Audi TT Ultra Quattro Concept: Aluminum Und Jenny Craig

The TT Ultra Quattro Concept gets rid of a significant amount a weight, adds more power, keeps the all-wheel drive and goes to burn rubber at VAG's annual tuning extravaganza, the Wörthersee Festival. We'll take three.

Shedding 600 pounds off a modern car is quite an achievement, and Audi managed to do that by using a carbon fiber as a material for the rear end, the centre tunnel, the B-pillars and the roof, while the floor and the hinge reinforcements are made of magnesium. While the concept's body structure saves 94 pounds, the help of detachable body parts help boost total weight savings to 220 pounds.

The engine gets rid of another 55 pounds thanks to a new crankcase, crankshaft, balancer shafts, flywheel, sump, bolts and and other inner organs. The concept's springs are compact pieces made of fibreglass-reinforced polymer, which are 40% lighter than traditional steel springs. Naturally, the lead battery was replaced with a light lithium-ion unit.

With all these modifications in place, no equipment had to be taken out apart from the normal seats, which got replaced by the bucket seats from the R8 GT, saving another 48 pounds. So this TT also comes with air conditioning, electric windows and an electromechanical parking brake and even has cameras in the doors replacing the exterior mirrors for better aerodynamics.

All that results in 2,449 pounds overall for the TT Ultra Quattro Concept, which is moved by 310 turbocharged horses with a peak torque of 295 lb-ft between 1,900rpm and 5,000rpm (giving a power-to-weight ratio of 279 hp/ton), meaning you get a TT that will jump to 62 mph in 4.2 seconds and keep going past 170 mph.

VAG fans will have a blast at Wörthersee.