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Audi TT RS Roadster Accompanied by A4 allroad and Sedan for Nurburgring Testing

"It's nice and sunny outside," says one German test engineer to another. "Quick, grab the gray TT RS Roadster prototype and let's go to the Nurburgring," he replies. That's why we get to see this Nardo Grey prototype powered by a 2.5-liter lump of energy today.
2017 Audi TT RS Roadster Spy Photos 20 photos
Photo: SB-Medien
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Nothing about these spy photos is mind-blowing. We've recently seen the 2017 TT RS completely undisguised and in production trim, so our eyes have been spoiled. That said, we've always loved the coupe design over the convertible.

According to Audi of America, the brand-new RS3 sedan will offer "up to 400 horsepower" from the famous odd-firing 2.5-liter turbo engine. So what Audi said before, that the mill has reached its real potential, is no longer relevant. We could see the high-performance TT being offered in two stages of tune, just like the RS Q3. It's a great way for Audi to make even more money, really.

As we've mentioned already, this test prototype is colored in Nardo Grey. The front and rear bumpers appear to be the real deal, which suggests the debut will take place soon. A dual exhaust system, the trademark of high-performance quattro vehicles, has been installed, and you can see the RS logos on the brakes.

The RS Roadster was accompanied on its Nurburgring test journey by an A4 allroad quattro and a regular A4 sedan. It's not the stuff of legend, but previous spy photos have shown Audi benchmarked this car against the Lotus Evora, A45 AMG, and Porsche's Cayman GT4. That's good company to be in if you ask us.

Considering that it's got the biggest, most muscular engine of the hot hatch segment, the RS3 model can do what it pleases. However, it's been harshly criticized for failing to deliver the same driving thrills as the Golf R. The tuning isn't done right, somehow, and the 7-speed DSG-style gearbox is not as snappy.

Despite being based on the same FWD platform, the TT RS will compete against real sportscars that send their power to the rear. We have a hard time believing the Audi can make something as sweet as a Porsche, but they are welcome to try.
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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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