Dominique Béchard, President of Audi Japan, and the TTS Coupe.

2008 is "The Year of Audi".
Following the facelifted A8/S8 released at the start of the year, Audi has released a succession of new models, including the new coupe A5/S5, the flagship A4/A4 Avant, and the high-performance wagon RS 6 Avant. Now, another new model has arrived.

The new face of the TT series, which includes the closed-body "Coupe" and the open "Roadster," is the TTS Coupe. This is a high-performance, top-tier grade equipped with a powerful engine, enhanced suspension, and exclusive design elements. Its selling point is performance that surpasses that of its domestic competitors.

The engine, its most distinctive feature, is a tuned version of the existing 2.0 TFSI direct-injection turbo unit, producing a maximum output of 272ps (a 36% increase) and a maximum torque of 35.7kgm (a 25% increase). This potent heart is paired with the acclaimed S tronic 6-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, and the drive system employs Audi's renowned quattro four-wheel drive.

In terms of sports car performance, it achieves 0-100 km/h in 5.2 seconds and a top speed of 250 km/h (electronically limited). In terms of environmental performance, a modern benchmark, it achieves 10.8 km/liter in the 10-15 mode fuel economy test and emits 226.7g/km of CO2, claimed to surpass its rivals.

The direct-injection 2-liter inline-4 turbo produces 272ps and 35.7kgm.

The interior and exterior designs are fundamentally not significantly different from the base TT Coupe, but sporty touches are added with bi-xenon headlights incorporating LED positioning lamps, specially designed bumpers, and quad exhaust tailpipes peeking out from the rear.

The interior features leather sports seats and a lap timer, useful for circuit driving.

It also comes standard with "magnetic ride suspension," which controls damping force with magnetorheological fluid, and the chassis has been reinforced. It's more special than it looks.