Audi TT RS

Audi TT RS: which version to buy

If the question is which Audi TT RS to buy, the numbers split the catalogue into two buying jobs, not three. 3 generation (November 2016–February 2019) and 3 generation, restyling (from February 2019, still listed without an end date) both sell the same 2.5 S-tronic Gasoline Turbo package: 400 hp, 480 Nm, 2480 cc, 7-speed Robotic, AWD, Coupe.

If the question is which Audi TT RS to buy, the numbers split the catalogue into two buying jobs, not three. 3 generation (November 2016–February 2019) and 3 generation, restyling (from February 2019, still listed without an end date) both sell the same 2.5 S-tronic Gasoline Turbo package: 400 hp, 480 Nm, 2480 cc, 7-speed Robotic, AWD, Coupe. The useful split inside those years is 3.7 s / lighter kerb versus 3.9 s / heavier kerb, not a change of engine name. 2 generation (March 2009–June 2014) is the only era with a 2.5 MT Manual 6-speed choice, the only era with 360 hp and a 280 km/h top speed, and the only era with a Central engine layout on some versions. Convertible body data are not measured in this catalogue; every listed TT RS is Coupe.

On 2480 cc, specific output is about 137 hp per litre at 340 hp, 145 hp per litre at 360 hp, and 161 hp per litre at 400 hp. The 3 generation 2.5 S-tronic at 1440 kg and 400 hp is about 3.60 kg per hp; the lightest 2 generation 2.5 MT at 1450 kg and 340 hp is about 4.26 kg per hp. That is the arithmetic the extra 60 hp actually buys: less mass per horsepower, not a larger tank (the tank shrinks from 60 l to 55 l).

Generations: what actually changed between 2 generation and 3 generation

2 generation (March 2009–June 2014) is Coupe with 8 versions. All share 2480 cc Gasoline, 5 Inline cylinders, 4 valves per cylinder, Turbo, Direct injection (direct), compression 10, bore × stroke 82.5 × 92.8, fuel 98, AWD, independent spring suspension front and rear, ventilated disc front brakes, 120 mm ground clearance. CO2 is not measured. Eco class is not measured. Wheel sizes are not measured. Power is 340 hp (250 kW) at 5400–6500 rpm with 450 Nm at 1600–5300, or 360 hp (265 kW) at 5500–6700 with 465 Nm at 1650–5400. Gearboxes are 2.5 MT Manual 6-speed or 2.5 S-tronic Robotic 7-speed. Two of the eight versions list engine location as Central instead of Front, transverse.

3 generation (November 2016–February 2019) is Coupe with 2 versions, both named 2.5 S-tronic, both 400 hp (294 kW) at 5850–7000, 480 Nm at 1700–5850, Robotic 7, AWD, Front, transverse, Euro 6. Manual is gone. 360 hp is gone. 280 km/h is gone; both versions are limited to 250 km/h. Tank is 55 l. Wheels are measured: 245/35 R19 and 255/30 R20. One version ran to February 2019; the heavier one stops in July 2017.

3 generation, restyling (from February 2019) is not a fourth generation. It is the same 3 generation Coupe with the same two 2.5 S-tronic 400 hp names, still Robotic, still AWD, still Euro 6, still 55 l, still 120 mm. Wheels are not measured on the restyling. Production stop is not measured.

There is no first-generation TT RS in these data. Do not treat “3 generation, restyling” as a separate generation count.

Engine specs: every named version

All engines below are Gasoline, 2480 cc, 5 Inline, 4 valves per cylinder, Turbo, Direct injection (direct), compression 10, 82.5 × 92.8, fuel 98, AWD.

Engine code and engine name are not measured in these data. Displacement in cc is 2480 on every row.

Performance, mpg and CO2: what the extra horsepower actually does

0–100 km/h. Fastest catalogue figure is 3.7 s on 3 generation 2.5 S-tronic (1440 kg) and on 3 generation, restyling 2.5 S-tronic (1450 kg). The slower 400 hp twins are 3.9 s at 1530 kg (3 generation, until July 2017) and 1540 kg (restyling). That 0.2 s sits on 90 kg extra kerb (1440 vs 1530) or 90 kg (1450 vs 1540). In 2 generation the fastest 2.5 S-tronic is 4.1 s at 360 hp / 1475 kg; the slowest 2.5 MT is 4.7 s at 340 hp / Central / 1510 kg. A 0.6 s gap inside one generation is larger than the 0.2 s gap inside 400 hp.

From 2 generation’s best 4.1 s to 3 generation’s 3.7 s is 0.4 s for +40 hp and +15 Nm (360/465 vs 400/480) on similar 1475 vs 1440 kg kerb (−35 kg). From the 340 hp 2.5 MT at 4.6 s (Front, transverse, 1450 kg) to the 400 hp restyling 2.5 S-tronic at 3.7 s (1450 kg) is 0.9 s at the same 1450 kg kerb.

Top speed. 250 km/h is the ceiling on every 340 hp version and on every 400 hp version. 280 km/h appears only on 2 generation 360 hp 2.5 MT and 2.5 S-tronic. Buying 3 generation does not buy a higher listed top speed; it buys a lower one than the 360 hp cars if 280 km/h is the criterion.

Fuel use (l/100 km, as listed — not US mpg conversion). Mixed figures that exist: 2 generation 2.5 MT 340 hp Front 1450 kg 9.2 city 13.1 / highway 6.9; 2.5 S-tronic 340 hp Front 1475 kg 8.5 (12.3 / 6.3); 2.5 MT 360 hp 1450 kg 9.0 (12.6 / 6.8); 2.5 S-tronic 360 hp 1475 kg 8.5 (12.3 / 6.3); 2.5 S-tronic 340 hp Central 1535 kg 8.6 (12.4 / 6.4); 2.5 MT 360 hp 1510 kg 9.1 (12.8 / 7); 2.5 S-tronic 360 hp 1535 kg 8.6 (12.4 / 6.4); 2.5 MT 340 hp Central 1510 kg 9.5 (13.3 / 7.2). 3 generation 2.5 S-tronic 3.7 s: mixed 8.2, city 11.3, highway 6.4. 3 generation 2.5 S-tronic 3.9 s: city, highway and mixed are not measured; CO2 is 189. Restyling 2.5 S-tronic 3.7 s: mixed 8.4, city 13.5, highway 8 — city and highway both worse than the pre-restyle 3.7 s car. Restyling 2.5 S-tronic 3.9 s: mixed 8.1, city 10.6, highway 6.6 — the lowest mixed figure in the whole catalogue.

On the restyling, the heavier 1540 kg 2.5 S-tronic is the more economical listing (8.1 mixed vs 8.4; 183 g/km CO2 vs 208). That is the opposite of the 0–100 ranking. If you buy restyling for sprint, take 1450 kg / 3.7 s / 208 g/km. If you buy restyling for listed mixed use, take 1540 kg / 3.9 s / 183 g/km.

CO2 and Euro 6. 2 generation: CO2 not measured, eco class not measured. 3 generation: 187 g/km (3.7 s) and 189 g/km (3.9 s), Euro 6. Restyling: 208 and 183 g/km, Euro 6. The restyling 3.7 s 2.5 S-tronic is 21 g/km above the matching 3 generation 3.7 s car (208 vs 187).

Dimensions, weight, tank, wheels

Length, width and overall size in millimetres are not measured on any version. Ground clearance is 120 mm on every version. Rear brakes on 3 generation 2.5 S-tronic 3.7 s are listed as Disc (not ventilated in the English label); every other version uses ventilated disc front and Disc ventilated or Disc ventilated rear as labelled.

Kerb / gross (kg). 2 generation: 1450/1850, 1475/1875, 1450/1850, 1475/1875, 1535/1855, 1510/1830, 1535/1855, 1510/1830. 3 generation: 1440/1840 and 1530/1850. Restyling: 1450/1875 and 1540/1885. Lightest kerb in the catalogue is 1440 kg (3 generation 2.5 S-tronic 3.7 s). Heaviest kerb is 1540 kg (restyling 2.5 S-tronic 3.9 s). Payload (gross minus kerb) on that lightest car is 400 kg (1840−1440); on the 1450/1850 2 generation cars it is 400 kg; on restyling 1450/1875 it is 425 kg; on restyling 1540/1885 it is 345 kg. The heavier restyling car carries 80 kg less payload than the lighter restyling twin.

Tank. 60 l on all 2 generation versions; 55 l on all 3 generation and restyling versions. 5 litres less after 2016.

Wheels. 3 generation: 245/35 R19 and 255/30 R20. 2 generation and restyling: not measured.

kg per hp (kerb ÷ hp). 3 generation 1440/400 ≈ 3.60; restyling 1450/400 ≈ 3.63; 3 generation 1530/400 ≈ 3.83; restyling 1540/400 ≈ 3.85; 2 generation 1450/360 ≈ 4.03; 1475/360 ≈ 4.10; 1510/360 ≈ 4.19; 1450/340 ≈ 4.26; 1535/360 ≈ 4.26; 1475/340 ≈ 4.34; 1510/340 ≈ 4.44; 1535/340 ≈ 4.51. The 340 hp Central 2.5 S-tronic at 1535 kg is the worst ratio in the set.

Which version to choose

Buy 3 generation 2.5 S-tronic, 400 hp, 3.7 s, 1440 kg if the goal is the lowest listed 0–100 and the lowest kg/hp in this catalogue, with mixed 8.2 l/100 km, CO2 187, Euro 6, and measured 245/35 R19 plus 255/30 R20 wheels. It is the lightest TT RS here. It does not have a Manual, it does not have 280 km/h, and the tank is 55 l.

Buy 3 generation, restyling 2.5 S-tronic, 400 hp, 3.7 s, 1450 kg if you want the same 3.7 s after February 2019. Versus the pre-restyle 1440 kg car you add 10 kg kerb, mixed use goes from 8.2 to 8.4, city from 11.3 to 13.5, highway from 6.4 to 8, CO2 from 187 to 208. Wheels become not measured. Production is still open in these data.

Buy 3 generation, restyling 2.5 S-tronic, 400 hp, 3.9 s, 1540 kg if listed mixed consumption is the filter: 8.1 mixed, city 10.6, highway 6.6, CO2 183 — best mixed and best CO2 of any measured TT RS here. You give up 0.2 s and accept 1540 kg kerb and 345 kg payload.

Do not use 3 generation 2.5 S-tronic, 400 hp, 3.9 s, 1530 kg as an economy comparison: city, highway and mixed are not measured. It did have CO2 189, wheels 245/35 R19 and 255/30 R20, and it left the catalogue in July 2017. Rear brakes on that generation’s 3.7 s twin are labelled Disc, not Disc ventilated.

Buy 2 generation 2.5 S-tronic, 360 hp, 1475 kg if you want the fastest 2 generation car (4.1 s) and 280 km/h, with mixed 8.5, tank 60 l. Versus the 400 hp 3.7 s cars you are 0.4 s slower, 40 hp down, 15 Nm down, about 0.47–0.50 kg/hp heavier, but you keep 30 km/h more listed top speed and 5 l more tank. CO2 and Euro class are not measured.

Buy 2 generation 2.5 MT, 360 hp, 1450 kg if Manual 6-speed is the reason to stay in 2 generation: 4.3 s, 280 km/h, mixed 9.0, same 1450 kg as the restyling 3.7 s car. Versus that restyling 2.5 S-tronic you are 0.6 s slower at identical kerb, 40 hp down, mixed 9.0 vs 8.4, but you keep Manual and 280 km/h.

Buy 2 generation 2.5 MT, 340 hp, Front, transverse, 1450 kg only if you want Manual and will not pay the 20 hp step: 4.6 s, 250 km/h, mixed 9.2. The 20 hp / 15 Nm step to 360 hp 2.5 MT at the same 1450 kg cuts 0.3 s (4.6 to 4.3) and raises top speed from 250 to 280. That is the clearest “what the extra output buys” pair in 2 generation.

Avoid 2 generation 2.5 MT, 340 hp, Central, 1510 kg if sprint and economy matter: 4.7 s (slowest), mixed 9.5 (thirstiest measured), 4.44 kg/hp. Avoid 2 generation 2.5 S-tronic, 340 hp, Central, 1535 kg for the same layout reason: 4.4 s, 4.51 kg/hp, mixed 8.6 — slower and heavier than the Front, transverse 340 hp 2.5 S-tronic at 1475 kg / 4.3 s / 8.5 mixed.

Problems, reliability and sale prices are not measured in these data. Horsepower, torque, 0–100, tank, kerb and the exact names 2.5 MT and 2.5 S-tronic are the only filters this catalogue can defend.