Audi has scrapped plans for a high-performance variant of its TT sports car, according to the latest issue of the U.K.'s Auto Express. The decision was made in order to leave space for the R8 supercar, the report said. This summer, several European publications reported a range-topping model called the TT RS would debut in 2008 with a 300+ horsepower five- or six-cylinder engine. But according to this new report, the recently-introduced Audi's TT S-Line package will be the sportiest version of the car offered for the foreseeable future.

The decision was made in order to leave space for the R8 supercar, the report said.

Spy photographer Hans G. Lehman caught a prototype Audi TT that insiders say might be a high-performance variant of the new coupe. Dubbed the "TT-S," the vehicle is said to have the 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine from the new Audi S3. Recently, there has been speculation that a more powerful version of the TT will not be offered. The car pictured appears very similar to the recently-introduced TT S-Line package, but has exhaust pipes on either side of the rear apron, rather than on one side as with the S-Line kit. Have a look at the photos after the jump…

The on-again, off-again high-performnance Audi TT rumor saga continues with a published report today claiming Audi is indeed working on two new variants of its redesigned coupe and roadster. Audi plans to offer a TT-S and TT-RS in coming months and years, according to a new report from Edmunds.



Recent spy photos by Hans G. Lehman seem to confirm a TT-S is in the works — something most folks have been expecting. Today's report echos Lehman's assertion that the car will have the same 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine from the new Audi S3, with a modest output boost above the engine's regular 265 horsepower. It should arrive in early 2007.

More controversial is the much-rumored Audi TT-RS. Edmunds claims the vehicle will feature a five-cylinder 365 horsepower engine with the same head configuration as the 5.2-liter V10 used in the S8. The report says the car will arrive in two years. However, in early September Auto Express said Audi scrapped plans for the RS model. Since we have little information one way or the other, this one will have to remain open to speculation…

Audi today unveiled the roadster version of its all-new TT sports car. As with its coupe counterpart, the 3.2-litre V6 power unit generates 250 horsepower and is coupled to the quattro drive system as standard. A 2.0 TFSI engine blends turbocharging with direct injection technology and delivers 200 horsepower to the front wheels. Both model variants can be ordered with the innovative S tronic dual-clutch gearbox as an alternative to the standard six-speed manual shift.

Audi says it made a conscious decision to keep a manually operated cloth roof for the new TT Roadster. The soft top concept "fits in perfectly with the philosophy of puristic open-top motoring and also offers a number of benefits over a folding steel hard top," the automaker said. Audi says the new roof keeps weight to a minimum and lowers the center of gravity.

To achieve a desirable weight balance, steel components are located principally at the rear of the body – the bulkhead behind the passenger compartment, for example, is made from steel. The side sills consist of extruded aluminium sections containing numerous reinforcing ribs. The A-pillars have been strengthened too and a high-strength steel tube integrated into the frame of the windscreen. Torsional strength has been more than doubled, making for a stiffer and more responsive ride.

Audi has chopped the roof off its TT coupe, creating a second-generation TT roadster that’s set to go head to head with the BMW Z4, Mercedes-Benz SLK, Nissan 350Z convertible and Porsche Boxster when North American sales get under way early next year.

Mirroring the path taken with the impressive TT coupe, Ingolstadt’s new two-seater will be offered with the choice of either a 2.0-liter, 200-hp turbocharged four-cylinder or a 3.2-liter, 250-hp V6 engine—the former coming with either standard front-wheel drive or optional four-wheel drive, and the latter exclusively with four-wheel drive. Alongside a standard six-speed manual gearbox, both models get Audi’s six-speed S-tronic double-clutch unit as optional equipment.

Bucking the trend toward folding hardtop-style roofs, Audi has retained a fabric hood for its latest open-top model—both in the interests of achieving as low of a curb weight as possible and a low center of gravity. It has been cleverly engineered with what Audi describes as a Z-fold action that sees it sit flush with the bodywork in a similar fashion to that of the Porsche Boxster when stowed to preserve the car’s appearance and dispensing with the need for a tonneau cover. The multilayer arrangement, available in both black and dark gray, comes with automatic operation in the range-topping 3.2-liter V6 TT roadster. In this configuration it opens in just 12 seconds at the push of a button and can be operated at speeds of up to 30 mph.

In manual form, as standard on the turbocharged 2.0-liter four, it is opened via a single central catch on the windscreen header rail. To counter the loss of rigidity brought on by the TT roadster’s open-top design, Audi has stiffened the car’s aluminum space frame over that of the TT coupe, with beefed-up aluminum side sills and added strengthening within the A-pillars in the form of a thickened steel tube mounted within the windscreen frame. Overall, torsional rigidity is claimed to more than double that of the first-generation TT roadster, suggesting the new car will be a much better drive.

The TT roadster has grown appreciably over its predecessor, adding more than five inches in length at 164.5 inches, more than three inches in width at 72.5 inches and nearly a half-inch in height to 53.5 inches. A 1.8-inch stretch in the wheelbase takes it up to 97.1 inches to help liberate added interior space and greater luggage capacity.

Despite the larger dimensions, the car’s curb weight has increased by just 33 pounds at 2849 pounds—the result of Audi’s decision to base the new TT around an aluminum space frame rather than a conventional steel floorpan. This makes it 77 pounds heavier than its respective coupe sibling. That said, the second-generation TT’s straight-line performance has suffered only slightly in the transformation from coupe to roadster: The turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder’s 0-to-62-mph time dropping from 6.4 seconds to 6.5 seconds, with the naturally aspirated 3.2-liter V6’s time going from 5.7 seconds to 5.9 seconds. Top speeds are put at 147 mph and an electronically limited 155 mph, respectively.

To counter any doubt about high-speed stability, the TT roadster receives the same automatic spoiler arrangement as that used on the TT coupe. It deploys at speeds above 75 mph to provide added downforce at the rear.

Readers of Germany's AutoBild magazine have voted the Audi TT the most beautiful car of the year. The survey refers to the recently-redesigned 2007/2008 model year TT.

In all, Walter de Silva, design chief of the Audi brand group, was presented with four prizes at the magazine's Design Award ceremony. The Audi Q7 also took home the trophy for best SUV, while the Shooting Brake concept was named best concept car.