Something magical is about to happen… are you ready?

This was a rather welcome surprise given that I had not particularly enjoyed the Audi TT Coupe I had reviewed in December 2021, as it was one of the rare cars I had not felt terribly safe in. It was so light, low and feeling a tad unwieldy into corners.

The unexpected arrival of the Audi TTRS in my drive one morning provoked the attentions of a group of tree surgeons who were undertaking work for my neighbour.

I opened my curtains to fi nd four very healthy men of varying ages admiring the highway blue TTRS – and not a chainsaw in sight. Ever curious about the seemingly profound and trance-like effect that some cars have on men in particular – to drop everything to bow in awe of a car –I thought it was too good an opportunity to miss. I miraculously appeared with a tray of builder’s tea and asked them what their immediate impressions were, and why they would – or wouldn’t – buy one.

Once we got over the immediate, unconscious comments of, “well, I wouldn’t let my wife drive it as she would be too busy looking at the birds,” and, “I wouldn’t take my grandmother out in it…” (How do you know? She might really like it!), I managed to drill down into the why they would actually buy one.

So, in under five minutes, this was their very straightforward response.

First and foremost, it was the anticipated thrill of the engine’s potential and speed, followed by the fact that if they could afford it; and they all thought it was a very good compromise to the Audi R8. They didn’t like the colour and would prefer it in a graphite grey, and they said they would not even have looked at it if it had not had the RS badge on it. Job done.

So, why did I then fi nd myself slightly bewitched by this car?

It is a true joy these days to get into a car that you know how to intuitively drive. I increasingly think we have over-engineered many human interfaces with cars. It can be a genuine distraction, tiresome and, in some cases, unsafe to keep trying to figure out how things simply work whilst driving. By all means be as brilliant as you can under the bonnet, but let’s try and retain the joy of jumping in and heading off to just enjoy the driving experience.

Positives

• The engine

• Great all year-round drive with four-wheel traction, something its nearest competitors do not possess

• Firm ride and more resistant than most to challenging road surfaces

• Stabilisation control – likely most comfortable in Comfort mode

• ULEZ compliant

• 12-speaker B&O sound system

• In-dash navigation

• Apple Car Play, Android Auto & on board Wi- Fi hotspot

• Economical at 32.7 mpg

Tech Stuff

MODEL TESTED: Audi TTRS Coupe

ENGINE: 2.5-litre TFSI Turbo POWER: 294 bhp

SPEED: 0-62 3.7 secs TOP: 155 mph limited

ECONOMY: 31.7 mpg PRICE FROM: £62,260

Negatives

• Not a lot.

• The back seat – of no use until you put the seats down to extend the boot.

• Tiny tinny petrol cap – akin to a tin can lid. Come on Audi, you can do better than that

• Ugly fixed wing and winglets BUT you can deselect when you buy

What would make it a 10 ? For the Audi designers to not compromise on any of the design and build quality

9.5/10

And that is exactly what I did in this Audi TTRS, turbo charged and intercooled DOHV 20 valve inline 5, aluminium block and head, direct fuel injection delight.

At 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph, it will get you out of a tight spot faster than you can say Tommy Lee Royce has escaped the dock in Happy Valley.

There were two other key features that I loved about this car; features I never ever thought I would write about. But I will.

What I write next is with apologies – and a nod to Maarten. I have never really quite got the excitement that the throaty sounds of a sports exhaust seem to inspire in people, and have positively recoiled from such things, thinking them rather attention-seeking. Maarten always delights in showing me the Sport and Dynamic modes, but as soon as I get around the corner, I switch to Comfort or similar. So, imagine my surprise when I rather liked the low, Jack Daniels rumble that emitted from this gorgeous car when I started it.

I also thought I never had much of an opinion on steering wheels until this one. Your hands cannot help but caress and wrap around the stunning Alcantara fabric wheel. Described as a ‘material for the future’ its vegan friendly synthetic microfibres are as soft as the softest suede and add to the feeling of very much being in control.

At night, the cabin of the Audi is sumptuous. It reminded of what it might actually be like inside a retro cocktail cabinet; discreet silver streamlined lighting reflected in the mirrors with fabulous velvet like upholstery. I was really very reluctant to leave it.

By CHARLIN DE’ALMEIDA