Autoblog

Between the TT and the R8, Audi makes some pretty enticing sports cars. But there's a huge gap in the middle there, and the latest spy shots show a new derivative coming up to close the gap. Tentatively known as the TT-RS, the adrenaline-snorting top-shelf version of the stylish little Audi is expected to pack 350 horsepower thanks to a pair of sequential turbochargers driving all fours via a six-speed manual.

The undisguised bodywork on the test vehicle – spied undergoing hot weather testing in Arizona – looks suitably aggressive, while the output should close the distance between the 272-hp TT-S and the 420-hp R8, as well as compete directly with the 295-hp Porsche Cayman S. We don't have a launch date for the TT-RS confirmed yet, but the super-coupe looks just about ready judging from the spy shots, leaving us to wonder if we might see it as early as the Paris Motor Show in a month and a half.

[Source: World Car Fans]

Not the next-gen model, but click above for Audi TT-S high-res gallery

Audi's next-gen TT may be getting a significant re-design, with a mid-engine placement if the swirling speculation around the interwebs is true. Now in its second-generation, the TT sits on Volkswagen's PQ35 platform (shared with the Volkswagen Eos and Tiguan) meaning customers are offered a front-engine chassis with a front- or all-wheel drive powertrain. When stacked against the front-engine BMW Z4 and mid-engine Porsche Boxster/Cayman, the current Audi TT holds its own... but that isn't keeping Ingolstadt engineers content. They realize that if they switch to a mid-engine design, like the one found on the amazing Audi R8, balance and handling will improve. Plus, Audi's quattro all-wheel drive system can be tailored with even more rearward torque bias. The third-gen TT, however, isn't set to debut until 2013. With Porsche moving closer to purchasing Volkswagen, a long lead may work to Audi's advantage as they'll have to convince the automaker from Stuttgart that a mid-engine TT won't chew into Boxster/Cayman sales.

[Source: World Car Fans]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the spied Audi TT Clubsport Quattro.

Car dropped a dime on Audi HQ to get the scoop on the automaker's production plans for the recently spied TT Clubsport Quattro, and as suspected, the roof-less coupe will be making a limited production run. Audi plans to produce between 50 and 100 examples on the open-top TT, but there are no plans on offering it in the UK, the U.S. or other markets outside of the Middle East. The rationale behind the decision centers on the warm climes and lack of rain in the Middle East, along with Audi's commitment to becoming a purveyor of the finest automotive wares. It's a smart move on Audi's part, but we can't help but feel slighted by the decision. Tonneau technology has certainly evolved since its original implementation in post-WWII roadsters, so we would've hoped that such a solution would be offered to enthusiasts around the world.



[Source: Car]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Audi TT 2.0 TDI quattro

After Audi unveiled the almighty R8 V12 TDI at the Detroit Auto Show, I asked the obvious question and they made it clear that they had no plans to build a production version. Now that the disappointment has subsided somewhat, Audi is offering up a consolation prize, although it's not known yet if the US market will get a crack at it. For the first time since the original TT debuted ten years ago, Audi will be offering a version with a diesel engine. A 170 hp, 258 lb-ft 2.0L TDI will be available in both the TT Coupe and Roadster. Putting the torque down through all four wheels by way of a six-speed manual gearbox, the coupe will run 0-62 mph in 7.5 sec, with the ragtop accomplishing the feat in 7.7sec. While by no means blistering speeds, the nature of diesel engine torque will mean that the TTs will feel quick everywhere. The real upside to all of this is the fuel economy of this claimed world's first diesel sports car. The lighter, more aerodynamic coupe will be capable of 44.3 mpg (US) while the convertible is just behind again at 42.7. Pretty impressive when gas prices as likely to go ever higher. The Audi press release is after the jump.


[Source: Audi]

The first generation TT offered two choices: coupe and convertible. And while that technically counts as two different versions, an enthusiast who actually plans on driving the car knows that that's really just one choice of car. Audi has loosed the variation machine on this second generation TT, however, doubling the possible selections, with coupe and convertible joined by TT-S and TT-RS flavors.

The TT-S is next on the catwalk, and shots have surfaced showing off the grille and goods, mainly in the form of a more brutish face boasting a serious chin spoiler, quad pipes out the rear, and the inclusion of LEDs under the headlamps. The 2-seater will get a 270-hp heart, with 258 lb-ft ready to churn. It will hold the road with -- and hopefully turn in better because of -- a stiffer suspension.

The RS-badged TT is claimed to get a 5-cylinder turbo with 308 horsepower. Make no mistake, we are card carrying fans of souped up Audi. But the TT 3.2 quattro with S-tronic has a base MSRP of $42,900, with the Roadster another $3,000 skyward. By the time Audi adds the premiums for the S and RS, the car will be playing around in Boxster/Cayman territory. We just hope the driving experience proves that's where the car belongs.

[Source: Motor Authority]

This is likely the only car-shaped mobile phone we've ever seen, and definitely the first one shaped like an original Audi TT. The GSM phone features a 2-inch touch screen, 1 gb of storage, a 1.3-megapixel camera, and 240 minutes of talk time per charge. Unfortunately, it does not come with an English-language manual.

Though the real TT was sometimes maligned as being too small, we get the impression this phone has the opposite problem. We can't (actually, we'd just rather not) imagine what kind of bulge this thing would make in your pants.

It's definitely not a Ferrari mobile phone or even Lamborghini, but you can get yours now for only $160. Or buy in lots of 26 for $151 apiece and give everyone in your family a Chinese ripoff of great German design.

[Sourcer: Shopkami via Carscoop]

The Audi TT-S in both flavors, coupe and cabrio, has been spotted in the wild. The car gets the 2.0-liter TSFI with a jump up to 280 HP instead of the 200 HP found in the base TT, or the 265 HP in the S3. The TT-S puts room between itself and lesser variants with a redesigned front fascia, larger brakes, quad pipes out back, and LED lamps along the lower front edge of the headlights.

The TT-S cabrio was caught at the Nurburgring. How well either car will challenge their sporty siblings remains to be seen, but we certainly won't complain about more power. The TT-S coupe will debut at the Geneva Motor Show next year, and be followed by even hotter TT-RS with 350 HP some time down the line.

Thanks for the tip, Gregory!

[Source: World Car Fans]

Hyundai has proven to the world it can build high-quality and reliable cars that rival mainstream brands like Toyota and Chevy. Now it wants to prove it can build an iconic sports car to boost its image and say to the world that Hyundai is exciting and dynamic. Speaking at last week's Sydney Motor Show, Hyundai's general manager of European design Raphael Bretecher revealed a desire to launch such a car.

"As a car designer I would like to make the icon, that is obvious," he said. "But this company looks at what is most profitable and that is what must be delivered first." Bretecher used Audi's TT as an example of what he envisaged a modern icon should be and explained how that one car embodies the entire Audi philosophy.

The only problem is convincing bosses back in Korea to think along the same lines. Another issue bosses need convincing of is creating a new global look for Hyundai, something Bretecher admits will take some time to implement. Pictured above is the Veloster concept car, which was displayed in Sydney. The concept was designed in Korea and gives a clue as to a new look that could unify future Hyundai designs.

[Source: Drive.com.au]

At least one magazine has not heard that print is dead. Not only is Intersection magazine -- where cars meet fashion -- not dead, it's doing so well that it can trash an Audi TT for a photo shoot. The TT, a 3.2 V6, was submerged in a pool in Chipping Norton, England, for the magazine's cover and an inside spread. And since you can't exactly go selling cars that have been used as submarines, the car was destroyed afterward.

We hope they at least removed the engine, since it didn't appear in the shoot. Then maybe they can dip the V6 in chocolate for the next issue. Follow the jump to watch video of the shoot.

[Source: German Car Blog]

Most people buy pickup trucks for one reason, and one reason alone: to carry stuff. They don't buy pickups because they want to drive a sports car and carry a few items on the weekend. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule as evidenced by this Audi TT sports coupe, which was converted into a pickup by having its rear hatch replaced with an open flatbed.

As the images reveal, the owner of this oddity does like to use it as a genuine workhorse but, being a sports coupe, the cargo space was always going to be severely limited. The fact that there appears to be no tonneau cover also suggests that this could just be a running joke or a method for this tradesman to promote his business in a comical way. Whatever it is, it's starting to make us sick the more we look at it. We just hope nobody else has any similar ideas.

[Source: German Car Zone]