# It's here! (TTRS)



## mageus (Sep 1, 2004)

Picked up this baby in August. Phantom Black, tech, sports exhaust/titanium, CF mirrors 










Aggressive haunches 









The wing makes this car 









Classic lines 









That grill is ready to swallow up things whole. Not quite eagle eyes, but menacing nonetheless. 









Leather and alcantara everywhere 









Cool dials and pedals 









Yes, the Britax fits 









Some background: 
I had been waiting for the S5 3.0T coupe to upgrade. Then they released the 2013 front end, and I still can't get the bad taste out of my mouth. Around the same time I saw all the talk of the TTRS. At my last track event I realized something: the B8 is an incredible chassis for its size and layout, but is just too heavy. I realized I needed a smaller car. Since I couldn't get the S5 I wanted, the TTRS was the perfect answer. 

LOOKS 
You don't think TT when you see this. It's a very aggressive look, with the gaping maw of a grill and front inlets. The big lower valences and side skirts take away the 'soft belly' look of the TT. The wing on the back removes the negative slope on the back that makes the TT a 'hairdresser's car'. The MkI was very rounded, like a jellybean. The MkII added some sharp creases. The TTRS takes it to the next-next level. However, it's still sophisticated looking, not riced out. Not quite as pretty as an A5/S5, but a looker nonetheless. Phantom looks great in the sun, especially with the titanium option. 

MOTOR 
Torque monster! There's a brief but noticeable lag from low revs, and then the car just rockets. The torque is steady through 5000rpm. I can believe the 0-60 figures for the DSG with launch control. This car keeps up with Vettes, 911s, Shelbys, etc. I wasn't falling far behind a beginner Viper driver on the straights. However, power delivery is very smooth, not punchy like a typical turbo. In the twisties you can pretty much just keep it in 3rd. You do have to be careful about the lag - keep the RPM above 2500 and keep some throttle on. I don't think I will even consider a remap until I become a much better driver. 
Sport mode makes the throttle response quicker for both throttle on and throttle off. Rev-matching is a joy - just blip the throttle. 
Oh, and it gets 30mpg on the freeway with a light foot. Jeckyl and Hide. 

STEERING 
The steering is more firm than Audi's sedans. Road feel is decent for street driving, but lacking for hard driving. Definitely a step below other cars of this caliber. 

SUSPENSION 
Stock ride is comfortable, as nice as my A5 S-line. You can feel big bumps (it's not a Lexus), but not bothersome. With spirited driving a little roll is noticeable, but it's decent for a stock mode. 
In Sport mode there is almost no roll. The magnetic dampers are set up great - good road feel but not jarring. Stiffer springs may help for hard driving. I wouldn't get shorter springs unless you wanted the slammed look. 

TRANSMISSION / DRIVETRAIN 
The gate has a short throw laterally (side to side), but not very short throw longitudinally. The Statmosphere on my A5 has a shorter throw. The feel is very precise with just a little extra resistance. Not quite a 'snick' but mostly there. 
The clutch is not stiff, and is very comfortable. It has a non-linear travel, most sensitive on mid let out. This is why people are stalling it when they first get it (I stalled at the light out of the dealership - very embarrasing). However, it's easy to get used to, and not an issue unless you're moving from a dead stop with Sport mode engaged. 
Low end gearing is set up well for hard driving. Keep it in 2nd through turns and then shift to 3rd in the exit. There's a nice separation between 3rd and 4th, so you can get the best acceleration on straights. For street driving 5th and 6th seem very close, but this is the case for most modern cars. 

HALDEX 
In Sport mode this car defies belief. When pushed hard there is only slight understeer, amazing for the weight distribution. A rear ARB will fix this. Let off the throttle and the rear nudges out but extremely predictably. Come back on and it straightens out smoothly. One can throw it into a 4-wheel drift and then pull it right back in with no effort. I'm sure this car will just push and then slow down before it spins out. Even when the tires are hot and greasy the limits are very predictable. The car is absurdly easy to drive. I think one reviewer noted, 'This is not the car to get if you want to learn to drive well'. I for one would rather have a car that doesn't let me kill myself, and just be disciplined about not relying on the power/Haldex. 
Traction control is annoying since it noticeably limits power coming out of corners However, turn off ESP (short press) and everything's fine again. 

TIRES 
The Proxes have decent grip for street tires, but are also comfortable and quiet enough on the road. After a day of being run hard, they do get greasy. But the grip drops gradually at the limit, giving one some warning. This is an excellent choice for a stock tire on this type of car. 

SOUND 
At low revs, the car is relatively quiet, though you can hear a low steady hum, not quite a rumble (C&D's complaint?). Hit the throttle, and rumble picks ups then screams! It's completely addictive. I take back what I said earlier: with full out acceleration the sport exhaust is a thrill! However, with normal street driving sport mode isn't too much louder than stock. It does add a little more warble along with the base, but it's not night-and-day. It's almost like the stock sound is already so strong that the sport setting doesn't do much more for street driving. 

BRAKES 
With normal driving the brakes are excellent. Very linear feel. No initial catch. No chattering with hard braking. 
With hard driving the calipers are awesome. Grab like crazy, absurd negative Gs. No fade . . . until the stock pads glazed out. Definitely need better pads. But I see no point in upgrading the stock pots or rotors. 
The pedal stagger (both left-right, and front-back) is set up for heel-toe with hard braking, which I love. This might surprise people who aren't used to this, but it makes rev-matching a joy for those who know their way around an H-gate. 
The lower grills are open and have ducts leading to the brakes. There is an additional deflector on the suspension arm to route air to the brakes. 

SEATS 
They are sporty rather than race seats, same ones on the A4/A5 and the R8. Good support for normal driving, but need much more lateral support for hard driving. Damn you DOT and your stupid crash laws! At least the headrest is dual-post, so you can use a harness. 
The Schroth harness works wonderfully. Just a little movement in the shoulders on cornering, but keeps the rear & hips well planted. 

GADGETS / INTERIOR 
I'm coming from an A5, so these are some things absent: 
- keyless entry/ignition 
- automatic folding mirrors 
- seat memory 
- real MMI 
I only really miss the keyless entry. 
The interior is typical Audi fit and finish. Perfect ergonomics. I thought it would feel smaller, but it's remarkably roomy. My friend who's 6'4" fits just fine. 
The extra leather and the white stitching is very nice. Classy with a hint of sportiness. 
The aluminum on the shift knob gets really hot in the sun. 
Audi Navigation Plus - Mimics AMI 3G surprisingly well, but there's obvious lag that belies it's an RNS-E. Also, it doesn't remember settings after turning off ignition. Doesn't have the console mounted controls, but since you're closer to the dash you can reach the controls just fine. It's cool to have the SD cards (up to 32GB SDHC) behind the screen and AMI in the glove box. Nav is great other than the usual complaints - hard to scroll the screen, and stupid POI access. 
Bluetooth works well without any connection issues. However, the microphone works poorly. I don't know if it's the engine thrum or a bad mic, but people always complain they can't hear me, even with volume at max. 
The Blose stereo is so-so. I'm spoiled by the B&O in the A5. I'll probably upgrade the speakers/amp later. 
The DIS has a lap timer with oil temp in degrees and a boost gauge. Very cool! 
Cup holders are smaller, don't hold my water bottle. (Yes, this is a US review) 
For anyone interested - a Graco ComfortSport just fits behind a 5'10" man. A Britax Boulevard fits behind a vertically challenged adult (wife is 5'2"). Gets the approval from the Boss. 


VERDICT 
Grinning like a kid the whole drive home from the dealership. And to and from work. And when I showed it off to friends. I never used to be into exhaust sounds, but this is so addictive! This car is schizophrenic. On the freeway it's comfortable and smooth, with only the slight engine drone and the brief roar when you need to pass someone. But punch it and it's an animal. The personality switch is instantaneous. It's so sure-footed in the twisties, one is always comfortable in it. This is a turnkey track car. It would be a shame if someone bought one without planning on tracking it (or at least taking it through the twisties once in the while). I'm not sure how many cars are this much a daily driver and trackable at the same time. Looking forward to throwing it around at the track. I was originally thinking of a Cayman S in the future. But the TTRS has better looks, unbeatable Audi ergonomics and comfort, and a more thrilling driving character. We in the US got quite a steal, if you think about it. Planning on keeping the car long enough to give to my son. 

Best testament: When my son (almost 3) first saw the car, he ran to it and screamed "Racecar!" He then runs around checking out every little detail, yelling "Lightning McQueen! Racecar! Lightning McQueen!" 

Yeah. I made the right choice.


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## Marty (Jul 14, 2000)

Awesome review! Looking forward to lots of pics inside and out. :thumbup:


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## tdi-bart (Feb 10, 2011)

TT's have automatic climate control... and if you have carbon mirrors they are auto folding (vagcom setting i think).


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## kendoist4162 (Mar 15, 2010)

Great review!! And you chose the best color! :laugh::laugh:


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## 996cab (Aug 13, 2011)

Another great simple yet concise review...thx indeed for sharing. Have had mine since July 2009 and still can't get enough of it...just been out this evening and yes, speed uptake is very addictive...super stealth car!


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## DrDomm (Feb 16, 2003)

Lovely words. Can't wait for the pics, especially of the CF mirrors on Phantom Black.


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## mageus (Sep 1, 2004)

tdi-bart said:


> TT's have automatic climate control... and if you have carbon mirrors they are auto folding (vagcom setting i think).


 Not true automatic climate. You still have to manually set the fan speed. 
Yippee! Plan to delve into the VAG settings tonight. 



kendoist4162 said:


> And you chose the best color!


 When I bought my A5, it was the only car not offered in Phantom. Even the A3 had Phantom, for goodness sake. 


I took the car for a drive through the mountains today. I updated my mini review in the following sections: motor, suspension, brakes, transmission


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## Dr. Bill (May 15, 2011)

mageus said:


> Not true automatic climate. You still have to manually set the fan speed.


 Not if you hit the 'auto' button. My TTS and TT RS both have it.


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## - Jeremy - (Feb 23, 2006)

Dr. Bill said:


> Not if you hit the 'auto' button. My TTS and TT RS both have it.


 My wife is also confused by the Automatic Climate Control. 

People, it's pretty simple, really. 

Step 1: Make sure the Auto button is on 
Step 2: Control the temperature by using the temp knob 

The fan will automatically adjust based on the request for difference in ambient temperature. 

- Jeremy -


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## Dr. Bill (May 15, 2011)

- Jeremy - said:


> My wife is also confused by the Automatic Climate Control.
> 
> People, it's pretty simple, really.
> 
> ...


 Not sure why it's such a mystery. It's on page 73 of my owner's manual. Lots of other good stuff in there too. . .


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## DrDomm (Feb 16, 2003)

Dr. Bill said:


> Not sure why it's such a mystery. It's on page 73 of my owner's manual. Lots of other good stuff in there too. . .


 It's just not digital, like on the "high tech" Audis.


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## ProjectA3 (Aug 12, 2005)

it is truly amazing how people totally forget about an owners manual. or when a salesperson forgets to tell the customer how to get it into reverse  Dr. Bill sorry bout that.


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## mageus (Sep 1, 2004)

- Jeremy - said:


> My wife is also confused by the Automatic Climate Control.


 OK, guys, enough laughs at my expense. I did RTFM . . . just not that section. In all fairness, I did ask the SA and she didn't think it was automatic. 

VAG tool takes care of convenience windows and the stupid US 'must turn off DRL when blinker is on or everyone will crash' issue. 

Updated the pics.


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## Marty (Jul 14, 2000)

mageus said:


> OK, guys, enough laughs at my expense. I did RTFM . . . just not that section. In all fairness, I did ask the SA and she didn't think it was automatic.
> 
> VAG tool takes care of convenience windows and the stupid US 'must turn off DRL when blinker is on or everyone will crash' issue.
> 
> Updated the pics.


 The updated pics look great! I like the orthogonal views of the car. What did you do with the VAG for the "convenience windows"?


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## Joelc (Aug 27, 2011)

@mageus, the pictures look great but, then again, I am bias as I too have ordered a phantom black TTRS... 


@ all, speaking of manuals, does anyone have a electronic copy of the TTRS manual that they send to me as I would like to read up "BEFORE" that car arrives... 

Much thanks, 


Joel


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## - Jeremy - (Feb 23, 2006)

Joelc said:


> @mageus, the pictures look great but, then again, I am bias as I too have ordered a phantom black TTRS...
> 
> 
> @ all, speaking of manuals, does anyone have a electronic copy of the TTRS manual that they send to me as I would like to read up "BEFORE" that car arrives...
> ...


 +1! This would be great! They generally come in binders so anyone with access to a network-attached scanner at the office can bulk-scan the pages into a PDF. I'd do it, but I'm also still waiting for my car  

- Jeremy -


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## joshsmith (Apr 17, 2011)

Joelc said:


> @mageus, the pictures look great but, then again, I am bias as I too have ordered a phantom black TTRS...
> 
> 
> @ all, speaking of manuals, does anyone have a electronic copy of the TTRS manual that they send to me as I would like to read up "BEFORE" that car arrives...
> ...


 Yay for Phantom Black!!!!


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## StefanP (Jun 8, 2011)

Very nice, finally some good pics of what my car will look like, it has the exact same spec. ETA early October. 

Thanks for sharing!


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## tdi-bart (Feb 10, 2011)

lol mine is exactly the same too haha no good!


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## Marty (Jul 14, 2000)

mageus said:


> - automatic folding mirrors


 Wait, your car has the CF auto-folding mirrors... have you tried them?? I figured they would auto-fold when you turn the car off, but nobody has really mentioned how they work on here. Is there a button you need to press, or what??


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## StefanP (Jun 8, 2011)

tdi-bart said:


> lol mine is exactly the same too haha no good!


 We'll have an all-black TT RS meet-up, may bit a bit of a drive though.


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## Riz1 (Aug 11, 2011)

Congrats - look great. Did you order it without the front license plate holder? I'm in NJ so need front plate but I want to order it without the front holder. Is there a special option code to delete front plate?


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## - Jeremy - (Feb 23, 2006)

Riz1 said:


> Congrats - look great. Did you order it without the front license plate holder? I'm in NJ so need front plate but I want to order it without the front holder. Is there a special option code to delete front plate?


 I think most of us have ordered it with the "6W9 Front Grille Filler Panel" which comes with nothing. If you order "6W3 Front License Plate Holder" instead, you get a plate holder. 

- Jeremy -


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## bsmack (Oct 16, 2008)

Marty said:


> Wait, your car has the CF auto-folding mirrors... have you tried them?? I figured they would auto-fold when you turn the car off, but nobody has really mentioned how they work on here. Is there a button you need to press, or what??


 One minor thing that I find annoying (but I believe can be coded with vagcom) is that you actually have to rotate the knob that adjusts the mirrors to 12 oclock every time you want your mirrors to fold in. There is no option in the RNS-E to set it up so that the mirrors fold when you lock the car, so you have to program it via vagcom.


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## Dr. Bill (May 15, 2011)

bsmack said:


> One minor thing that I find annoying (but I believe can be coded with vagcom) is that you actually have to rotate the knob that adjusts the mirrors to 12 oclock every time you want your mirrors to fold in. There is no option in the RNS-E to set it up so that the mirrors fold when you lock the car, so you have to program it via vagcom.


 One little annoyance I have is the DRL's. In order to have the LED strip on, the headlight switch must be in 'auto'. Then when you pull in the garage, the lights come on. The 2009 TTS I had had a separate control for the DRL's. 

Can that be programmed with the vagcom thing? If so, where do I buy one?


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## - Jeremy - (Feb 23, 2006)

Dr. Bill said:


> One little annoyance I have is the DRL's. In order to have the LED strip on, the headlight switch must be in 'auto'. Then when you pull in the garage, the lights come on. The 2009 TTS I had had a separate control for the DRL's.
> 
> Can that be programmed with the vagcom thing? If so, where do I buy one?


 Pretty sure this can be programmed. You can buy it from www.ross-tech.com. They call it VCDS now. 

It's definitely a good tool to own. 

- Jeremy -


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## DrDomm (Feb 16, 2003)

Dr. Bill said:


> One little annoyance I have is the DRL's. In order to have the LED strip on, the headlight switch must be in 'auto'. Then when you pull in the garage, the lights come on. The 2009 TTS I had had a separate control for the DRL's.
> 
> Can that be programmed with the vagcom thing? If so, where do I buy one?


 Yeah, I mentioned this a few weeks ago. I've now reprogrammed them to come on without the lights set to AUTO. Unfortunately, the "coming/leaving home" feature only works in AUTO mode. Damn Audi!


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## Marty (Jul 14, 2000)

DrDomm said:


> Yeah, I mentioned this a few weeks ago. I've now reprogrammed them to come on without the lights set to AUTO. Unfortunately, the "coming/leaving home" feature only works in AUTO mode. Damn Audi!


 Is that fix-able with a Euro light switch? http://www.ecstuning.com/Audi-TT_MKII-TTS-2.0T/Lighting/Switches/ES449288/


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## DrDomm (Feb 16, 2003)

Marty said:


> Is that fix-able with a Euro light switch? http://www.ecstuning.com/Audi-TT_MKII-TTS-2.0T/Lighting/Switches/ES449288/


 I don't think that will fix the "coming/leaving home" issue, since it would still want the lights set to AUTO. I gonna look into seeing there is a VCDS way to fix this.


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## Joelc (Aug 27, 2011)

DrDomm said:


> I don't think that will fix the "coming/leaving home" issue, since it would still want the lights set to AUTO. I gonna look into seeing there is a VCDS way to fix this.


 I'll bite...what am I missing...what is wrong with leaving the lights in AUTO... 

Thanks, 


Joel


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## Marty (Jul 14, 2000)

DrDomm said:


> I don't think that will fix the "coming/leaving home" issue, since it would still want the lights set to AUTO. I gonna look into seeing there is a VCDS way to fix this.


 Even with the dedicated "coming home" button?


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## Dr. Bill (May 15, 2011)

Joelc said:


> I'll bite...what am I missing...what is wrong with leaving the lights in AUTO...
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> ...


 Two things - when you pull into the garage in the daytime, the headlights will come on. Not sure how good it is for them to turn on briefly and then get shut off. May decrease their service life, may not. 

Second - at night if you rely on the 'auto' setting, I believe it turns on the headlights, but not the taillights. I need to double check this, but I have seen some folks driving around at night with no rear illumination - not smart.


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## DrDomm (Feb 16, 2003)

Dr. Bill said:


> Two things - when you pull into the garage in the daytime, the headlights will come on. Not sure how good it is for them to turn on briefly and then get shut off. May decrease their service life, may not.
> 
> Second - at night if you rely on the 'auto' setting, I believe it turns on the headlights, but not the taillights. I need to double check this, but I have seen some folks driving around at night with no rear illumination - not smart.


 Definitely annoying on the garage issue. It also turns the lights on when you might not want them...dusk, dawn, cloudy, etc.

I'm sure the taillights come on with the headlights.


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## DrDomm (Feb 16, 2003)

Marty said:


> Even with the dedicated "coming home" button?


 Oh, I didn't know what that was. Maybe.


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## Marty (Jul 14, 2000)

bsmack said:


> One minor thing that I find annoying (but I believe can be coded with vagcom) is that you actually have to rotate the knob that adjusts the mirrors to 12 oclock every time you want your mirrors to fold in. There is no option in the RNS-E to set it up so that the mirrors fold when you lock the car, so you have to program it via vagcom.


 Just looked in to this in detail... you can't reprogram this control via VCDS. You unfortunately need to modify the electrical wiring in the car and add a relay that is normally present on the auto-folding mirror cars (not manual-folding). 

It's not impossible, but it's going to take some work. This sounds like a good first project, though I'd feel a little bad chopping up the wiring of a brand new TT-RS...


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## Joelc (Aug 27, 2011)

Dr. Bill said:


> Two things - when you pull into the garage in the daytime, the headlights will come on. Not sure how good it is for them to turn on briefly and then get shut off. May decrease their service life, may not.
> 
> Second - at night if you rely on the 'auto' setting, I believe it turns on the headlights, but not the taillights. I need to double check this, but I have seen some folks driving around at night with no rear illumination - not smart.


 Dr. Bill, agreed that the second item you note is a significant problem...as far as the first is concerned by BMW 5 series works this way and it has never been a problem [i.e. no lights have burnt out]...


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## Marty (Jul 14, 2000)

- Jeremy - said:


> I think most of us have ordered it with the "6W9 Front Grille Filler Panel" which comes with nothing. If you order "6W3 Front License Plate Holder" instead, you get a plate holder.
> 
> - Jeremy -


Crap, the dealer ordered my car with the 6W3 holder. Has anybody seen a car with that? I hope the filler panel can be ordered.


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## Marty (Jul 14, 2000)

Marty said:


> Crap, the dealer ordered my car with the 6W3 holder. Has anybody seen a car with that? I hope the filler panel can be ordered.



Here's one with a front plate:


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## redz9269 (Sep 3, 2011)

*waiting (not so) patiently*

Beautiful! And I'm incredibly jealous - On order my TT RS in Volcano Red metallic with the works. Original delivery date was Oct/Nov but due to custom color it's now been delayed. It's like car-foreplay waiting for it.


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## JohnLZ7W (Nov 23, 2003)

redz9269 said:


> Beautiful! And I'm incredibly jealous - On order my TT RS in Volcano Red metallic with the works. Original delivery date was Oct/Nov but due to custom color it's now been delayed. It's like car-foreplay waiting for it.


Hey, I've got a custom color on the way too and finally got a build date of Oct 24 with estimated delivery for Dec 26. My order went in as soon as the system opened up and I got their first allocation so it's been a long wait.


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## Marty (Jul 14, 2000)

JohnLZ7W said:


> Hey, I've got a custom color on the way too and finally got a build date of Oct 24 with estimated delivery for Dec 26. My order went in as soon as the system opened up and I got their first allocation so it's been a long wait.


What color?


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## tdi-bart (Feb 10, 2011)

post some interior pics, do you have leather ontop of the speedo, center console, and door arm rests?


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## 996cab (Aug 13, 2011)

mageus,
how are you getting on with the car?


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## mageus (Sep 1, 2004)

Posted interior pics.

30mpg on the freeway, AC on.

VAG questions - check out the VAG thread in this forum. I've cross referenced other forums with detailed info.

License plate questions - check out the . . . wait for it . . . license plate thread in this forum.

Leather is everywhere - around the speedo housing, sides of the center console, along the doors. You can tell by the white stitching in my pics.

996cab, I haven't been this ecstatic since I got the A5, more so in obvious ways. The only thing I'll miss is having one of the few truly beautiful cars of this generation. I'll give more feedback after this weekend.


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## mageus (Sep 1, 2004)

Took the car to an HPDE. Edited the post with my thoughts.


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## TopCarbon (Apr 27, 2011)

Marty said:


> Crap, the dealer ordered my car with the 6W3 holder. Has anybody seen a car with that? I hope the filler panel can be ordered.


Not to worry. My RS was ordered that way too by mistake. It just came in and the front plate bracket was premounted (it was evident under the delivery cover) but simply unclipped from the grill. There are two very small black gromits in the horizontal bumper section behind the grill for mounting screws I assume, but not offensive or even noticible.


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## caj1 (Feb 16, 1999)

Dr. Bill said:


> Second - at night if you rely on the 'auto' setting, I believe it turns on the headlights, but not the taillights. I need to double check this, but I have seen some folks driving around at night with no rear illumination - not smart.


Wrong


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