ROAR TALENT

Audi’s back road weapon delivers a super soundtrack

JUST got back from spending a day with Audi’s new TT RS.

If ever a car was all about its engine, this is it.

Under the bonnet is Audi’s multiple award-winning 2.5-litre five-banger unit, now with aluminium alloy crankcases and a whopping power boost over the outgoing model. An extra 60bhp, in fact. Now, with 400bhp and a sizeable 480Nm of torque driving all four wheels, this new RS is comfortably the fastest Audi TT yet.

But does that mean it’s any good to drive?

First off, I tried the Roadster with its electronically stowable fabric roof.

The first thing to hit you is your nose on the top of the steering wheel, the first time you dab the brake.

Even from cold the brakes are savagely powerful and need a delicate foot and appropriately thinsoled shoes.

At speed the brakes make much more sense with a progressive feel and incredible stopping power.

It needs it. Even with shampoo-salon-spec convertible roof, this is a 174mph car (with dynamic package) so scrubbing speed off is high on the wish list. The floating front brake discs are a whopping 370mm in diameter and are mauled by massive, eight-piston calipers.

I was late, as usual, and had less time than ideal to cover a dash across Oxfordshire to get to the test track. Perfect car for the job.

With the seven-speed S tronic gearbox in auto-mode, using the flappy paddles to backshift to maximise engine braking, the TT RS is a properly handy point-and-squirt, back road weapon with masses of mid-range grunt and a sure-footed, grippy stance.

It’s very easy and un-taxing to drive briskly, which is perfect when you’ve never seen the roads before and you’re using all your mental capacity to read conditions as far ahead as possible.

Even the sat-nav info is beamed right into your face, using the clocks to deliver the data, not a distracting central screen.

The steering is fairly high-geared too. It means that if you’re prepared to cross your arms like the Institute of Advanced Motorists say you shouldn’t, you never have to change your grip on the flat-bottomed, meaty steering wheel.

But the biggest tick box for the Roadster became apparent on the twomile-long, un-surfaced road to the track