Audi’s TT concept gets 420bhp

Thought the Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG had an extraordinarily powerful 2.0-litre turbocharged four-pot engine? Think again. And then think some more, because Audi has just revealed the TT Sport Quattro Concept in Geneva. It has a 2.0-litre turbocharged 4cyl. And it has 420bhp.

The fight is on... “This car is designed for racing,” explains Dr Ulrich Hackenberg, Audi’s board member for technical development. And that engine is quite a development.

It’s the same EA888 engine you’ll find in the new Golf R, but here, its 2.0-litre capacity has been blown to smithereens, producing 420bhp at 6,700rpm and with 331lb ft of torque available between 2,400rpm and 6,300rpm. In fact, 221lb ft of that output is available from 1,900rpm.

Audi tells us the specific output of this monster engine is 210bhp per litre, which is more than even the 2001 R18 Le Mans car, and combined with quattro all-wheel-drive, will go from 0-62mph in just 3.7 seconds.

In fact, we’re told each horsepower has to shift just 3.2kg of Audi TT Sport Quattro Concept, what with it weighing in – without the driver – at 1,344kg. Not quite the 1340kg-1340bhp of the Koenigsegg Agera One:1, but heck, this is an Audi TT.

There is Audi’s variable valve timing system, dual camshaft adjustment and a dual injection system (FSI plus MPI). The pistons are aluminium with integrated cooling channels inside, and the crank is made from ultra-high strength forged steel. Y’know, because it’s got 420bhp.

To accommodate the extra grunt, that EA888 cylinder crankcase is made of a high-strength cast alloy, while that turbo is a newly developed unit producing up to 1.8 bar of pressure. As such, it revs to 7,200rpm, running through a three-shaft dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

The whole thing sits on the new MQB matrix, and is stiffer than the now woefully underpowered new Audi TT, and there’s ‘wheel-selective torque control’. This transfers torque from the inside wheel to the outside wheel during cornering when things are getting hairy. With 420bhp, they most definitely will be.

The front of the concept car is made of steel. The exterior ‘skin’, doors and lids are made of semi-finished aluminium and sheet metal. The wheels are 20 inchers sitting on semi slicks. The front splitter, wheel arches – 30mm wider than on the regular TT – and rear diffuser are made from CFRP, while there’s also the obligatory massive fixed rear wing to generate many downforces.

There is more racing paraphernalia inside, too: naked door panels, Alcantara everywhere, low-set racing buckets with four-point harnesses, and space in the boot for two racing helmets.

“This high performance power unit is an impressive demonstration of the power reserves available in our EA888 engine range,” says Dr Stefan Knirsch, head of powertrain development. “Thirty five years of experience we’ve gained in the field of turbocharging are manifested in this engine’s unique combination of max performance, dynamism and fuel efficiency.” Tellingly, there is no word on fuel efficiency.

But with 420bhp, do you really care?