That engine is the centerpiece in a thoroughly upgraded car. Shared with the Audi S3, the 2.0-liter TFSI delivers 265 HP at 6,000 RPM and 258 Lb-Ft of torque between 2,500 and 5,000 RPM. If you think that sounds seriously flexible, you'd be right, but it's also full of character, with noticeable turbo lag at low revs and distinct turbo whistles, whine and bumps coming from under the hood. 0-60 now takes just 5.1 seconds in this Roadster, while the top speed is limited to 155 MPH.

Unlike the 2.0-liter turbo diesel in the 2009 VW Jetta TDI SportWagen we criticized a few weeks ago, the TFSI's character matches perfectly with the DSG gearbox. Here equipped with sportier programming than in that TDI, shifts are well timed and rapid in automatic mode, even more so in "Sport." In manual mode DSG is objectively more able to exploit this engine than a traditional manual (not available) would be, with upshifts occurring immediately and downshifts taking place smoothly. DSG is a true automated manual, so you have complete control over the gearbox in manual mode.

That gearbox and engine combination is actually very reminiscent of the 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR in its immediacy and turbocharged character, just with a little less power.

The suspension also gets upgraded in the TTS. The whole thing is lowered 10mm, the magnetic ride dampers receive firmer tuning, all the suspension components go aluminum and the steering is made more direct and feel-full. That magnetic ride is supposed to continually adjust the dampers to better keep the tires in contact with the road and it gets a sport mode to firm things up even further. Even with the traction and stability control switched off, we struggled to get the optional summer performance tires to break traction on the road, but the sport suspension mode doesn't appear to do much aside from make the ride annoyingly harsh.

Gelled hair marketing types needn't worry, as all this extra performance and handling doesn't come at the expense of posing. The TTS is equipped with a silver grille, a lower front splitter, side skirts, silver mirrors, LED running lights, four chromed exhaust pipes, "TTS" badges front and rear, "TTS" logos on the brake calipers and is here fitted with optional 19" wheels. The power soft top on the Roadster drops quickly, better enabling you to show off your fake tan. I got more "you're a smug bastard" looks in this TT than in any car I've driven since the R8, possibly because, from the front and to laypeople, the TT is virtually indistinguishable from that car.

The TTS Roadster starts at $47,500, but equipped with the Premium Plus package, fancy leather, 19-inch wheels and Sat/Nav system seen here, the total comes to $55,075. Unusually for a performance car, the fuel economy is reasonably high: 21 MPG city, 29 highway, 24 combined. With the soft top up, the Roadster offers coupe-like isolation from noise; with it down and the rear windscreen raised, it's still a reasonably isolated place to pass time.

On the mountain roads around my secret Pennsylvanian retreat the TT demonstrated a similar ability to put the world in drama-free fast rewind as cars like that Evo. The all-wheel drive, fast steering and revised suspension conspire to seriously increase the TTs dynamic ability, if not its level of involvement. While it's drastically improved over the old model, the TTS now suffers from the same video game-like nature of other fast AWD cars like the Nissan GT-R, requiring very little of its driver even close to its respectably high limits. The 2009 BMW Z4, the TT's closest competitor on purpose and price, delivers similar pace but asks far more of its driver and for the enthusiast, is a lot more fun to drive fast as a result.

Ultimately, the TTS's neatest trick is that it combines Evo-like character with a more grownup-friendly package thanks to a credible design, luxurious interior and plenty of on-road refinement. You can still pose in a TT, now you're just going to have a lot more fun doing it.

With a buy-it-now price of just $4,395, even the most thrifty drop top enthusiasts will be able to afford wind in their hair thrills. We actually think the 87 HP Daihatsu Copen is much better to drive than the first generation VW Golf Convertible TT Roadster, so maybe this isn't as ridiculous as it seems.

hi your bidding on a stunning audi tt look alike with a new mot and taxed to september.it has alloy wheels,leather seats and door pannels to match,it runs very well with no known faults,it has no dents or scratches and has a new roof which is treated,if you want to be noticed this is the car for you!it has been buit to a very high standard and comes with a personel plate with in the sale,any one lower than 5 feed back please call me on [redacted],it is a great fun car and insurance is low and does nearly 50 to gall.if you want to view car please call any inspection welcome.

eBay UK via Autoblog.nl

You’ve already seen what the Red One can do with Megan Fox, and you've probably already seen what Canon’s 5D Mark II camera—which shoots HD video at 1080p—can do in the hands of Vincent Laforet, one of the world’s best photographers. His short video Reverie, shot entirely with the camera, is a sight to behold.

It was also shot with $30,000+ of Canon lenses and ample helicopter time, so it’s probably not going to replace the Flip for shooting impromptu driving videos. On the other hand, the camera itself only costs $2,700—and when you consider that camera development proceeds at a speed the Large Hadron Collider would be proud of, we will probably have 1080p video in an entry-level DSLR camera in a year.

As a preview for the beautiful videos you will be able to shoot while driving, watch this short clip by Apple interface designer Mike Matas, who shot this from his 2005 Audi TT with “one hand on the wheel and the other out the window holding my Canon 5D Mark II.”

He didn’t say what lens or filters he’s put on the 5D but let’s hope it wasn’t one of those multi-thousand-dollar monsters, however delicious the images they capture.

Source: Mike Matas Blog

The new images don't show as much as the uncamouflaged spy photos from the Nurburgring, but details are beginning to emerge on the super TT, such as a 300-350 horsepower range on a rumored 2.5 liter direct injection turbocharged five cylinder with an undersquare 82.5 mm bore and 92 mm stroke. Should make for a very interesting power band. Performance is expected to include a 0-60 time under five seconds with the Germanically traditional and fun-killing electronically limited 155 MPH top speed. Also expected are further "leaked" and "teaser" images which will make us eventually recoil in annoyance at the sight of the car by the time it's unveiled. [Fourtitude, Auto, Motor & Sport (Bork, Bork, Bork)]

The folks over at iMotor Mag got the same teaser shot we'd found in our e-mail box over the weekend. They made some calls to the folks at Audi, confirming what we already knew — that the TT-RS is most certainly to be unveiled in Geneva. But this so-called TT-RS teaser is actually an Audi TT mk1 with an optional spoiler affixed to it and as iMotor puts it: "the image is likely the work of someone with Photoshop and plenty of time on their hands over the weekend." [via imotormag]

Spy Report
Audi's hottest-ever TT — the upcoming TT-RS — will also be offered as a drop-top, and we just caught the cleanest prototype yet running on public roads near the Nürburgring. The TT-RS' gaping front intakes, upgraded wheel, tire, and brake package, and unique dual-oval exhaust tips separate the RS from lesser TTs.

The TT-RS was originally pegged to have a turbocharged, VW-sourced 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine, but new speculation suggests that Audi's new 3.0-liter TFSI V6 may get the nod instead. Either way, the TT-RS
should easily exceed 300 horsepower, for a sports car experience that can finally live up to the TT's looks.

According to those on the scene, it wasn't the register of a five-cylinder engine but rather the "thrum of a cliche-smooth V6." Could this mean the rumors of Audi taking the 3.6-liter V6 from the Passat R36 and trying to squeeze it into the TT were true? We're not sure, but like Fox Mulder: we want to believe. [Bridge To Gantry]

The Audi TT clubsport quattro: Open-top driving machine with over 300 hp

* Audi presents its showcar at the Wörthersee Tour
* Speedster-like body with dynamic accents
* Racing-like engine and suspension performance

An open cockpit, an engine producing more than 220 kW (300 hp) and a host of technologies borrowed from the world of motorsports - the Audi TT clubsport quattro is an uncompromising driving machine. Audi is presenting an updated version of the spectacular showcar and sensation of 2007 at the Wörthersee Tour, the big meet for Audi and VW enthusiasts in Reifnitz (Kärnten), Austria, from May 21 to 25.

Purism at a premium level - this was the goal that the designers and engineers set themselves for the Audi TT clubsport quattro. The low windshield is extremely flat. The A-pillars are nearly invisible, making the continuous window strip appear to be a single casting. Instead of the compartment for the soft top there are two humps behind the passenger compartment - the lines of the showcar painted in Suzuka Gray, pearl effect are intensely evocative of a speedster. Mounted in front of the humps are two massive rollover bars, which together with the strong A-pillars protect the driver and passenger if the car should roll over.

The front end is dominated by the powerful single-frame grill painted in high-gloss black. Beneath the headlamps, which feature a strip of LED daytime running lights, are large air inlets covered by horizontally split black grills.

A distinctive spoiler lip optimizes downforce. When viewed from the side, the sharp contours in the sill area are every bit as striking as the boldly accentuated wheel wells, which house impressive (polished) 9x19 inch wheels shod with 255/35 tires. The track was widened by 66 millimeters (2.60 inches) versus the production TT. The rear bumper is designed as a diffuser. The fascia between the two large tailpipes of the stainless steel exhaust system emphasizes the horizontal lines and makes the car look even wider from behind.

The purist style of the exterior carries over to the interior of the Audi TT clubsport quattro. The newly designed sill area emphasizes the width of the vehicle. The driver and passenger sit in racing bucket seats that offer excellent support even in extreme driving situations - on the race track, for example.

Typical Audi: aluminum in the interior

Typical for Audi is the generous use of aluminum in the interior of the showcar. The clubsport quattro sports a high-grip version of the flat-bottomed steering wheel from the production TT with aluminum shift paddles. The door pull handle and door opener are also made of aluminum, and their cut-out appearance emphasizes the lightweight design character of the concept car. The pedals also shine with aluminum.

The second distinctive feature of the interior of the TT clubsport quattro is the color orange. Leather in this color provides bright highlights to the arm rests, the sides of the center tunnel, the backs of the bucket seats and the instrument cowl. The orange and white graphics of the instrument cluster clearly distinguishes it from its counterpart in the production model.

The TT clubsport quattro is a true sports car, and technology borrowed directly from the world of motorsports emphasizes this character. Even more power has been coaxed out of the 2.0 TFSI engine - the turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine breaks the magic 300 hp barrier. The exhaust system was designed to be particularly easy-breathing, and a powerful racing sound exudes from the oval tailpipes.

Audi high-tech: S tronic und quattro

The two-liter engine delivers its full power to an S tronic transmission. Thanks to its dual clutch, gear changes occur extremely quickly without interrupting the flow of power and thus go virtually unnoticed. The driver can change gears manually using the shift lever or the paddles on the steering wheel, or can choose a fully automatic mode. The quattro permanent all-wheel drive system transfers the power to all four wheels.

The powerful brake system from the new Audi TTS provides the stopping power. Its ventilated discs measure 340 millimeters (13.39 inches) up front and 310 millimeters (12.20 inches) at the rear.

The Audi TT clubsport quattro is a purist driving machine combining the performance of a sports car with the unique design language of Audi. Small-series production of this model cannot be ruled out.

AUDI AG sold a total of 964,151 cars in 2007 and thus achieved its twelfth consecutive record year. With revenue of €33,617 million and profit before tax of €2,915 million, the company attained its best figures ever. Audi produces vehicles in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm (Germany), Györ (Hungary), Changchun (China) and Brussels (Belgium). At the end of 2007, production of the Audi A6 started in Aurangabad, India. The company is active in more than 100 markets worldwide. AUDI AG's wholly owned subsidiaries include Lamborghini S.p.A. in Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy, and quattro GmbH in Neckarsulm. Audi employs more than 54,000 people worldwide, including 45,000 in Germany. The brand with the four rings invests more than € 2 billion each year in order to sustain the company's technological lead embodied in its "Vorsprung durch Technik" slogan. Audi plans to significantly increase the number of models in its portfolio by 2015, from the 26 currently on offer to 40.

What we have here is a TT with said "R8" kit available for your bidding pleasure on eBay. For the $45,000 buy-it-now price you get a 3.2-liter V6, S-tronic automatic, and Quattro. It's interesting, but we're not really interested unless they incorporate this faux-R8 kit with some sort of bi-motor or mid-engine setup.
[eBay via VWvortex]

Audi TTS Roadster & Coupe

• New even higher performance version of acclaimed TT sports car available in Coupé and Roadster body styles
• Debuts at the North American International Auto Show on January 13 and is expected to open for UK order in mid-2008
• Powered by an extensively modified version of the 2.0-litre Turbo FSI petrol engine delivering 272PS and peak torque of 350Nm between 2,500 and 5,000rpm
• Coupé (manual) 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds, limited 155mph top speed, 29.7mpg, Roadster 0-62mph in 5.6 seconds, limited 155mph top speed, 29.3mpg
• Suspension, steering and brakes revised to complement enhanced performance
• Standard Audi magnetic ride adaptive damping system for optimum handling composure

The 'S' emblem that spells extraordinary performance in the Audi range graces the TT for the first time this month in a new, even more focused version of the iconic sports car debuting at the North American International Auto Show (January 19-27). Destined for the UK in mid-2008 in both Coupé and Roadster body styles, the TTS earns its esteemed badge through the adoption of a specially developed, 272PS Turbo FSI petrol engine complemented by state-of-the-art chassis technology.

Extensive revisions to the acclaimed 2.0-litre turbo charged and directly fuel injected petrol engine that already powers the TT have enabled its power to be boosted from 200PS to 272PS and its torque from 280Nm to 350Nm, available between 2,500 and 5,000rpm. Linked to six-speed, close ratio manual transmission the enhanced unit slingshots the TTS Coupé from rest to 62mph in just 5.2 seconds, and on the Autobahn is only curtailed by its electronic limiter at 155mph. With the optional S tronic dual-clutch automatic transmission acceleration times are reduced by a further two-tenths of a second in both the Coupé and Roadster.

In addition to the evocative 'S' insignia, the most extreme production TT to date highlights its capabilities from the front through newly designed bi-xenon headlamps incorporating trademark Audi LED strip daytime running lights, a redesigned front apron incorporating larger air intakes and aluminium-look door mirror housings. The profile view is enhanced by deeper side skirts and exclusive 18-inch alloy wheels, which can be swapped for 19-inch alternatives at extra cost, while at the rear a revised rear bumper with - for the first time in a TT - four tailpipes protruding from its extended diffuser subtly conveys the newcomer's extra performance potential.

Inside, deep-set Alcantara and leather combination sports seats, exclusive 'S' instruments with white needles, metal pedals and special aluminium trim elements enhance the already very highly regarded sports interior.
Audi Space Frame (ASF)

Streamlined by its revolutionary lightweight Audi Space Frame aluminium and steel hybrid body shell, and pinned to the road by a comprehensively modified, quattro four-wheel-drive-equipped chassis, the new TTS has been designed to maximise the TT's inherent fun factor while retaining its safe, surefooted feel. Reworked power steering and enlarged brakes help the driver to profit fully from the exceptional performance, and to guarantee the highest degree of agility in all situations the space-age Audi magnetic ride adaptive damping system is fitted as standard.

The magnetic ride system's sophisticated dampers are filled with a magnetorheological fluid containing minute magnetic particles that can be influenced by an electromagnetic field. By applying a voltage to the system's electromagnets, the viscosity of the fluid is altered by the affected magnetic particles, increasing resistance to damper movement to iron out pitch and roll when necessary, and reducing resistance when ride comfort takes precedence.
The new sports model is not only notable as the first TT to become a member of the esteemed Audi 'S quattro series', which numbers extra special models such as the 450PS S8 quattro among its ranks. Significantly, it also debuts on the tenth anniversary of the TT, the Coupé version of which became an overnight sensation following its launch in 1998.
[Audi via NetCarShow]