2010 Audi TT-RS
The 265-hp Audi TTS has barely made it into second gear (it's just starting to roll into U.S. dealerships as we write this) and already it's been upstaged. The TT-RS made its debut at the Geneva motor show, and although Audi hasn't officially made the decision to bring it here, insiders tell us that we'll likely get it. In order not to crowd the TT's corner of the showroom with too many models, two other cars have to die: the front-wheel-drive 2.0T and the 3.2 Quattro will be axed for 2010. That leaves the TT lineup far less complex: the 200-hp TT Quattro (manual or S tronic), the 265-hp TTS (S tronic only), and the 340-hp TT-RS. The RS will be available exclusively with a six-speed manual and should hit 60 mph in four and a half seconds. It looks aggressive, all right, but it's the sound track that will really get it noticed. If you haven't heard an angry German turbocharged five-cylinder in a while, it's because Audi hasn't made one in decades. We're expecting the TT-RS to be a very expensive (near-$70,000) alternative to a Porsche Boxster S, but we're betting that it'll finally give the TT some of the passion it's been missing. ...next page >>