If the Malaysian launch of the third generation Audi TT intrigued you, then this clubsport turbo technology concept car may be just enough to push you over the edge. We’ll start off with the figures: 600 hp and 650 Nm from that 2.5-litre mill that we know and love. Can you hear that throaty 5-cylinder growl at the back of your head? That’s the stuff of Group B right there. The century sprint is completed in just 3.6 seconds- not quite the fastest in the world, but it’s a little over half the time taken for your average Audi TT 2.0T.
This power comes from the use of two turbochargers. The larger turbocharger delivers boost from 3000 rpm to 7000 rpm, meaning it’s likely at least a K04 size turbo (the kind in an A45 or Golf R) or larger given the ‘high’ boost threshold. “But won’t that effect driveability?” you ask, thinking back to how many Volkswagen Audi Group cars delivery maximum torque from as low as 1,500 rpm. Yes, this larger turbocharger means more lag, but it also allows for more boost without choking.
The trick is with a secondary turbocharger that’s driven electrically. It’s not quite the electric boost you would expect, because it comes in the form of reducing spool times and improving transient boost pressure when off throttle. Think of it as an anti-lag, without the obvious downsides like grenading your turbocharger and/or warping your engine. Of course there’s none of the dramatic “bang-bang” that you’d get with a rally style anti-lag system, but it seems to deliver on a technical front.
Naturally, Audi outfitted this concept car with quattro in order to put power down to the road. And much like their Audi S1 quattro, it only comes with a manual gearbox- either for reasons of durability, or a nod to the dwindling enthusiast scene. You can tell that the Audi engineers behind this project had a little bit of fun with it when the press release states “In an acceleration duel, the TT clubsport turbo effortlessly pulls away from a counterpart with an identically powered engine but no electric biturbo,”.
The concept car comes with a few aesthetic touches to differentiate it from the regular car, naturally. These are the kind of things you’ll find being custom made by various companies as body kits and add-ons: wheel arches, large 20 x 9.5J wheels, diffusers, and a massive rear wing are all part of the performance prototype norm. The interior gets a nice half-cage and plenty of carbon fibre treatment.
Will this model every be sold to the public? Perhaps. The Golf R400 was confirmed for mass production as the Golf R420, so why wouldn’t this extreme TT make it to the market? The only obstacles standing in the way of Audi would be the protests of sister company Porsche, and perhaps a threat to their own R8 halo car.
