60 mph for the TTS, comparable to the BMW Z4 M. The TTS will be available in Coupe or Convertible form.