Audi TT Clubsport quattro: Unofficially Official
Motoring Channel Staff - 22/May/2008
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Audi TT Clubsport quattro
Lower and wider than the Audi TT, the Clubsport
quattro also loses the roof but gets a 220kW motor
This is the original Audi Clubsport quattro, which
was the initial design study of the TT speedster idea
The TT Clubsport's interior is characterised
by a yellow, black, and orange colour scheme
Although Audi hasn't yet said it will build the TT
Clubsport quattro, sources say it has been green-lit
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Reifnitz, Austria —
Audi has unveiled an updated version of the TT Clubsport quattro, an open air speedster concept first seen in 2007. Shown a year ago to the day, the original concept was shiny, flashy, and very much a show car. However this new model looks to be almost production ready, using a number of Audi TT body parts. Furthermore,
the recent spy photography showing the car being tested on public roads
in Europe is an iron-clad guarantee this vehicle is invariably going to
be built in small numbers and sold to the public. The Audi press release adds further evidence, the end of which reads, "[a] Small-series production of this model cannot be ruled out." Though
Audi's top brass in Germany has been silent on the daring sports car's
future, the marketing director for Audi in the Middle
East claims it will only be sold in a few countries. Audi's Bernd
Rosenbichler has been quoted by European publication Car as saying, "We
are planning on making the worldwide premiere
of this car here and then launching it just for the region". If
the car is only released in the Middle East, you can be sure there'll
be some very loud complaints from European buyers, though considering
the new model has no roof, it is more suited to dry climes. Australia
perhaps..? Similar to the first concept revealed in 2007, the
updated Audi TT Clubsport quattro showcar is powered by a
2.0-litre turbo engine outputting an impressive 220kW (300hp). Exact
details of the engine's capabilities haven't been divulged as yet, but
expect around 400Nm of torque to propel the lightweight AWD vehicle
from zero to 100km/h in under 5.0 seconds. As the new images
show, the design is less 'concept' and more 'production' than
previously. It shows a higher windscreen, bolstered A-pillars,
larger roll bars, and a more conservative single-frame grille design
than before. The exaggerated wheel arches have remained, giving
the car a slightly retro speedster appearance and the wheels have been
reduced in size by one inch, riding on 19-inch wheels. Tyres have a 255/35 aspect ratio, and compared to the Audi TT, this model is 66mm wider for even more cornering stability. At the rear the large oval exhausts have also survived the concept-to-production transformation, and as Audi explains, "The exhaust system was designed to be particularly easy-breathing, and a powerful racing sound exudes from the oval tailpipes". According
to Audi, "The purist style of the exterior carries over to the interior
of the Audi TT clubsport quattro," as "...driver and passenger sit in
racing bucket seats that offer excellent support even in extreme
driving situations – on the race track, for example". The production version gets an orange interior and a flat-bottomed racing steering wheel for easier ingress and egress, complete
with aluminum shift paddles. The gearbox will be an S tronic dual
clutch type, though whether the 220kW engine will be too powerful for
the new 7-speed transmission is not yet known. It could be paired with
the previous 6-speed S tronic. Brakes consist of 340mm ventilated discs up front and 310mm discs at the rear. Expect to see the new Audi TT Clubsport quattro on the road sooner rather than later. Related articles:
- Audi A3 Clubsport Quattro concept (2008)
- Audi S3 (Road Test)
- Audi A4 (2008)
- Audi TT Coupe (Road Test)
- Audi RS 6 (2008)
- Audi Metroproject quattro Concept (2009)
- Audi Cross Cabriolet quattro Concept (2007)
- Audi
RS 4 (Road Test)
- Audi S8 (Road Test)
- Audi S3 Sportback, Audi S4 (2009)
- Audi Q5 (2009)
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