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]

The Audi Club of North America puts out a publication aptly titled the Quattro Quarterly that gives Audi owners the inside skinny on everything from future products to how to swap bigger brakes into their B5 S4. One of our intrepid readers, Kevin, sent us a few scans of the QQ's latest issue, where it outlines Audi's product plans for the next five years. While some of it has already been confirmed, other interesting factoids, including the future of the R8, RS-TT and the development of an R4, have long been rumored on these very pages. Follow the jump for the full breakdown on what Audi has in store, but be aware that we're handing out grains of salt below the fold.

Quattro GmbH, Audi's high-performance subsidiary, is responsible for all manner of RS, S, S-line and "Exclusive" hotness for the automaker and has seen a substantial increase in sales over the last seven years. Back in 2000, it sold about 2,500 units. In 2007, it has produced just over 360,000 models imbued with Audi's distinct brand of performance street cred. Those numbers are expected to further rise with even more models being S- and RS-ified, including the R8, which is currently being produced at a rate of 27 vehicles per day.

Auto Motor und Sport sat down with Werner Frowein, the director of Quattro GmbH, where he let loose that the former strategy for RS model production will be laid to waste in the coming years. Traditionally, RS cars are produced in the last two years of the vehicle's lifecycle, but a new shift in production will allow new models to benefit from the RS-treatment after the first two years of their run. The TT-RS and RS5 are two of the models on the horizon, while an RS version of the R8 has been rumored since its introduction earlier this year. More RS is hardly a bad thing, unless premium gas prices continue their northward trajectory.

[Source: Auto Motor und Sport via World Car Fans]