Ever wondered what would happen if you took an Audi TT and added, oh, I don’t know, a whole asylum of insanity to the mix? Well it seems Audi did, and they deemed it fit to equip the sports coupe with 441kW (600Hp) and a 6-speed manual transmission. This is the Audi TT clubsport turbo technology concept car, and it’s one of the many special treats that will be seen at Worthersee – the annual gathering of all things VW group.
The show car, a fully functional one, has been fitted with Audi’s 2.5-litre TFSI turbocharged 5-cylinder engine from the upcoming RS3. The difference though, is that this time it features what Audi call an ‘electric biturbo’, which Audi boss for Technical Development, Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, claims “boosts sprinting ability and torque and enables high peak power”. The engine outputs a rather insane 441kW and 650Nm (from 3000-7000rpm), and drives all 4 wheels via a 6-speed manual transmission. The vehicle weighs in at a measly 1396Kg, and is capable of the 0-100km/h sprint in a time of 3.6 seconds, with a top speed quoted at 310km/h.
The show car also features an assortment of aerodynamic body bits too, including the all-too-obvious massive spoiler, manually adjustable of course, and the rather liberally widened body kit – 14cm wider to be exact. It rides on 20-inch alloy wheels shod with 275/30 profile rubber, housing carbon-fibre ceramic brake discs – the front ones measuring 370mm in diameter. Oh, and on the looks front, did we mention the side-exit exhaust? It’s engineered to reduce back pressure and add a sonorous soundtrack to the show car, as well as doing a damn good job of looking pretty bad-ass.
The interior of the clubsport turbo car is highly race derived; featuring a titanium roll-cage structure, lightweight bucket race seats with four-point harnesses, and the Audi virtual cockpit. The interior is decked with carbon fibre, black, and orange Alcantara, with dashes of aluminium on the gear shift lever, open shift gate, and pedals.
The Tech-Talk side of things – how the ‘electric biturbo’ works:
Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg has been forthcoming in stating that the electric turbo technology at play in the concept is nearly production ready, in particular in Audi’s TDI diesel engines.
The technology works on a simple process of allowing the turbo to spool naturally when within boost range, but adds an electrically powered air compressor to the system – which revs up rapidly and continues boost pressure when there isn’t enough energy via the exhaust to spool the main turbo sufficiently. This allows the conventional turbo to be set for high power outputs and activity high within the rev range, enabling the 600hp/441kW output seen here.
With the bulk of the torque arriving in the upper echelons of the rev spectrum, this system prevents the flat power delivery of modern turbos, whilst the e-turbo is said to improve low end acceleration and low-speed sprint ability. The e-turbo system alone boosts torque by up to 200Nm.
Whilst the show car is unlikely to ever see production, the innovative electric biturbo setup looks like a huge step forward in forced induction technology; and the news that it’s nearly production ready is as good as it gets. Nice one Audi, very nice indeed!
