Audi might prepare an onslaught of new models like the 2026 RS 5 Avant, 2026 Q7, or the freshly released Q6 e-tron Performance plus the Audi RS 4 Avant edition 25 years and RS 5 Sportback performance edition, but this time around, we're here to honor one of the fallen 'heroes' - their TT RS sports coupe.
Produced from 1999 to 2023, the Audi TT was a compact 2+2 sports coupe and roadster sold by the Ingolstadt-based automaker across three generations. The final stint occurred between 2014 and 2023, with the TT RS being the top dog of the pack, with the five-cylinder 2.5-liter TFSI engine now packing 294 kW (400 PS; 394 hp) and 480 Nm (354 lb-ft) of torque directed through a seven-speed S tronic automatic transmission to Audi's quattro all-wheel drive system.
However, while this red example may have been originally a stock Audi TT RS, that was probably a long time ago. Now, it's a little monster that embarked on a journey of rolling over every automotive icon it can find. More precisely, the good folks over at the racing-focused ImportRace channel on YouTube are not at their usual venue - Island Dragway in Great Meadows, New Jersey, but at Pocono Raceway.
Known as 'The Tricky Triangle,' this legendary racetrack is nestled in the Pocono Mountains in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, and usually gets big crowds during the summer - the three NASCAR National Series races and an ARCA Menards Series event take place in July. The rest of the year, on the other hand, is equally enticing – in no small part thanks to RaceMotive, which has an entire season's worth of roll racing events, mostly in the MPH Exhibition Open Run format.
The initial 65 MPH Roll Race event, though, is a 1/3-mile (1,760-foot) roll-racing SxS Shootout, attracting many participants. We have seen exotic McLarens, 1,050-hp Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcats, Shelby GT500s, Corvettes, Cadillac CTS-Vs, and all the usual German forces from BMW and Porsche, for example.
The focus is now on a crimson Audi TT RS that seemed intent on thrashing everything in its path. The inaugural competitor was a C7 Chevy Corvette, which didn't stand a chance (176 versus 141 mph), followed by a Ford Mustang Mach 1 that (under)performed just the same (176 versus 141 mph, and it's not a typo).
The third one is the charm; some Tesla Model S (Plaid) fans would dare to say if they forgot this isn't a drag race but a 65-mph roll encounter. As such, it is no wonder the poor EV silently came out second – albeit at a higher 157 mph versus 176 mph elapsed speed. Then, in rapid succession, a BMW, an Audi A8, a VW Golf GTI, the mighty R35 Nissan GT-R, and the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat came and went without taking the laurels!
Curiously, the closest one that came to even posing a subtle threat was the most unexpected contender – the white and black-hooded VW Golf GTI, which rose to almost 167 mph while the Audi still went on its merry roaring way at nearly 177 mph!
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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