Jun 17, 2009, 13:09 GMT
Ingolstadt, Germany - Audi has taken a step back into the company's sporting heritage by reviving the straight five-cylinder engine for the most macho TT Roadster of all time, the RS.
At the heart of this top-of-the-range model is a forced-induction five cylinder which makes the car the spiritual successor to the inline five 1980s Quattro which established the German company's performance credentials.
The TT RS will enter European showrooms from the end of July or the beginning of August with a price tag of 55,800 euros (around 79,000 dollars) for the closed model and 58,650 euros for the drophead version, Audi has announced.
The new power unit is a turbocharged, inline, five cylinder unit with a hardcore power output of 335 brake horsepower. It is mated to a six-speed manual transmission and an S tronic automatic variant is expected soon.
Acceleration from zero to 100 kilometres an hour (62 mph) is given by Audi as 4.6 seconds for the Coupe (4.7 seconds for the drophead) with top speed governed to 250 km/h. For an extra charge of 1,600 euros Audi will take out the limiter, allowing the TT RS to peak out at 280 km/h.
Despite its speed, the Audi turns in some respectable fuel consumption figures, with 9.2 litres consumed per 100 km for the Coupe version. The roadster is marginally more thirsty.
Carbon dioxide (CO2 emissions) are 218 grams per kilometre and 225 g/km respectively.
It is not yet clear if the TT RS will go on sale in the United States.
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