Audi TTS.

Audi TTS.

Along with the release of the TT version , Audi also revealed a facelift version for the more powerful Audi TTS. Like the TT, the TTS will also go on sale this summer with minor changes made to the price list.

For the latest model year, Audi has eliminated the TTS' multi-tier trim level system and now offers the coupe as a single model with available options. A Bose premium audio system, heated front seats and interior LED lighting are all newly standard.

Base TT models get a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine rated at 211 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Paired with the standard dual-clutch transmission and quattro all-wheel drive, the TT is quick, hitting 60 mph in just 5.3 seconds.

The Audi TTS gets an upgraded version of the same engine, rated at 265 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The extra motivation gets the TTS to 60 mph in as little as 4.9 seconds. TTS models also get an upgraded Haldex version of the quattro AWD system.

Meanwhile, behind the wheel of the Audi TT RS, the party doesn’t really start until you get on the gas mid-corner. But once you do, its turbocharged 5-banger and quattro system launches you forward with the sort of urgency and character you’d expect from a WRC rally car. In fact, as we learned last year when first testing the TT RS, it’s actually happiest when being treated with a bit of Walter Rorhl flare, pitching it into corners to get the front end turned in early and then stomping on the throttle so that the turbo spools up quickly and then the all-wheel drive system flings you out onto the straight.

Steering is overly light, as well as numb at low speeds, but effort and feel improve as the speedometer needle climbs. As with most all-wheel-drive cars, there’s understeer, but the TTS doesn’t mind being pitched into corners, and its balance is good despite its forward weight bias. The stability-control system can be disabled, but the threshold is high, and there’s almost no point in shutting it down. Grip, via a set of Continental Conti­SportContact 3 tires, is better than good at 0.95 g, and braking performance is even better than that: 154 feet from 70 mph.

The TTS enhances its progressive shape with the distinctive Platinum Gray Audi Singleframe grille featuring a twin-blade Aluminum-optic crossbar design. The cabin is artfully appointed including matte Brushed Aluminum inlays, Silk Nappa leather sport seats and a three-spoke flat-bottom multifunction sport steering wheel with shift paddles. It's a testament to race-inspired design.

The TTS comes standard with heated and power-adjustable leather/alcantara sports seats, a 12-speaker, 255-watt AM/FM/CD/Sirius XM Bose sound system with AUX and USB inputs, single-zone automatic climate control, Bluetooth smartphone connectivity, Xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights, a leather-wrapped, flat-bottom multifunction steering wheel with paddle shifters, LED interior lighting and 18-inch alloy wheels.Options include heated Nappa leather sports seats,, a navigation system with real-time traffic updates, a six-disc CD changer and an ultrasonic rear parking assist system.