Audi couldn't quite wait 'til Detroit to show its production-bound TTS - the much-anticipated high-performance version of the TT line that also marks the TT's tenth anniversary.
Most notably, there's a lot more power under the hood, a 2.0-liter 'TFSI' four-cylinder engine that makes 272 horsepower. The engine, according to Audi, takes gasoline direct injection and turbocharging and "blends them to form a perfect partnership." Peak torque is an impressive (for a 2.0-liter four) 258 pound-feet, between 2500 and 5000 rpm. With the new engine tune and extra power, the two-liter has also been strengthened and extensively reengineered, and the intercooler has been optimized, with maximum turbocharger boost dialed up to 17.4 psi - exceptionally high for a production vehicle.
A six-speed manual is standard-equipment for Europe, but all U.S. models get the available six-speed S tronic DSG gearbox - which shifts faster than a standard automatic transmission - cuts the zero-to-62-mph time by two tenths of a second. S tronic now also has a new pressure reservoir for the DSG unit's multi-plate clutch system allows it to pull off shifts even faster.
With the S tronic, the TTS Coupe will be able to accelerate from zero to 62 mph in only 5.2 seconds and on to an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph. Accelerating from 80 to 120 km/h in fourth gear takes only 4.4 seconds - a testament to the engine's broad torque curve.
Underpinning the whole package is a magnetic ride adaptive damping system, which gives the driver two modes, Standard and Sport. Standard favors ride comfort, while Sport mode lowers the suspension by 0.39 inches and tightens the settings for high-performance driving. That all rides on 18-inch aluminum wheels, with huge 17-inch brake discs with black-painted calipers.
And of course power is delivered to all four wheels via a reinforced version of Audi's quattro all-wheel drive system, with the ESP stabilization program to keep everything under control when surfaces are less predictable. In the TTS, for having the most fun on smoother surfaces there's a new mode for the ESP that allows controlled drifting.
To keep weight well distributed and under control - at a curb weight of just 3075 pounds - steel construction is used at the back end of the TTS while aluminum is used in the front and center sections, as well as the front suspension.
On the outside, the TTS gets new-design bi-xenon headlamps, with a horizontal stripe of white LEDs that calls out a family resemblance to the flagship R8. The front grille is platinum gray, rather than chrome, for a nicely understated but striking look. Alongside, door sills have been widened, and in back the gray theme continues, though the centerpieces are the large protruding tailpipes.
As with the other TT models, the TTS will be available as either a 2+2 coupe or Roadster, the latter featuring an electrohydraulic power soft top that can open and close in twelve seconds; it also comes with a wind deflector and glass rear window and folds into a shape that avoids the need for a tonneau cover. An automatically retracting spoiler is also included; it extends at about 75 mph, then returns to its resting position at about 50 mph.
In the cockpit-like interior, there's a gray-finished instrument panel and different-design multi-function steering wheel, along with leather- and Alcantara-trimmed sport seats. Silk Nappa leather upholstery is available in four different colors, as is an Impulse leather package with silver stitching and black trim or Chennai brown trim and espresso contrast stitching.
U.S. pricing has not yet been announced, but based on the European prices mentioned in Audi's release (Coupe starting at 44,900 euros), the U.S. Coupe will likely start in the upper $40k range. The TTS will go on sale in early summer for Europe, late November for the U.S., as a 2009 model.
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