One of the longstanding mantras in motorsports is "racing improves the breed." However, while a select number of tech innovations from racing have certainly trickled down into production vehicles here and there, only a handful or automakers have actually produced an even smaller number of special cars that are distilled representations of years of racing development and success. One of these cars is the Audi TT RS.
Exterior-wise, the TT RS doesn't seem to have the same motorsport connection as its bigger brother Audi R8, but once we get under the skin, the influence is more clear. Powered by the "grandchild" of the original 5-cylinder powerplant from the Audi 90 Quattro race car, the TT RS boasts a potent 360-hp and 343 lb.-ft. of torque.
To better fill in the gaps between street car and race car, Audi released the latest video of its "Moments of Truth" series. Recounting the specific moment the longitudinally-mounted five-cylinder Audi 90 Quattro had entered the 1989 race at Sears Point, then factory driver Hans-Joachim Stuck passionately shared his story and memory of the efforts necessary to achieve the landmark victory. Thanks to a lighter, more compact, and instantly responsive 5-cylinder engine, the Audi successfully defeated all the American V8 engines on the IMSA grid. Quattro GmbH Manager Powertrain Engineer Michael Ganz describes, "The engine we have nowadays is the grandchild of this race engine from 1989; the base design is the same, the firing order is the same. Many people remember the sound of the 5-cylinder in former times, and they now hear it once again in the the TT RS.
Check out the "Audi RS Moments of Truth -- 1989: 5 cylinder engine" short video below:
