Audi TT RS Plus

We think less is more with the TT. Cheaper versions are more engaging to drive and better value for money. The five-cylinder turbocharged engine in the RS Plus sounds great and serves up serious performance, plus the car is surefooted. But there’s just not enough fun to be had at the wheel, and we wish Magnetic Ride was standard.

If you’re in the market for a desirable coupe, it’s hard to ignore the Audi TT. But is the RS Plus the ultimate TT? Well, only the most focused Audis get to wear the RS badge, and this model shares its mechanical layout – a turbocharged five-cylinder engine and four-wheel-drive transmission – withthe legendary Quattro from the eighties.

To make sure the RS Plus stands out from the rest of the TT range, it gets wider sills, a matt aluminium honeycomb grille and carbon mirror housings, while the pop-up rear spoiler is replaced by a huge fixed rear wing. The end result isn’t exactly subtle, though, and overall it lacks the elegance of the smartly designed Porsche.

The cabin is largely identical to that of lesser TTs, save for some RS badging, and elements of the interior are beginning to show their age. Sat-nav is standard, but it’s a last-generation system, and the smattering of RS logos simply doesn’t do enough to match the feel-good factor of the Porsche.

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Not that you’re left feeling too short-changed, as build quality is first-rate. It’s easy to get comfortable at the wheel, too, as the sports seats are supportive and the chunky flat-bottomed steering wheel is good to hold. Better still, while the Audi’s rear seats are tiny, it’s feasible to squeeze in an occasional passenger, plus they split and fold to increase the already decent 292-litre boot to 700 litres.

It’s under the bonnet where the RS really stands out. The £3,085 you pay to upgrade from RS to RS Plus brings an extra 20bhp – taking total power up to 355bhp – while torque is also increased, by 15Nm to 465Nm. In addition, an ‘S’ button on the centre console opens the exhaust baffles, givingthe TT the same intoxicating five-cylinder warble as Audi’s classic rally cars.

On the road, power delivery is near-instant, and the dual-clutch S tronic gearbox comes with launch control, which means the RS Plus sprints from 0-60mph in just 4.2 seconds. Sensational in-gear response means the TT is effortlessly punchy, and quattro four-wheel drive ensures it’s reassuringly surefooted, too.

But the S tronic gearbox isn’t quite as crisp as the Porsche’s PDK, while the weight of the heavy engine in the nose means the Audi can’t match the agility of the Cayman or Evora. Body control is good, but compared to its rear-driven rivals, the TT RS feels inert, and the steering lacks precision.

Yet our biggest gripe is the firm ride. Audi’s Magnetic Ride dampers would surely help, but they’re optional. Without them, the TT thumps over rough surfaces, with the large wheels keen to follow cambers in the tarmac.

At least the RS Plus comes with sat-nav and Bluetooth, both of which are optional on the Cayman S. Even so, we’re not sure the TT RS Plus is worth the extra. There’s no denying it delivers impressive grip and performance, but it just isn’t entertaining enough.