The 鈥渄uck-and-cover鈥� manoeuvre 鈥� it involves folding your body inside the Audi TT RS hatchback 鈥� doesn鈥檛 make for the easiest or the most graceful entrance.
The contortions are worth the effort, however, once you鈥檝e pushed the steering-wheel-mounted start button, put the car into gear and tipped into the gas pedal. At this point, prepare to be amused and delighted.
Following a five-year hiatus, the returning top dog in the TT fleet is as potent as ever, and steers, stops and corners with confidence-boosting authority. The ride is a tad harsh, but it鈥檚 about what you would expect from a near supercar.
The car鈥檚 extra-low roofline 鈥� a TT feature ever since the first-generation model rolled off the assembly line in 1999 鈥� and an equally low seating position contribute to a cosy environment, enhanced by first-rate leather-trimmed sport seats and a thick, flat-bottom steering wheel. There鈥檚 plenty of legroom for those in front, but hardly any for the people piled into the back seat. It鈥檚 a spot best used for infants, pets or for supplemental stowage.
The modifiable gauge layout 鈥� part of Audi鈥檚 Virtual Cockpit display 鈥� is a marvel of efficiency and is relatively easy to master.
The control knobs for temperature, climate and the heated seats are smartly located in the centre of the dashboard鈥檚 five circular air vents.
The exterior has its own distinguishing characteristics, including a fixed rear wing and aero side cladding attached to the rocker panels. Unfortunately, you鈥檙e likely to get your pant leg wet and/or dirty as you enter or exit the vehicle, especially in winter. Yes, winter.
Unlike other sports cars that are usually in storage until spring, the TT RS is just as much fun in the snow as it is on dry pavement. Being able to use the car all year certainly helps rationalize the price.
Part of the fun comes from a turbocharged 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine that produces 400 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque. That鈥檚 40 more ponies and 11 more pound-feet than the previous RS鈥檚 turbo 2.5. By comparison, the midrange TTS model has 292 horses and 280 pound-feet that鈥檚 produced by a turbo 2.0-litre four-cylinder. The base TT gets by with 220 horsepower and 258 pound-feet.
The previous TT RS came with a six-speed manual transmission, but this time around a seven-speed paddle-shift manual/automatic is all that鈥檚 offered. This efficient unit helps the RS achieve fuel-economy ratings of 12.3 l/100 km in the city and 8.2 on the highway.
Audi鈥檚 permanently engaged Quattro all-wheel drive is standard. The system varies front-to-rear power split as needed and sends nearly 100 per cent of the torque to the rear tires under hard acceleration. That鈥檚 what helps launch the car to 100 km/h from rest in 3.7 seconds, 1.2 seconds quicker than the next-quickest TTS, says Audi.
Another handy aid is Driver Select, which has Comfort, Auto, Dynamic and Individual (set up by the driver) modes. Each has specific settings for the transmission shift points, throttle response, shock damping and steering effort. Serious drivers will likely use the more aggressive Dynamic setting since it鈥檚 the one that makes the RS act and sound more like a racecar. The launch control (also a standard feature) produces the quickest possible acceleration with virtually no loss of traction.
At $75,000, freight charges included, this level of performance isn鈥檛 cheap, but you do get a well turned-out car that includes a leather interior, heated eight-way power front seats with body-hugging pneumatic side bolsters, stainless-steel pedals and 19-inch wheels.
Among the numerous options are fade-resistant carbon-ceramic brake rotors, navigation, 12-speaker Bang and Olufsen audio, Audi-connect infotainment, diamond-stitched leather seats, carbon-fibre interior trim and 20-inch wheels.
Note that other than blind-spot monitoring, the TT RS has no other active-safety technology (emergency braking, pedestrian detection and lane-departure warning, etc.).
What you do get is a smart, stylish sports coupe that鈥檚 docile around town, but is more than eager to flex its bulging muscles when called upon.
Just remember to duck before entering.
