Audi RS5 and TTRS Revealed: All We Know about Audi’s RS Coupes

Feb 14, 2008

by: George Achorn, renderings: George Achorn with RS5 Photo Editing by Larson



The R8 may be getting all the press as of late, but Audi’s not done with their growing performance lineup by a longshot. Several weeks ago, quattro GmbH’s director Werner Frowein confirmed to Auto Motor und Sport that his wing of Audi would be stepping up its work for 2008. The current RS 4’s retirement may be imminent, but production of the R8, RS 6 and upcoming Q7 V12 TDI will keep his team busy. So too will new projects, and two of these expected expansion models are the much-anticipated TTRS and RS5 coupes.

In the same Auto Motor und Sport piece, Frowein mentioned that the previous brew period of four years into a six year model cycle would shorten to two in the future. RS versions of both the TT and the A5/S5 have both been spotted undergoing testing, and Frowein’s math should put a TTRS on a show stand by as early as Paris in September and an RS5 sometime in 2009. Such a rapid launch plan should mean little sleep for the boys at quattro GmbH.


TTRS



Rumors of the hottest TT variant ever are rampant. Several theories on drivetrain have resulted, though our money is on a turbocharged five cylinder. Volkswagen already does a low cost and lower capacity 5-cylinder with 2.5-liters, though an Audi version sharing very little with the base VW engine will be a considerably more costly and possibly a different displacement (we’ve heard 2.3-liters from one source) – built up to meet a power rating of 350-hp says a high-ranking source from Audi in Germany.

What else can we guess about the engine? FSI is a certainty, and Audi’s new Valvelift system is likely – aiding in both torque and fuel economy. 2.0T engines we’ve driven with the same FSI/Valvelift setup are burgeoning with torque and we expect no different from the TTRS’ five cylinder.

A turbocharged five-cylinder Audi engine in a performance coupe certainly pays homage to the original Quattro, though the TT’s transverse engine layout lower and closer to the center of the chassis, aluminum body structure and computer-controlled Haldex-sourced version of quattro will make it a decidedly different beast than the boxy Audi icon.

As far as U.S. sale, sources have informed us that the plan is to currently include the TTRS in the American mix. The current plan for DSG-only in the States for the recently announced TTS is likely a hint that a manual-transmission TTRS is the likely shifting choice for the RS.

Our TTRS rendering shows what the car might look like if it were launched today. Audi has been known to share design language across its sub brands and the RS nomenclature is no different. This TTRS mockup uses a similar nose and sill extensions from the latest RS6, along with the car’s 5-spoke alloys with Titanium Package finish. It’s also Avus Silver Metallic – a color Audi usually reserves for RS duty.


RS5



Details on the RS5 are less known, but strong theories are out there. S5 mules have been spotted testing in Europe well after the S5’s launch, and with the trademark RS oval tailpipes. They’re likely RS5 mules and we even hear that there may be an RS5 mule high altitude testing in America.

Print magazines have hinted at a number of engine directions – from the RS4’s high-revving 4.2-liter V8 carryover to the twin-turbocharged V10 of the RS 6 and everything in between. Here’s a quick rundown, supported with our own theories and comments shared by sources at Audi.

1. V10 Twin Turbo – This is an unlikely choice. Fitted in the RS 6, the engine forces pricing of the A6 variant into six-figure territory. Packaging might also prove difficult as the already sizeable V10 also has the turbo system’s plumbing.

2. V10 Normally Aspirated – The most recent issue of Road & Track raised this scenario. The American print magazine said sources close to the book have stated that Audi is working on a high-revving V10 FSI – what the RS4 4.2 is to normal 4.2 FSI, this engine would be to the S8’s V10. R&T’s suggestion points toward a shared approach with the upcoming R8 V10. That scenario doesn’t sound totally unbelievable and, should Audi be able to hit the magical100 hp/liter mark of the RS4, that would mean 520 hp. Still, one source at Audi says the V10’s fitment in the S5 chassis is unlikely but wouldn’t rule it out.

3. Forced Induction 4.2-liter FSI – Utter those words and people will immediately think of the last-generation RS6 and its twin turbo V8. The UK’s Car Magazine seems to think this scenario is most likely, suggesting 450 hp and 500 ft-lbs. of would could come from a mildly turboed RS4 engine.

Our own sources say this is unlikely in the details. First, the RS4’s high-revving setup likely wouldn’t get forced induction. Figure something more like the S5’s 4.2 FSI. If the next-generation S4 is supercharged says that source, then figure the lessons learned might be applied to other engines also. Fit a supercharger to the S5’s engine and the power figures suggested by Car aren’t out of reach.

4. V8 Normally Aspirated, RS4-spec – At 420 hp from 4.2-liters, the RS 4 engine is by far no slouch. Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson has raved about the mill, saying it might just be one of the best engines ever. Carrying over the engine lock, stock and barrel from the outgoing RS 4 is another possible scenario. No, it’s nothing new, but it’s still great and would be a ton of fun in the better-balanced B8-chassis coupe.

At this point, it’s a bit to0 early to make the call. Options 2, 3, and 4 all seem like believable scenarios, so we’ll hold off on betting the farm on which will get the nod just yet. One thing’s for sure, any one of the four would be formidable with the platform, Audi Drive Select and the next-generation torque-vectoring quattro.

As with the TTRS, the RS5 rendering above shows how the upcoming car might appear if it were launched today. The latest RS design language from the RS6 such as the nose, wheels, ur Quattro-inspired blister fenders and more have been applied to the A5’s lithe silhouette. It all looks fantastic in Audi’s Ibis White with titanium finish on the RS6 alloys.