before the trip
“Wow, this matte yellow paint looks great,” says my neighbor. That’s right, it fits perfectly with the extremely sporty look. However, it also has a surcharge: 6240 francs to be exact. Even the fixed, free-standing rear spoiler, which is the fastest of the 400 hp TT, doesn’t look embarrassing. But in the cockpit, it can no longer hide its open two-seater concept, which has dusted a bit over the years. There are no big screens like the competitors, the navigation system is just cumbersomely programmable and the voice input almost never understands our destination requests.
on the street
While driving, the maturity of the TT Roadster RS has a positive effect. Direct steering, sporty and non-irritating suspension, easy to dose and powerful brakes. And of course, an impressively powerful, sounding 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine that can tackle anything from stop-and-go in city traffic after work to sporty sprints on winding country roads.
That was great
A gym tool that doesn’t promise much with its cheeky looks. Power development on the move with the two-seater is impressive. With the adaptive sports suspension and the ingenious Quattro ride, cornering doesn’t become a sweaty high-wire action. The ensuing curves are acoustically accompanied by a powerful 5-cylinder sound that is easy to hear, especially with the top down.
that was weak
This 7-speed dual-clutch transmission (already often criticized) is and remains a nuisance. It creates such a huge and unpleasant “turbo lag” when accelerating that we almost feel transported back to the beginnings of turbo technology. If you really want to race the TT RS in a sporty way, you can use the manual steering wheel paddles and change gear yourself.
it remains
The Audi TT RS is one of the last athletes to use pure combustion technology. Anyone who isn’t a friend of buzzing electric athletes will get their money’s worth with the sporty-sounding TT RS Roadster. But with the extras of almost 30,000 francs and the final price of 122,670 francs, our test car is nothing short of a bargain. But this is not new to Audi either.