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Wheel Fever - by Craig Hill

Audi TT RS

February 25th 2009 12:56
The syncopated beat of a turbocharged five-cylinder motor is coming back to Audi.

The unusual engine design was the heart of the original Quattro that revolutionised performance motoring in the 1980s, as well as dominating the World Rally Championship.

Now the feisty five is coming back for a fast-car pacesetter called the TT RS.

It won't be spitting flames or roaring through an open exhaust like the engines used in the Quattro coupes which convinced the world that all-wheel drive was the best way to put big power on the ground, but Audi is promising more than 225kW to turn the go-faster TT into something special.


"It will be a sensation little rocketship," claims the spokesperson for Audi Australia, Anna Burgdorf.

Audi TT RS
Audi TT RS


The final figures will not be revealed until the TT RS makes its public debut in a fortnight at the Geneva Motor Show, but Audi is hinting at a four-second sprint to 100km/h and a potential top speed well beyond its electronically-limited 250km/h.

The TT RS will be built as both a coupe and convertible, with a bunch of body tweaking work to reflect the muscular potential of the 2.5-litre engine hooked to its quattro drive system.

The bad news is a price-tag beyond $100,000, based on today's TT S at $98,900.

But the good news is that car TT RS will definitely come to Australia.

It will be sold as a coupe only. The convertible is considered too limiting, and the timing is around six months after the first deliveries in Europe.


"The car will come to Australia. It will definitely come in 2010 but it's very hard to tie down a date at this stage," says Burgdorf.

She cannot comment on details, including the move away from inline fours and V6s to the new five, but says the TT RS is definitely not a show car or a limited-edition tease.

"It is a production car. What will be shown on the stand at Geneva is the production car," she says.

"We don't know the answer on production numbers, but it is a regular production model. And the engine is a new one that allows the TT to perform extremely well with good fuel economy."

Herald Sun

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Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe

February 17th 2009 12:14
Mercedes-Benz has used the arrival of the new E-Class sedan to also announce a coupe version that wipes out the CLK range.

And it's an odd decision for a nameplate that has done so well.

Like the CLK, the new coupe is an amalgam of components from various Benz models but is more closely aligned to the medium large E-Class than anything else.

Due to lob here in July with the new sedan, the coupe brings with it a range of new engines and sensational low slung styling destined to set a new benchmark in the segment.

There will be numerous variants of the new hard top coupe (a ragtop cabriolet arrives late this year) starting with a 250CGi direct fuel injection petrol V6 and a 220CDi turbo diesel four cylinder.

Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe


Pricing is expected to follow the precedent set by the new Benz C-Class which was pitched lower than the model it replaced.

Other coupe models include the 250CDi diesel with 150kW and 500Nm output, a 350CGi direct injection petrol V6 with 215kW and a 500 petrol V8.

All V6 and V8 models will have a seven speed auto with the fours having five speed autos in Aussie spec'.

The new coupe is said to be a genuine four seater with individual seats and adequate rear headroom. The boot is large.

At this stage, no AMG version of the coupe is on the drawing board but a sports pack comprising brake and suspension upgrades could be available for the 500 coupe.

Technologies and new features from the E-Class sedan will flow through into the coupe including safety, luxury and performance features.

News Limited Community Newspapers

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