Still Legendary: What Keeps Everyone Loving the Audi TT RS

[Source: Top Gear]

2023 was an especially tough year for Audi enthusiasts. It was the final model year of both the R8 and TT, two of the brands’ most iconic models. Three years later we are still looking for Audi to fill the void. But as we eagerly await the production version of the Concept C, we are reminded of just how great the TT RS model was. The folks over at Top Gear recently wrote a feature about the little Audi that could and we thought we would reminisce with them.

When the original Audi TT came out it was more style than substance. Not that there is anything wrong with that. It was a staggering design unlike anything else on the road before or since. Fans loved it, the press loved it. And as the years went on Audi gave the car more and more performance chops.

Audi TT RS

The folks in Europe were treated to a TT RS Iconic Edition as a send off of the beloved model. We didn’t get that model here in the U.S. But that was OK, we still got the TT RS that included a turbocharged five-cylinder engine making 394 horsepower. We also got a 50-car run of TT RS Heritage Edition with special wheels, logos and so on. Either way the car could rip to 60 mph in about 3.4 seconds on its way to a 174-mph top speed.

Thanks to the quattro all-wheel drive system the TT RS was fun no matter what the weather was doing. And in the dry, it gripped like Gecko feet to a brick wall. And on the inside, you got the typical handsome Audi interior. Plenty of room for two people and some emergency use only backseats. The car was practical, fast and good looking.

And then it left. But that doesn’t mean we stopped loving it. The cars disappeared from Audi new car showrooms but there are pre-owned cars still out there. Perhaps now is a good time to grab one. You can enjoy it until the Concept C arrives.