Photo: Mihnea Radu
Obviously, Porsche is going to make even more powerful versions of the 718 twins. The GTS with around 370 PS should be right around the corner. But when two similarly sized sports vehicles from Audi and Porsche debut on the same night at a venue in Beijing, we feel obliged to compare them.
First off, you can't really say that one is newer than the other. Even though the 718 series is technically a facelift, it's still based on the most technologically advanced mid-engined sportscar platform there is. Meanwhile, the TT RS uses the MQB platform, but with more aluminum and a bigger engine than any of its sister cars.
Styling? It depends on what you are looking for, but the TT RS is the most aggressive of the two. In fact, it looks even more badass than the RS6. There's a gaping grille at the front, huge oval exhausts at the back and a tiny cockpit in the middle. But even though I'm an Audi fan, the 718 Cayman S strikes me as a more beautiful machine. "Perfect" is a word that could be used to describe the proportions.
The interior department favors Audi, as always. The RS model has the same de-cluttered dash and Virtual Cockpit we've already seen. You can also order carbon fiber trim for the doors and dash, which is a plus. The steering wheel arguably looks better too, thanks to the bright red button copied from the R8.
In a straight line, the TT RS will keep up with some old supercars. The coupe version takes just 3.7 seconds to reach 100 km/h while the roadster needs 0.2 seconds more.
Meanwhile, the Cayman S with PDK and Chrono requires 4.2 of your seconds to reach 100 km/h, partly because it features a 370 PS 2.5-liter engine. Of course, even though they have the same displacement, everything else about the engines of these rivals is different. The TT has a 5-cylinder sitting longitudinally at the front and sending power to all four wheels. Meanwhile, Porsche has a brand-new 4-cylinder boxer unit with a twin-scroll turbocharger delivering the goods at the back.
Styling? It depends on what you are looking for, but the TT RS is the most aggressive of the two. In fact, it looks even more badass than the RS6. There's a gaping grille at the front, huge oval exhausts at the back and a tiny cockpit in the middle. But even though I'm an Audi fan, the 718 Cayman S strikes me as a more beautiful machine. "Perfect" is a word that could be used to describe the proportions.
The interior department favors Audi, as always. The RS model has the same de-cluttered dash and Virtual Cockpit we've already seen. You can also order carbon fiber trim for the doors and dash, which is a plus. The steering wheel arguably looks better too, thanks to the bright red button copied from the R8.
In a straight line, the TT RS will keep up with some old supercars. The coupe version takes just 3.7 seconds to reach 100 km/h while the roadster needs 0.2 seconds more.
Meanwhile, the Cayman S with PDK and Chrono requires 4.2 of your seconds to reach 100 km/h, partly because it features a 370 PS 2.5-liter engine. Of course, even though they have the same displacement, everything else about the engines of these rivals is different. The TT has a 5-cylinder sitting longitudinally at the front and sending power to all four wheels. Meanwhile, Porsche has a brand-new 4-cylinder boxer unit with a twin-scroll turbocharger delivering the goods at the back.
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