Audi TT RS Is A Cut-price Supercar That's Almost As Quick As An R8
These are the first official images of the new souped-up Audi TT RS - a car that's going to cause some panic in the supercar-owners fraternity. That's because Audi's boosted its affordable coupe and roadster with a reworked engine that has the performance figures to worry a whole host of six-figure Ferraris and Porsches. This pounding power delivery - up from 335bhp in previous guise - comes from a a re-mastered engine, now featuring both direct and indirect fuel injection as well as variable valve timing. Can you find cheaper car insurance? Even if you select the posier Roadster version, it's still lightening quick. There's been an update on the looks, too. Both models feature Audi's front-end-engrossing hexagonal grille while the back is sculpted with a pair of fist-swallowing exhausts straddling a touring-car-like diffuser. The purposeful look is topped off with an enormous rear wing you could almost mistake for a surfboard - all of which helps other drivers notice you're piloting a proper driving weapon. 鈥?Slide me 鈥?Open or closed?
Inside, very little is different compared to a standard TT in terms of layout - the minimalist dashboard and 12.3-inch TFT Virtual Cockpit remains, though there's a more generous smattering of Alcantara and a sportier steering wheel. Under the macho-shell is an optional RS Sports suspension system that should help plant the near-400 horses conceived by a combination of the updated motor, a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and the legendary Quattro all-wheel-drive system with an electronic differential. The fabric roof in the Roadster opens and closes at the touch of a button in 10 seconds. Stopping power is provided by dinner-plate-sized 370mm disc brakes, which can be upgraded to carbon ceramics if you want ultimate slow-down performance. Audi has yet to confirm the official price of the new TT Coupe and Roadster, though both should come in at around 拢50,000 when they go on sale in the UK around autumn. An even faster TT RS Plus has also been mooted - as if you need more power. Following in the footsteps of the recently revealed 718 Boxster, the 718 Cayman was also showcased for the first time in Beijing on the opening day of the motor show. Like its open-top sibling, the Cayman has done away with the six-cylinder naturally aspirated engine for the standard range, with the 718 Cayman and Cayman S now being powered by a down-sized four-cylinder boxer motor. Despite this all being done in order to reach emissions regulations, performance hasn't taken a massive hit. In fact, the 718 Cayman can cover 0-62mph in 4.7 seconds, while the S can get up to speed in 4.2 seconds - still half a second off the pace of the Audi, though. However, the Porsche should be cheaper to buy. In fact, the Cayman is now cheaper than the Boxster, making it the most affordable new Porsche you can buy today, ringing it in at 拢39,878 - bargain.
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With the top down, the boundary between inside and outside blurs. The reactions to steering and pedal inputs are almost supernaturally well calibrated; nothing is lost in translation between the driver's requests and the car's responses. And after years of lackluster engines, Mazda has revised the MX-5's 2.0-liter for 2019, finally making the Miata's mill a willing companion for spirited driving. There is no other car this side of a Porsche Boxster as unfettered or as well balanced. The ability to visualize, reason, communicate, and manage relationships are just a few of the distinct intelligences humans possess鈥攖o varying degrees. This separation of skills is even more evident in the four-wheeled species. Rare are those generalists that exhibit a multitude of peak abilities. The Mercedes-Benz E-class, however, is adept at nearly every facet of automotive behavior. The E is a shrewd handler, smartly packaged, capable of adapting to any scenario, and, in new-for-2019 AMG E53 guise, equipped with an engine that warrants its own doctoral dissertation.
The E-class's versatility builds from the breadth of its lineup. It's available as a sedan, a wagon, a coupe, or a convertible. Our award skips the E300 (its four-cylinder is too overburdened to earn our nod) and the war-hammer AMG E63 S (too expensive for our price cap) and goes to the six-cylinder heart of the lineup. The E450 punches out 362 horsepower from its twin-turbo V-6. Packing a 48-volt motor-generator, an electric supercharger, and a conventional turbocharger around a 3.0-liter inline-six, the 429-hp AMG E53 raises the ante on performance and refinement. Able to transform from interstate cruise missile to back-road bruiser to pragmatic daily driver, the E sets itself up for any situation with electronically controlled dampers and available air springs, but also with comprehensive fundamentals. Highway miles disappear in the graceful ride, the serene cabin, and the optional massaging front seats. Snaking roads unfurl under accurate steering and resolute body control. A quintessential luxury vehicle inside, the E strokes an owner's ego with its rich materials, functional high-fashion tech, and meticulous build quality.