Audi’s TT-S TFSI quattro is a great all-rounder as far as luxury sports cars are concerned in a market that competes alongside the BMW M3, and the Porsche Cayman S. The ‘S’ model boasts 200kW and 350Nm, the TT-S, 53kW with 70Nm over the standard 2.0 4-cylinder TT which pips the 184kW 320Nm 3.2L V6 model.

The TT-S’s crowing glory is its 2.0 litre turbo charged 4-cylinder engine that is coupled with a six speed ‘s-tronic’ dual clutch transmission. The TT offers the choice of full automatic mode, stick shift manual or paddles on the steering wheel.

The TT-S is reported to take off at a mere touch of the accelerator. The revs flare as opposed to building progressively which means the brakes get a lot of use around town. The TT-S’s hair-trigger acceleration is said to be a result of a combination of Audi’s quattro all-wheel-drive system, a hungry TFSI turbo engine, short gearing and a light body weight. To get specific, 0-100km/h in 5.2 seconds with a distinctive flat exhaust note.

The open road is where this car comes into its own – dynamic handling thanks to a 10mm lower ride hide than a standard TT. The TT-S’s adaptive magnetic-ride dampers can also be set to ‘Sport’. The 18 inch alloys run 245/40 tyres as standard. There’s an option to add 255/35 profile tyres on 19-inch alloys too.