Is Audi about to launch a limited edition run of its speedster TT? The company showed the TT Clubsport Quattro one-off concept at a hot-hatch festival in Austria in 2007 – and today our spies in south Germany have caught this test vehicle on the road.
The Clubsport is a concept car, but when shown at the Wörthersee festival, official Audi spokesmen freely admitted they were ‘considering a low-volume production run’. Think of it as Ingolstadt’s answer to the Smart Crossblade – a PR stunt rather than a volume seller.
With a name like Clubsport, does this TT really fly?
The original Clubsport speedster used the regular 2.0-litre TFSI engine tuned to produce 300bhp – 40 more than the same engine in the S3. A reworked intake manifold and racing air intake boost the power, which is sent to all four wheels via a six-speed S-tronic gearbox.
Production versions could obviously use another engine from the TT’s range (there are now versions sporting from 180bhp to 268bhp). And you’d better pack your waterproofs; there is no roof whatsoever on the speedster. Perfect for California, less perfect for Clacton-on-Sea.
It looks somehow bigger than the regular TT…
The Clubsport certainly looks squat and purposeful. Don’t forget the track is 80mm wider, accommodated by flared wheelarches housing 20-inch wheels shod with 265/30 rubber.
Click ‘Next’ below to read more on the Audi TT Speedster
Hmmm, I’m not convinced. Will Audi really build a speedster?
Don’t get too excited yet. One well placed source we spoke to said he hadn’t seen the speedster in the TT’s programme. Audi has naturally concentrated on the new high-power S and diesel TDI versions of the TT – and there’s a range-topping RS model under development too. So a slammed, no-screen sports car might not be the biggest priority in Ingolstadt right now…
On the flip side, the same source said there was only one Clubsport in existence. This, however, appears not to be the case. This test car we’ve spotted is different in numerous ways – it’s white, has a space for a production number plate and a different grille housing the Audi ringlets rather than having the badge on the bonnet.
We’d say this looks like the real McCoy…