2017 Audi TT RS Is Brutally Fast and Not That Fun, First Reviews Suggest

The German company organized a launch event at a sunny test track in Spain, which is strange because the TT RS doesn't cope well with twisty stuff.

The initial impressions of the 400 horsepower 2+2 were suggested the opposite, as we knew quattro GmbH engineers had benchmarked it against hardcore sportscars like a Lotus Evora and the Cayman GT4.

Despite that, the TT RS is not one of those fun, tail-happy all-wheel drive cars. In fact, if the first reviews are sugar-coating the subject, it's bound to be pretty bad.

But there are some high points. For example, the steering is very direct, even though it doesn't deliver too much feedback. On a twisty mountain road, the TT RS can be fun, but the chassis will resort to understeering when pushed to its limit. Like the RS3, you have to approach the corner slowly and rocket out of it. From what we've heard, the suspension is firm, but not uncomfortable enough to stop you from using it as a daily driver.

So it's business as usual for the smallest RS model and the Audi brand in general. It remains a car that you buy based primarily on the emotions triggered by the design, not getting behind the wheel.

At least in this regard, the TT RS doesn't disappoint. The coupe looks wide and menacing from the outside. Put it side by side with a Nissan 350Z and you could be fooled into believing Audi makes RWD cars. The interior, meanwhile, remains one of the best in the world. We'd comfortably pick it over that of the BMW M2, CLA 45 AMG or Alfa Romeo 4C.

But design isn't the only strong suit. The 2.5-liter packs a new 2.5-liter five-cylinder turbo engine with 400 PS. Thanks to an aluminum crankcase, it's lighter than before. Together, these factors play a big part in the coupe's capacity to reach 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds.