Minggu, 04 April 2010

First Drive: 2010 Audi TTS Coupe

Finally, Speed Matches Style

By Nate Martinez

2010 Audi Tts Coupe Front Three Quarters Static Driver

In the decade or so it's been on the market, the Audi TT has become world renowned for its avant garde style, but it's never ranked high as a true sports car. That perception changed recently thanks in large part to quattro GmbH -- the performance division responsible for the mighty R8. The result is the new TTS, a potent blend of speed, flair, and livability. Watch out, Porsche.

With the "S" onboard, Audi's small 2+2 has evolved into a mechanical ensemble that delivers as many smiles on its drivers' mugs as stares from passersby. Its 2.0-liter four-cylinder is fortified with a strengthened block, an aluminum-silicon alloy head, a bigger Garrett variable turbocharger, reinforced internals, and a remapped ECU. How does 265 horsepower sound?

Audi says a sprint to 60 mph in the TTS only takes 4.9 seconds. That's just a couple of ticks off the Porsche Cayman S PDK (4.4 seconds), putting the TTS squarely in the legitimate sports car neighborhood. Unfortunately, we weren't able to put the TTS through our usual barrage of instrumented testing, but there's no doubt this thing is fast. It's a point-and-shoot type of ride with boatloads of grip courtesy of an intelligent quattro all-wheel drive system and aluminum-bred suspension. And that's with the electronics set in "Normal."

2010 Audi Tts Coupe Rear Three Quarters Static Passenger

Slide the S-tronic dual-clutch lever down into the more aggressive "S" mode, and the throttle's responsiveness noticeably steps up. Like in its R8 big brother, the TTS's magnetic variable-rate dampers can be stiffened at the press of a button for a considerably sturdier ride. We ran our Solar Orange tester on some rain-soaked serpentine byways of San Diego County, and it easily devoured pavement with a level of poise and eagerness not found on the standard model. Even with the hard mountain rain creating mini-skidpads ahead of us, the quattro all-wheel drive setup kept us out of the berms and pegged on the proper line.

The TTS is a capable all-arounder -- not just a straight line missile. In full-on sport mode (dampening and transmission in "S"), the dual-clutch 'box holds each of its six gears to high revs and shifts at the 6800-rpm max with a palatable "braap! braap!" from its quad pipes. Its 258 pound-feet. of torque is available between 2500 to 5000 rpm. Linger in this sweet spot, and heads will get sucked into their leather buckets with each seamless upshift.

Chevrolet Cruze Lines Up On The Starting Grid For BTCC

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Silverline Chevrolet Cruze will be factory backed in the 2010 BTCC.

This year, the BTCC is going to be hotting up, with the Chevrolet Cruze coming in as a manufacturer backed team! Two Silverline Chevrolet Cruzes will appear on the grid for the 2010 season, expected to be one of the closest and most exciting in the series’ history. The cars will be prepared by the Wellingborough-based RML team, which also looks after Chevrolet’s WTCC Cruzes.

The drivers of the two cars are none other than fan favourite Jason Plato, a former BTCC champion and 2009 runner-up and 19-year old Alex MacDowall driving the second. It’s the Carlisle-based teenager’s first season in BTCC, having previously competed in the top rankings of the Renault Clio Cup.

The first race in the 2010 BTCC season – and Chevrolet’s debut as an official manufacturer-backed team – takes place on Easter Sunday, April 4, at Thruxton, Hants. Fans can follow the progress of the Chevrolet team at a dedicated website – www.chevroletbtcc.co.uk.