When the Audi TT Coupe was shown for the first time at the 1995 IAA Frankfurt Motor Show in Frankfurt in 1995, it generated a lot of buzz. The round front, round roof and round rear were so popular at the time that in 1998 Audi released a visually virtually unchanged production version. The rest is history, the TT has won the hearts of fans and has been built over half a million times over three generations so far. However, in recent years, interest in sports cars has waned and sales are declining. The current generation is leaving and the successor could be electric, which many fans don’t like. So, it’s time to get behind the wheel of a compact sports car for its 25th anniversary.
The best for last
And not in any version, but in the most brutal model of the TT RS Coupé series, which Audi is now releasing in the «Iconic Edition» in a limited edition of only 100 copies for the whole of Europe. We say «all of Europe» because the US already parted ways with this model last year with the Heritage Edition. Of course, the TT RS means a five-cylinder, 2.5-liter engine with a pleasant 400 hp. and a maximum torque of 480 Nm, which is transmitted through a seven-speed S Tronic dual-clutch gearbox. A flapper exhaust system was also installed to preserve the sound of the already legendary five-cylinder turbocharged engine. By the way, KBA condemned Audi for TT-RS models produced between 2015 and 2018 due to excessive exhaust noise. Such complaints should not concern a special model.
Beauty is in the details
The Audi TT RS Coupé Iconic Edition is available in a special color Nardo Gray with contrasting black paint for the accents, radiator and wheels. The 20-inch seven-spoke design wheels are unique to the special edition. In addition, the version comes with an aerokit consisting of lowered side skirts, a front splitter and fins in the sides of the front bumper, as well as a fixed carbon fiber rear spoiler providing noticeably higher downforce at the rear. The interior of the TT RS Coupé Iconic Edition is dark. Both outside and inside are a combination of gray and black, although sometimes contrasting yellow details appear. The RS sports seats are upholstered in gray nappa leather and black Alcantara. All seams in the cabin and on the seats are yellow. The sports steering wheel, adorned with a yellow dot at 12 o’clock, is also in Alcantara. And if the piercing sound of a five-cylinder engine isn’t enough, the Iconic Edition also has a premium Bang & Olufsen audio system on board. Orders will be possible from the end of 2022, with the first deliveries due in the first quarter of 2023.