Trevor

In last month’s piece the Audi TT RS was introduced as my chosen test car to answer the question of whether or not all-wheel driven sports cars are underrated. There’s a problem though, I’ve accidentally chosen a car with a layout that puts it at an immediate disadvantage. You see, most sports cars have their engine in the middle of the car which is a layout designed to please that diva, Lady Physics. Unfortunately for her, the Audi TT was never really meant to be this serious about performance, and the engineers mounted the engine over the front axle, meaning that the weight is the wrong place for optimum performance. Lady Physics will probably not be happy about this at all. Audi knows this isn’t ideal, so its engineers have used lots of aluminium in the engine in order to make it as light as possible. It’s actually 26kg lighter than the old TT RS engine, and every little weight saving helps when it comes to trying to make that nose lighter. The engine is a real star by the way – 400 horses, 400Nm of torque, and a soundtrack to die for. A grumpy, throaty roar from the engine is backed up by the raucous exhaust system to produce a hugely exciting audio experience – especially during launch control – using which will catapult the little TT RS to 62mph in just 3.7-seconds, or 3.9 in our roadster variant. Just in case you don’t know how moving that fast feels, it feels violent. You’re thrown back into your seat and pinned there until you decide to lift off the throttle. Launch control in the TT RS is a brilliant way to show off the genuinely incredible performance that it is capable off. Nobody will be teasing you about the ‘hairdresser’s’ TT after they’ve experienced that. The combination of the engine, 7-speed automatic, and yes, the AWD system combine to produce spectacular acceleration. Power isn’t everything when it comes to sports cars, there needs to be a rewarding feel to the whole thing too. TTs of old had a tendency to feel a little sluggish on corner entry, but the new RS has a quick, agile front end that is happy to turn in and go apex-hunting at very short notice. It’s really a very easy car to drive very,very fast in, and it will hold onto corners with a real sense of desperation. You can overwhelm it, but you have to be going some serious speed to do so, speeds that you probably shouldn’t be even attempting on a public road. When that happens, the understeer we’ve come to expect from an Audi Quattro system comes to the fore, but I’m still not convinced that’s worse than the alternative. At no point driving the TT RS did it ever feel like what was needed was some rear instability. There is a balance and agility to it, but it’s about travelling from point A to point B as quickly as possible and I’ve a hard time believing Porsche’s Boxter and Cayman would be faster on the average B-road in the hands of the average driver. Perhaps the TT RS is more of a mace than a thrusting sword. You can certainly handle it with a degree of force, and being able to occasionally wield it with a disregard for finesse is perfectly acceptable. Unless you’re going to be on a racetrack, there is as much fun to be found here as there is in the adjustability and subtleties of a rear-wheel driven rival. The new TT RS is a long way from the dull, clumsy feeling Audi sports cars of the past, so write it off at your peril. Original Article courtesy of Adrian Flux / Influx http://www.influx.co.uk/cars/tt-rs-part-2/

Sometimes you can see it stamped into the outside edge of the disc otherwise its a case of taking the wheel off and measuring it up

Worth checking the EGR and running some fuel cleaner through the engine to eliminate it from the diagnostic process before spending any money on parts

Well at least they will be able to check it out and if there is something amiss then I'm sure it will get sorted. Keep us updated

I would have suggested all the points that rbdazza has covered but also worth checking the leak-back on the injectors and see if number is any different from the others. http://www.sealey.co.uk/PLPageBuilder.asp?gotonode=ViewProduct&method=mViewProduct&productid=13206&productdescription=diesel&productcode=&category=6&catgroup=161&catmicrogroup=1254&analysiscode=&requiredresults=16 There are other kits a little cheaper out there that will still do the job

QuattroMark That's a beautiful car...from an era when they dominated the Rally scene :-)

Hi Kamran Sounds like air in the slave cylinder or an adjustment on the linkage.....more than likely the clutch 'dragging' and making it difficult to engage gears. If it's still under warranty then I would take it back to them for adjustment. Let us know how you get on with it Cheers, Trevor

Hi Mark....welcome to the Forum Would love to see a picture of the Quattro Cheers, Trevor

Hi Cliff...welcome to the Forum Good to have you onboard Cheers, Trevor

HI Gez...welcome to the Forum Not sure what your username means...been trying to work it out, but gave up after a couple of minutes! Good to have you onboard Cheers, Trevor

lots of motorists getting caught on the M25 cameras where it drops from 50 to 40 mph.....instant fine :-(

Hard to believe anyone would drive a car like this when you lose a wheel http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4536924/Shocking-video-shows-driver-M25-three-wheels.html?utm_source=FordOwnersClub&utm_medium=ForumLinks&utm_campaign=referrals

That'll totally transform it Luey....thanks for posting up the pictures. If you fancy turning it into a Tutorial Guide for others to follow, then here is the link http://www.audiownersclub.com/forums/tutorials/

This was my inspiration as a youngster - The Persuaders

I would firstly check the condition of the engine, e.g. oil level and quality (does it smell washed down with Diesel, etc) and run some strong fuel cleaner through the engine along with an Italian Tune-Up....that should at least eliminate a few things at very little cost.

Hi Sheraz...welcome to the Forum Looking forward to seeing the pictures of your A3 / A4 :-) Cheers, Trevor

I don't like that Subway breakfast deal has now gone up by 10 pence :-(

I'm currently loving this sunshine...long may it last

cool!!!! you got to meet Herbie....jealous.com :-)

Mine is Two Lane Blacktop followed by Le Mans and then Vanishing Point

What's your favourite car movie? every petrolhead has their favourite!

Seen it all now.....just watched a trailer for a film called Rubber....you make your own minds up :-)

If there is any doubt about cam timing then I would definitely start with checking it is accurately positioned & tensioned and also check all fundamental components and systems...e.g. air in, exhaust out, battery voltage, exhaust emissions, oil quality, etc and then look at electronic components.

Keep us updated on how it all goes and whether the problem persists

Hard to say what could be wrong with it without a scan but if it's booked in already then please let us know the outcome, cheers