There is always an opportunity to be had when a model line reaches its conclusion. Take a small number from the end of production, add a spoiler here, a wing there, a spot of chintz perhaps, tell the world it’s a limited edition, limit that number to the amount you were going to sell anyway, then use all the above to charge a fortune for it.
That, precisely, is the recipe for this Audi TT RS Iconic Edition, of which just 100 will be made, 11 of which are destined for the UK and all are sold despite a price of – wait for it – £87,650, some £26,775 more than the standard TT RS to which it is mechanically identical. So you’re paying for those front winglets and spoiler, rear wing, some fancy-pants yellow stitching inside and, above all, the right to tell your mates you’re one in a hundred.
It’s all a bit of a cynical cop out and an unworthy end to a car I’ve by and large admired for 25 years. And it’s still good, good enough to deserve more than this. Actually I think the TTS is the one to have (and for nearly £40k less than this) but I still really enjoyed the yowl of the RS’s straight-five motor, its blistering point-to-point speed and its superb build quality. Yes, the tech’s a bit old now and the rear seats as useless as ever, but I’d understand entirely anyone wishing to treat themselves to a new TT before it’s gone. Except this one. AF
Price £87,650
Engine 2.5 litres, five cylinders, petrol, turbocharged
Power 395bhp
Torque 354lb ft
Weight 1450kg
Power to weight 272bhp per tonne
Transmission Seven-speed dual clutch, four-wheel drive
0-60mph 3.7sec
Top speed 174mph
Economy 31.0mpg (WLTP)
Verdict An unnecessary final fling
In this spot last month I reviewed the new electric Peugeot 3008 and now, hot on its heels, comes its deadliest rival, domestic or otherwise. As regulars will be aware,…
If you look at the Land Rover LRX concept from 2008 and this Range Rover Evoque, you’ll be left in no doubt what a debt the latter owes the former.…
Back in 2011 Rolls-Royce announced that it had made an electric car. Just one, mind, to canvass the views of current and prospective customers and those of a small number…
I’m always quite nervous when it comes writing about industry stories, largely because I think they are of far greater interest to nosey hacks like me who know some of…
Five years ago, missing the Geneva Motor Show was virtually unthinkable for any major car manufacturer. This year’s list of exhibitors is embarrassingly full of largely unknown brands. Andrew Frankel looks behind the staggering demise
Searching for the pinnacle of motor car production, Andrew Frankel winds the clock back 14 years to ‘peak car’. We just didn’t know this was as good as it was ever going to get
The electric revolution is set to continue in 2024, with a new MG roadster, Porsche’s battery-powered Macan, and Renault’s fun-focused 5. But the combustion engine will continue roaring too, says Andrew Frankel, thanks to supercar makers and a rare BMW M5 Touring
It was a year dominated by new electric car launches — too many of which were lacklustre. But among the cars that over-promised and underdelivered, Andrew Frankel found some gems — both battery- and petrol-powered
This is the most important new Volvo in years. Decades possibly. At least to Volvo. The EX30 is Volvo’s first crack at the compact crossover EV market, a sector that…
The car industry is ploughing billions of pounds into electric cars but sales declined among private buyers in September. Andrew Frankel puts his finger on the problem
Remember Jaguar? Time was when it was the pride of the nation, and even in more recent times it’s made some fine cars among a few frankly undeniable clunkers. When…
I try hard, as hard as I can, not to pre-judge cars. Let them stand or fall on their own merits rather than your preconceptions of how they’re likely to…