Autoblog

Click above for a high-res gallery of the TT clubsport quattro

Last year at the Wörthersee tour, VW and Audi threw red meat to the fans in the form of the Audi TT Clubsport quattro concept and the VW Golf GTI W12 650. Each was awesome in its own way, and now VW/Audi has set a precedent. For the Wörthersee 2008, Audi had already announced it would be bringing the A3 TDI clubsport quattro concept. Today, it drops shoe No. 2 by revealing a much more production-oriented version of the TT clubsport quattro. This is the same car that was spied out in the open last week. Officially, it's still a concept. Realistically, you know this thing's going into limited production.

The '08 edition of the TT clubsport follows in the '07 show car's footprints. Like its forebear, it packs 300 horsepower underhood (presumably from a TFSI four). That juice is directed to all four wheels via quattro AWD with Audi S tronic (i.e. Audi-ese for DSG) handling shifts. Nineteen-inch wheels shod in 35-series rubber are tucked under the clubsport's widebody kit. Up front, you'll find DRLs and a blacked-out grille, while out back you'll find a diffuser integrated in the bumper. Speedster humps sit beside the roll hoops and the chopped windscreen incorporates little baby A-pillars to help create a near-wraparound look. That's also your giveaway that this is a production car -- do you really think Audi would have bothered engineering a second version with real pillars if it didn't plan on selling it? Inside, the black interior is accented with plenty of aluminum and orange leather accents.

At the end of its press release, Audi tells us "Small-series production of this model cannot be ruled out." Well, duh, guys. You've just come out with a refined concept of a concept. You couldn't telegraph this any more if you wanted to. We look forward to seeing this Audified speedster redux in showrooms and the Autoblog Garage at some time in the not-very-distant future.


[Source: Audi]

Click image for gallery

For the big Wörthersee 2007 enthusiast meet, Audi has created a new design study that will take its place among the thousands of Volkswagens descending upon the Austrian lake region. The event kicks off today and runs through the weekend, and if you happen to be visiting Austria, it may well be worth a visit just to check out the Audi TT clubsport quattro in person.

It's impossible to look at the concept and not make the Porsche Speedster connection, with its barely-there windscreen (pillarless, wraparound, and wiper-free) and low-to-the-ground stance. Unlike the lithe, iconic Porsche, however, the Audi has more visual heft, thanks to the TT's high sides and chunkier 21st-century design. In front, this thing's anything but subtle. The dominant shield grille is flanked by large intakes that are presumably required to feed the 300-horsepower TFSI four-cylinder residing behind them. Like the flagship R8, the clubsport's four rings are moved to the hood. The TT clubsport gets an eye job, too, as evidenced by the LED running lights integrated with the headlamp clusters. Big RS4-style open-spoke wheels sit inside the bulging flared fenders and allow a clear view of the orange-calipered ceramic disc brakes. At the rear, dual tips and a fully-exposed muffler poke through the bodywork, and when viewed from above, the clubsport takes on an hourglass shape that hints at the muscle it packs beneath its skin.

More info and the official press releases can be found after the jump.

[Sources: Audi, Autobild via German Car Blog]