Audi TT RS gets the green light for America

After thousands of enthusiasts signed an online petition demanding it, and after solid reviews from the media, including AW, Audi has announced the TT RS will come to the United States. Look for it in showrooms about a year from now.

The RS is the performance version of the TT coupe, with a 360-hp, 2.5-liter TSFI turbo five-cylinder engine powering all four wheels through Audi's quattro drive system. Torque is rated at 332 lb-ft. The engine was developed exclusively for the RS coupe. It will be mated to a six-speed manual.

The RS chassis is aluminum, utilizing Audi's spaceframe ASF construction. Audi lists 0 to 60 mph at 4.2 seconds. The car will come in coupe configuration only. Pricing was not announced, but the current 2010 TTS Coupe 2.0 TFSI quattro S Tronic Prestige lists at $51,950.

The RS represents a significant step up in performance over the rest of the TT line. The base TT has a 2.0T FSI engine delivering 200 hp and 207 lb-ft of torque while the TTS has 265 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque.

To gauge consumer passion for the high-performance car, Audi launched a survey on its Facebook page and got 11,500 fans who expressed enthusiasm for it in just one month. So your voices were heard.

“With performance and agility rooted in Audi motorsports success, the TT RS is truly an emotional sports car,” said Johan de Nysschen, president, Audi of America. “That emotion became abundantly clear as we explored interest [in the car] across the country.”

By Mark Vaughn