2018 Audi TT RS: More than Just a Numbers Car
The seven-speed dual-clutch transmission never seemed to be in the wrong gear. Despite the fact that the S tronic wasn’t connected to a clutch pedal, its shift knob did a great impression of the business end of a manual gearbox.
With the TT RS in its most aggressive settings (drive select in Dynamic mode, exhaust and traction control switched to Sport, and transmission bumped into S) getting up to highway and…uh…extralegal speeds only took a short press of the right pedal. Getting the TT RS to stop smoothly took more restraint. I could sense how much the 14.6-inch ventilated, eight-piston front and 12.2-inch ventilated rear discs wanted to swing the speedo needle toward 0 so I used a light foot. The brakes engaged close to the top of the left pedal’s travel and did their job progressively and predictably all the way down.
Taking the Texas Hill Country roads between Austin and Wimberley gave me a chance to pay closer attention to the TT RS’s electromechanical steering. It was so solid and well weighted that every position I had it in seemed as secure as the connection between the teeth of two interlocked gears.
There were several instances in which I discovered the TT RS is more than just the ultimate TT. In ways, it transcended its place in the Audi hierarchy and reminded me of its big brother, the R8. At most speeds, the TT RS’s exhaust sounded ugly and guttural, whether it was in Standard or Sport mode. It brought the Alfa Romeo 4C’s unpleasant off notes to mind. Only speed seemed to bring out its singing voice. I was charging through a bend in Dynamic mode with the tach needle winding hard right when the truth hit my ears. It took the form of a half digital, half mechanical wail, much like what I heard inside the first and second generations of the R8 V10 plus.
The TT RS and R8 also shared a remarkable composure and surefootedness at high speeds. Like the R8, the TT RS could take the fear out of high speed and make 80 mph feel like 50. By that logic, 110 would only feel like less than 70. The TT RS not only encouraged a heavy foot, but rewarded it. The magnetic ride suspension was an awkward blend of exaggerated wobbles over speed bumps and surprising firmness over rough asphalt when I had it in Comfort mode. Dynamic mode only seemed to get more compliant over bumpy roads the faster I went.
While in downtown Austin, I conducted a quick social experiment. I was pulling away from a stop sign and passing a man in a black R8 going the other way. I decided to wave to him to see how he’d react. I’d never met him before so I had my doubts he would acknowledge my friendly gesture. Then again, I was in an Audi Sport model, just like him. Perhaps that would get me a return greeting.
It did. He shot me a peace sign. In the space between his two splayed fingers I saw approval and recognition of the machine that was passing him. I was convinced he saw more than just a high-output car, that he was aware the TT RS was significant for other reasons. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe he did just see a car with four rings and 400 horsepower. Maybe he didn’t truly know what was passing him and what made it more than just a number to brag about. I know I did.
