Audi will bring an ultra-light, high-performance TT Coupe study to this year’s GTI Wörthersee meet, held between May 8 and 11 in Reifnitz, Austria. According to Audi, the TT Ultra Quattro Concept combines minimal weight and maximum sportiness.
The specs seem to back this statement, as the TT Ultra Quattro Concept is powered by a 2.0 TFSI engine developing 310 horsepower and 400 Nm (295 lb-ft) of torque between 1,900 and 5,000 rpm. Not impressed? Well, the car weighs only 1,111 kg (2,449 lbs), meaning its power-to-weight ratio is a remarkable 3.6 kg/hp.
Consequently, it can sprint from zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 4.2 seconds, 1.3 seconds faster than the series-production model and only 0.1 seconds slower than the hardcore TT RS Plus. Top speed is 280 km/h (173.98 mph).
Audi engineers managed to shed 300 kg (661 lbs) from the series-production car thanks to the use of carbon-fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) in the rear end, the center tunnel, in the B-pillar and in the roof, among other measures. The concept also has magnesium components in the floor and as hinge reinforcement.
Aesthetically, the Audi TT Ultra Quattro Concept comes with modified spoilers, a carbon rear wing with a milled aluminum base, plus a special crystal white body color. The bonnet, roof, lower sides and the trunk are made of CFRP, as are interior components such as the door trim, center console and the cross-bracing that replaces the rear seat bench.
The TT study has bucket seats from the R8 GT, with their fiberglass-reinforced plastic (FRP) chassis further reducing weight by 22 kg (48.50 lbs). The interior does not lack modern amenities though, with air conditioning, electric windows and an electromechanical parking brake being standard equipment on the TT Ultra Quattro Concept.
Like a number of other Wörthersee Tour concepts, this Audi TT showcar will not be built. However, the carmaker admits that usage of similar weight-saving technologies is conceivable for future small-batch series.
By Dan Mihalascu
PHOTO GALLERY
