Preview: 2009 Audi TT-RS

The TT-RS has been launched. Click here for all the official details and images.

Audi recently took the wraps off its new TT-S range at the Detroit Auto Show, which means we can now look forward to the model we've all been waiting for. The new car is the performance RS variant of the new TT and it’s set to be the fastest production TT ever.

There’s been much debate about the power source for the new super-coupe with most suggesting either a twin-turbo version of the current 3.2L V6 engine or a brand new five-cylinder turbo unit. However, a reputable source at Audi has revealed the powertrain will in fact be a 2.3L VR5 engine fitted with a turbocharged. Final output will be about 308hp (230kW), and the car could simply be called ‘TT-R’.

Previous spy-shots revealed a prototype with huge cross-drilled brake discs and upgraded calipers as well as an electronic rear-spoiler covered with a strip of carbon-fiber. This latest rendering of the car gives a preview as to what the final version is likely to look when it’s unveiled later this, possibly at October's Paris Motor Show. Key features are the extended wheel arches, new bumpers and lowered ride-height.