Audi TT ClubSport Turbo '15

[Miao]

With Austria’s annual Worthersee car tuning show just around the corner, Audi unveiled the TT Clubsport Turbo Technology Concept, a study developed to showcase the company’s future turbocharging systems. Powered by an innovative turbo that uses electric power to produce more horsepower, the concept also showcases Audi’s ability to turn the sporty TT model into a full-fledged race car. Arguably more aggressive than the TT Cup introduced in 2014, the Clubsport Turbo Technology Concept is inspired by one of the company’s older race car and looks ready to hit the track for some impressive lap times.

Exterior:

Audi says inspiration for this show car came from the Audi 90 IMSA GTO, a race car based on the 90 sedan, the A4’s predecessor, which the Germans used with great success in the IMSA championship in the late 1980s. Given the two vehicles have nothing in common and were built some 25 years apart, the overall resemblance is rather light, but a closer look reveals a few similarities.

First of all, this TT received a significantly wider body that added 5.5 inches to the standard car’s width. Then there’s the reworked front bumper consisting of an aggressive splitter and revised air dams. Each of the side vents received a pair of vertical blades which are somewhat similar to the IMSA GTO’s. The race car had three such blades on each side of the fender, but placed closer to the front wheels.

The same goes for the rear end, now highlighted by the wider fenders and the new bumper, also featuring new vents and vertical blades. Interestingly enough, the diffuser is basic in design, missing the usual aero-enhancing bits. A massive wing bolted onto the trunk lid changes the rear end’s aspect dramatically. Unfortunately, none of these details remind me of the IMSA GTO except for the orange accents on the wings. The only other feature that seems inspired from the 1989 race car is the side-mounted exhaust. However, the outlet exits behind the driver’s door, whereas the GTO had it mounted just behind the front wheel on the passenger side.

The concept also has a set of unique, seven-spoke wheels.

All told, the TT Clubsport is arguably the most menacing TT ever built; a race car in desperate need of a racing livery and a track to show its skills on.

EXTERIOR DIMENSIONS

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Track Width front/rear	   68.3/68.1 Inches
Length	170.47 Inches
Width	77.55 Inches

Interior>

The interior of the TT Clubsport was also designed with racing in mind. Two lightweight bucket seats with four-point harnesses were mounted instead of the standard seats. Although the dashboard is still based on the road-going TT’s, its configuration has been simplified, while the instrument cluster gained a new display. A multifunction, flat-bottom steering enables the driver to control key parameters of the car.

The seats are wrapped in Coral Orange Alcantara for a striking contrast with the otherwise black interior, while the door panels and the center console sport carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) components for a sportier look. A tube-shaped grip with an Alcantara inlay replaces the standard door handle. More Coral Orange accents are visible on the air vents and aluminum gear-shift lever.

In the rear, Audi removed the seats and fitted a roll-cage made of ultra-high-strength titanium tubes for improved rigidity.

Except for the rear cage, this is an interior I would very much like to see in the standard TT. And judging by the way it looks, this concept interior is definitely suited for production.

Drivetrain:

This is where things become even more exciting, as the TT Clubsport is powered by a 2.5-liter, inline-five engine rated at 600 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque. That’s 240 horses per liter of displacement or about twice as much compared to the TTS. Pretty neat, huh? But wait, it gets even better. With the curb weight lowered to only 3,078 pounds, this Audi is capable of 0-to-62 mph sprints of only 3.6 seconds, which makes it quicker than the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 or the standard Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, and only a tad slower than the 2015 Ferrari California T. Top speed is rated at 193 mph, a tremendous figure for any TT.

But more important than that is that this engine uses an electric turbocharger. Specifically, the turbo unit gets its juice from a 48-volt electrical system, which in turn is connected to a lithium-ion battery in the luggage compartment. Audi claims this system has significant advantages, including the turbo’s ability to rev up to maximum rpm more rapidly than conventional units. As a result, "it continues to boost charge pressure when too little drive energy is left in the exhaust gas for the conventional turbocharger." Also, the electric turbo provides immediate response and powerful sprints from lower engine speeds "without any perceptible delay."

Just in concept form for now, this system will later be found in nearly all Audis, according to technical development chief Ulrich Hackenberg. “In our TDI engines, we are close to production readiness with this technology. We are now presenting it in a TFSI – here too, we are the first automaker in the world to do this," he said in a statement.

DRIVETRAIN SPECIFICATIONS

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Type	2.5 TFSI
Displacement	2,480 cc
Output	600 HP
Torque	479.4 LB-FT @ 3,000 - 7,000 RPM
Transmission	six-speed manual
0 to 100 km/h (62.1 mph)	3.6 seconds
Top speed	310 km/h (192.6 mph)

http://www.topspeed.com/cars/audi/2015- ... 69275.html

[Miao]

Awww, it's like a mini Audi R8 LMS.

[Lunytrickz]

I never understood the TT hype
but this one is ... ok

[Bush]

Awww, it's like a mini Audi R8 LMS.

Or a poor man's R8...

-Bush