2023 Audi TT RS Iconic Version Is a Euro-Market Ship-Off

The Audi TT, a automotive that represents a golden period at Audi, is bidding a chronic farewell. The TT RS exited the stage within the U.S. market on the finish of the 2022 mannequin 12 months with the Heritage Version, and now in Europe, the TT RS Iconic Version is the same homage to the historical past of the distinctive coupe. And that is why it is price having a look on the previous generations earlier than we get to the small print of this newest and arguably most competent iteration of the TT thus far.

It was 1995 when the TT idea (above) wowed the unsuspecting viewers on the Frankfurt auto present. Extraordinarily puristic and geometric, it was a contemporary interpretation of a Bauhaus aesthetic. The manufacturing mannequin got here to market solely three years later (not until the 2000 mannequin 12 months within the U.S.), remarkably trustworthy to the present automotive and nonetheless oozing concept-car vibes. The primary, stylistically purest TT was provided as a coupe and a convertible. A 225-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter paired with all-wheel drive arrived in its second U.S. mannequin 12 months as the highest providing, later exceeded by a 3.2-liter narrow-angle V-6, out there with a handbook or a dual-clutch transmission that had simply launched within the Golf R32.

The second-gen TT coupes and convertibles that arrived stateside for 2007 have been a bit much less minimalist in design. With this mannequin, nonetheless, Audi introduced again a five-cylinder engine, a transfer that fired up model aficionados. Not like Audi’s unique five-banger that debuted in 1976, this one was derived from the EA113 4. It was an in depth relative of the U.S.-market inline-five that powered the Golf and different fashions, nevertheless it was turbocharged and produced twice the output.

The present, third-generation TT returned to its roots with razor-sharp traces and a extra sporting look. Ferdinand Piëch himself despatched the designers again to the drafting board, when—upon setting his eyes on an evolutionary proposal—he advised them, “That isn’t tips on how to deal with an icon.” The brand new TT got here to market in 2014 once more as a coupe and a convertible; crossover and four-door Sportback variations initially envisioned have been dismissed, and the TT has carried ahead with none main modifications to at the present time.

For the Iconic Version, simply 100 of which will probably be constructed, Audi Sport determined to not dive too deeply into the design heritage of the TT; that may have entailed a special method to wheel design and décor each inside and outside. Whereas the unique TT was outlined by its use of aluminum trim, this one displays modern common notions of sportiness with black wheels and carbon-fiber appliqués.

The menacing attraction of the TT RS Iconic Version is simple. It sits low to the bottom, with an aggressive stance, its 20-inch alloys shod with 255/30 rubber. All are completed in Nardo Gray, and the entrance finish is accentuated by canards, blades, and a splitter; the rear finish is fitted with an enormous wing, and the elective OLED taillights present a futuristic contact. This mannequin proves that the third-gen TT’s design has aged very well.

You step right into a cockpit that hasn’t modified a lot over time and remains to be very intelligent and driver-oriented. The multimedia interface appears a bit dated solely as a result of Audi has moved on to different enter methods in its current fashions, however this one works nicely. And the mixing of the local weather controls into the central air vents nonetheless looks like genius. This special-edition model options nappa leather-based and Alcantara in a two-tone black and grey with yellow distinction stitching in a honeycomb sample.

The turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-five—it way back turned a completely aluminum engine although it began life with an iron block—fires up with a bellow. The European TT RS would not sound fairly pretty much as good because the American one did as a result of it’s saddled with a compulsory particulate filter, however the roar remains to be unmistakable each inside and outdoors the automotive. The seven-speed dual-clutch computerized works like a appeal, offering near-seamless or intentionally pronounced shifts, relying on driving mode and throttle enter. The handbook transmission has way back disappeared within the TT RS—it was out there solely within the previous-model era—which we see as a regrettable miss.

Making the identical 394 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque as in the usual TT RS, the aggressive-sounding inline-five is extremely pleasing to the formidable driver. Despite the fact that it options solely a single turbocharger, the increase comes on shortly sufficient—and it’s relentless. We count on 60 mph to be inside attain in simply over three seconds from relaxation, and the top-speed governor is about at 174 mph. We did not get close to that determine this time round, however you possibly can attain triple-digit speeds with unbelievable ease and a way of safety that presents itself as a continuing risk to your driver’s license.

With its low heart of gravity, efficiency tires, a claimed curb weight of simply 3252 kilos, and all-wheel drive, the TT RS efficiently explores the outer limits of the VW Group’s ubiquitous MQB platform. We drove it on quick nation roads, not on a racetrack, and have been nonetheless charmed by its total precision and the properly weighted steering. The adaptive dampers present an excellent unfold between a agency, arduous character suited to quick driving on easy asphalt and a extra passenger-friendly, compliant setting for much less aggressive driving. The rear wing successfully offsets the aerodynamic challenges of the TT’s sloping tail, one thing that received the first-gen TT into hassle earlier than Audi added a compulsory rear spoiler.

The present TT RS has been in manufacturing for six years now, and we’re pleased to report that it nonetheless holds up fairly nicely in opposition to opponents reminiscent of the BMW M240i and the Toyota Supra, it would not really feel hopelessly outclassed by a Porsche 718 Cayman, and it could most likely kick cheaper however newer entries like the Nissan Z to the curb. However because the TT RS just isn’t lengthy for this world, Audi has spared itself the price of upgrading it with the newest, most refined iterations of the engine and chassis-control methods out there in the RS3.

Audi has designed the TT RS Iconic Version to grow to be a collector’s merchandise, and that is why it’s fitted not simply with a plethora of bespoke choices but additionally with a plaque that states not solely that it’s certainly one of 100 items, but additionally precisely which one. One other important indicator is its worth: It is available in at a whopping 113,050 euros, or roughly $120,000, some 41,000 euros above an ordinary TT RS in Germany. None will come to the U.S. And that is a disgrace.