At the moment, the new, 265-hp Audi TTS is the hottest TT ever built, but maybe you think it's not quite hot enough. If so, you'll be happy to hear that the 2009 Audi TT RS - an even more powerful version of Audi's shapely TT - will debut at the 2009 Geneva motor show.
Since the Geneva salon is still a couple of weeks away, Audi has not revealed all of the juicy details on the TT RS, but there are a few things we can expect from the uber-TT. For starters, we won't see yet another variation of the VW/Audi turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine under its hood. Instead, Audi says the TT RS will use a new turbocharged 2.5-liter in-line five-cylinder that reportedly will crank out more than 300 hp.
Quattro all-wheel drive, of course, is standard, and Audi claims that the TT RS is capable of a 0-to-62-mph time of less than five seconds. We're a bit anxious to see the final figure, as the TTS, according to Audi, already manages to claw its way to 60 mph in a scant 4.9 seconds.
The only picture Audi has provided so far is this rear-three-quarter view, but we can spot a few features unique to the TT RS. Perhaps most noticeable is the fixed spoiler, which replaces the smaller pop-up unit on the TT and TTS. There's just a glimpse of the large aluminum wheels. The modified lower rear fascia features a blacked-out section, highlighted by ovoid exhaust tips, that's a deliberate nod to the some of the detailing on the new, V-10 version of Audi's R8 supercar, the R8 5.2 FSI. We think it looks great here on the TT RS.
Expect more photos (and many more details) of the new Audi TT RS to be revealed here at automobilemag.com on March 3, 2009, but don't expect it to arrive in an Audi dealer near you: we've been told the TT RS isn't destined for North American showrooms anytime soon. But we suspect that, if Audi of America finds enough buyers for the TTS, it will decide that the TT RS can find an audience here, too.