<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"We often judge the credentials of a sports car by starting with the basics. It must have a powerful engine mounted close to its center of gravity. A precise manual gearbox is essential. Having a properly tuned suspension driving the rear wheels practically goes without saying. The rest? Sexy styling and a purposeful interior complete the package.        2012 Audi TT RS    Now take this sports car checklist and apply it to the 2012 Audi TT RS. Despite having a powerful 360-bhp turbocharged engine, it is placed far forward over the front axle, not particularly close to its center of gravity. As for having a proper transmission, the TT RS does pass the test with its 6-speed manual. And while the car is equipped with Audi&amp;#039;s Quattro all-wheel-drive system that splits the torque 50/50 front/rear under normal conditions, it is still not the preferred rear-drive-biased setup, and with added penalty of carrying more weight. As an RS model, Audi engineers tweaked the suspension to match its high-performance specifications. But what about the sleek styling and no-nonsense interior ergonomics? It gets a passing grade here, too. But frankly, nothing particularly stands out so much to make it a showstopper on the street.   So what&amp;#039;s the big deal with the Audi TT RS?   You have to drive it.   Slip into the properly bolstered driver seat. Find the sport button on the center console. Twist the ignition key (rare these days with push-button starts) and you are greeted with a low engine growl. Its racy and louder-than-expected exhaust note gives hint to energy within, eager to be released. Slide the shifter into 1st gear, give it a good amount of gas before you let out the clutch and the TT RS will leap forward with a forceful hand. Now give it full power and the turbo 5-cylinder hesitates just a tick before it winds toward its 6800-rpm redline and catapults forward with all its might. Rowing through its well-defined shift gates, the TT RS lunges to 60 mph in just 4.0 seconds, with the quarter-mile mark hurtling past at 12.6 sec. at a speed of 109.6 mph. And your brain struggles to reconcile reality with what on paper seemed merely a passing-grade sports car: The TT RS is a hungry, asphalt-chewing world-class driving machine.        2012 Audi TT RS    Delivering surprising performance is not without precedent in Audi&amp;#039;s history. Its effort in the World Rally Championship (WRC) with a turbo 5-cylinder Quattro rally car in the early &amp;#039;80s was met with skepticism at first. Others at the time thought the all-wheel-drive system&amp;#039;s weight penalty would overwhelm its performance enhancement. But Audi proved everyone wrong by winning WRC championships in 1983 and 1984.   In the modern-day TT RS, the 5-cylinder engine has a special graphite and cast-iron composite block with an aluminum alloy cylinder head. Incoming fresh air for the powerplant is first compressed to 17.4 psi by a turbocharger fitted with a separate oil supply and cooling system, and then routed through an intercooler before entering the cylinders. In the combustion chambers, fuel is injected directly at 1741 psi to create an even swirling air/fuel mixture for optimal burn. Combined with a 10.0:1 compression ratio and variable cam timing, the TT RS powerplant cranks out a maximum 360 bhp from 5500 to 6700 rpm and 343 lb.-ft. of torque from 1650 to 5400 rpm. All this with EPA city/highway ratings of 18/25 mpg.   Putting the power down to the asphalt falls on the shoulders of Audi&amp;#039;s Quattro all-wheel-drive system paired with a short-throw 6-speed manual transmission. The simplicity of the gearbox makes it very exciting as you are more involved in the driving experience rather than just a bystander watching modern-day electronics shift through the gears for you. The Quattro system employs an electronically controlled, hydraulically actuated multiplate clutch system mounted near the rear axle. It apportions the torque instantly when needed, thanks to a separate electric pump that builds up oil pressure in milliseconds.        2012 Audi TT RS    On our test track, the Audi TT RS&amp;#039; road-hugging ability clearly shows. Around our 200-ft. diameter skidpad, the RS hangs on with impressive adhesion, generating 0.95g of lateral acceleration. Through our slalom, the car threads around the cones at 70.7 mph. To put this in perspective, both numbers easily outshine those of the Porsche Cayman S. Quite surprising, considering the TT RS&amp;#039; engine is far out in front as compared to a mid-engine Cayman, and its all-wheel drive typically leads to more understeer.   On mountain roads, the Audi TT RS&amp;#039; sporting nature is also apparent. Thanks to its compact stature and a lively yet confidence inspiring all-wheel-drive system, the TT RS carves its way through switchbacks with utmost smoothness and stability. Even though the car&amp;#039;s off-center steering feel is not as precise as preferred, it nevertheless points the front end through the corner with mostly mild understeer behavior. Take the stability control off, and the Audi can be more playful. Romping on the throttle in this mode, you&amp;#039;re able to kick the tail out on corner exit. That, along with the engine singing its throaty tunes as you toss the RS toward the apex, immerses you in the magnificent sports-car experience sought by all car enthusiasts.        2012 Audi TT RS    The more you drive the Audi TT RS, the more you sense the subtleness of the car&amp;#039;s character. That &amp;quot;passing grade&amp;quot; is turning more exciting by the minute. The treatment of the large signature grille is by far the best and the most aggressive-looking in Audi&amp;#039;s lineup, avoiding the look of a big gaping hole. The front and rear fenders carry a nice cutline to show off its muscular stance. And the sculpted wing blends nicely into the car&amp;#039;s rear, giving it a purposeful appearance. Inside, simple elegance is the theme as everything is done for the driver to focus on the task of driving.   At a list price of $56,850, the 2012 Audi TT RS is highly competitive and in good company with the likes of BMW 1 Series M, Lotus Evora S and the Porsche Cayman S and R. Often, high-perform\u00ADance cars that look impressive on paper fall short of expectations when you climb aboard. But in the case of the TT RS, it is quite the opposite. The more time you spend driving the car, the more you will appreciate the sum of its parts. It&amp;#039;s simply one of the most exciting sports cars on the market today. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/road-tests/reviews/a17767/2012-audi-tt-rs/>