The Audi TT has been seen in the past, by some motoring journalists, as almost half a sports car. When the MK1 TT came out, many fell in love with it for its radical design rather than sports car substance. A view which has been slowly changing over the years as Audi developed the TT.

Audi Sport GmbH’s new CEO Stephan Winkelmann used to head up Lamborghini within the Audi group. He said in a recent interview: “Only the most sporty and prestigious products become Audi Sport models. We want to build our story and celebrate our heritage by developing cars that express the motorsport DNA from all those great race and rally victories, but with a clear focus on the future.”

The TTRS is a mini R8
I recently got a chance to drive the new Audi TTRS and it’s clear that the message above is bleeding through to the TT. The TTRS has an aluminium 2.5 litre TFSI five cylinder, turbocharged, dual injected engine developing 400ps (just above 390bhp in old money). What’s shocking about the TTRS is that it accelerates from 0-62mph in 3.9 seconds. Compare that to the Audi R8 supercar figure of 3.5 seconds, and you start to get the picture – the TTRS is a mini R8!

You feel you are entering something special
The styling of the TTRS is spot on. Inside the cockpit, carbon fibre elements have a perfect weave and also the glossiest of coats so they shine perfectly. The Nappa leather has fine stitching and you feel you are entering something special. I pressed the red start button on the flat bottomed steering wheel. The roar from the exhaust amplified the fantastic motorsport heritage of that five-cylinder engine.

The Audi Virtual Cockpit also came to life, which is a multi-configurable digital instrument cluster where the normal analogue dials would sit. The RS has a special view so you can place the rev counter in the centre of the display like a Porsche. I predict that in the future, this technology will be like a smart watch is now (the screen on the watch can be configured to look like a vintage Breitling or a Rolex), but in a car you could configure the dials to look like an old Porsche, Lamborghini or VW Golf. It would certainly add to the fun.

There are various Drive Select settings on the TTRS such as comfort, auto, dynamic and individual. I chose auto for the first time and decided to press the button on the console to open up the exhaust baffles.

A true all-round sports car with added drama
Driving out onto the Fosseway, the TTRS has a drama about it. I got onto a straight, selected Dynamic and used the paddles at the back of the steering wheel to go up through the gears. When you floor the accelerator, the TTRS uses its 4-wheel quattro drive to plant the car and then launch it forward. It accrues speed at a most alarming rate. Comparing it to my own BMW M3 E46, the TTRS is a far faster and complete car.

If you are after a true all round sports car with some added drama, buy an Audi TTRS.