With the reveal of the new Audi TT today, there was very little shock and surprise. The car was exactly what everyone expected. A gentle exterior refinement, more powerful and efficient engines, and restyled interior are all par for the course.

And then Audi goes and blows the lid off our brains with the TT Quattro Sport Concept.

The Quattro Sport Concept is basically the most hardcore TT that Audi->ke14 could possibly produce. It is fitted with an aggressive body kit with requisite massive wing, Quattro AWD and 420 horsepower. Audi says the Sport Quattro Concept would hit 60 mph in 3.7 seconds. That is one-tenth quicker than the V10 Audi R8.

The whole car is built of lightweight materials and space-age components. Much of the suspension is aluminum, carbon composites help make up some of the body work and the interior has been stripped of all but the necessities.

The hottest Audi TT from the last generation was the limited-run TT RS. This looks to even beat that machine into the ground.

Click past the jump to read more about the 2014 Audi TT Quattro Sport Concept.

2014 Audi TT Quattro Sport Concept

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2014 Audi TT Quattro Sport Concept
  • Engine/Motor: inline-4
  • Horsepower: 420 @ 6700
  • Torque: 331 @ 2400
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Exterior

While the exterior of the new TT is more of the same, the Sport Quattro Concept adds quite a bit of anger and flamboyance into the mix. The large grille looks even more menacing with its constant honeycomb mesh versus the horizontal grille slats on the base car, and the flared intakes and subtle front splitter add purpose. Large chunks of the new aero work is created from carbon-reinforced plastics. The fenders are flared by what looks like at least three inches a side.

Thanks to all of its lightweight materials, the TT Quattro Concept tips the scales at just 2,963 pounds.

Interior

The interior makes use of the same general design of the new TT, but it cuts superfluous items from the cabin to save weight. The seats are swapped for lower racing buckets and the door pulls have been replaced with Alcantara straps. The luggage compartment is built to hold racing helmets.

Drivetrain

Powering this car is the same 2.0-liter, turbocharged engine found in the standard TT, but the boost has been turned up and things have been fettled with. The final result is 420 horsepower and 331 lb-ft of torque. That is an unheard of 210 horsepower per liter. The engine is mated to the quattro AWD system and an S Tronic dual-clutch transmission.

Audi claims this concept will hit 62 mph from a dead stop in 3.7 seconds making it quicker than the mighty V-10-powered R8. No top speed has been given, and if Audi doesn’t limit to 155, I suspect it would easily hit the 175 mark.

2014 Audi TT Quattro Sport Concept - Drivetrain Specifications

Type

2.0 TFSI

Horsepower

420 HP @ 6,700 rpm

Torque

331.90 LBS-FT @ 2,400 - 6,300 rpm

0 to 62 mph

3.7 seconds


Handling and Chassis

The front and rear suspension systems are made with aluminum components, helping keep its weight down. Up front, the Quattro Sport Concept has a McPherson strut setup and out back it gets a four-link setup. This stiff suspension helps the TT head right where you point it.

Making the TT even more manageable is the adjustable electronic stability control system that you can partially or fully disable for a more analog experience. With ESC active, the TT sends torque to its outer wheels to help push the concept through the twist.

The final part of the handling puzzle is the 54:46 front and rear weight distribution.

When Can I Drive One?

Maybe soon; maybe never. A lot of it will be up to us. Audi has shown that it's willing to make low production high-end monsters like the old TT RS if there is enough demand. That said, this currently looks far more like a technical exercise/headline grabber than anything Audi would actually make. But money talks, folks, so if you have the means let Audi know you would buy one of these things.

Conclusion

The old TT RS is one of the best cars to ever wear the four rings. If Audi brings anything like this concept to market, it will join the pantheon of legendary quattro machines. It may just be a technical exercise for Audi to prove how far it can push the new AE888 line of engines, but it created a machine that we want to drive. Badly.