Audi unwraps speedster version of TT

Friday May 23, 2008

Audi has whipped the covers off a limited-edition version of its second-generation TT called the Clubsport Quattro.

Set to go into production later this year, the new open-top car draws heavily on Audi's TT Clubsport Speedster concept, adopting the concept's chopped-down windshield and shallow side windows, along with further modifications to the body shell aimed at enhancing performance.

The reworked TT was revealed on Wednesday at the Wörthersee Tour, an annual gathering of Audi and Volkswagen enthusiasts held in southern Austria--the same venue chosen for the unveiling of Audi's 224-hp, 2.0-liter, four-cylinder common-rail diesel A3 Clubsport.

Power for the TT Clubsport Quattro hails from a heavily tuned version of Audi's new turbocharged 2.0-liter, four-cylinder TFSI gasoline engine from the latest EA888 engine family. It produces a claimed 300 hp.

The new engine channels drive to all four wheels via Audi's new seven-speed S-tronic double-clutch gearbox, with steering-wheel-mounted paddles and a choice between manual and automatic modes.

To accommodate widened tracks and 19-inch alloy wheels shod with 255/35 profile tires, the TT body shell has been widened by 2.4 inches. Other alterations include larger air ducts up front and a hard plastic tonneau cover behind the seats.

Inside, the new Audi receives aluminum pedals, instrument bezels and door handles, heavily bolstered race-car-style seats and a liberal splashing of tan leather.

Audi has not released details pertaining to production, saying only that "small series production of the TT Clubsport Quattro cannot be ruled out."

Sources in the Middle East, however, indicate that Ingolstadt bosses have already given the green light to a run of between 50 and 100 cars, the majority of which are expected to head to Saudi Arabia and Dubai.

North American sales look highly unlikely, as the cut-down windshield and its lack of a header rail won't meet crash regulations.