Audi TT RS takes on Porsche Cayman S

Statistics show a lot, but like many things, they can hide the bits you're really interested in. But, is that the case when comparing the Audi TT RS to the Porsche Cayman S? Sure, a look at the numbers tells you that the TT RS has more torque, horsepower and is quicker to 100kph than the S. However, is flat out pace the be-all and end-all of a sportscar? Of course not.

What's the point of going fast if the suspension is not working in tandem with dips and crests in the road, or the steering changes direction of the car as quickly as the QE2?

Handling is paramount and with rear-wheel drive, the Cayman seems like it may have the edge over the all-wheel drive hot TT. But, lest we forget, the Audi draws inspiration from one of the most iconic rally cars ever built.

Audi TT RS

First things first, the car that you see on these pages is not a TT. Sure it looks like one, but the addition of the crucial RS lettering means it isn't quite one. Starting with the looks: the standard TT may not be the prettiest car around, but it's understated and inoffensive — almost to the point of being dull. The RS is different. With its 10mm lower ride height, muscular wheel arches, big hungry air intakes and rear spoiler, it looks like it wants to have a go at passing Ferraris and 911 Turbos. It's angry and visceral. Basically, nothing like the car it's based on.

And there's good reason. The standard TT's heavy 3.2-litre V6 upfront has been replaced by a brand new 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine. Ring a bell? Audi Quattro. Walter Röhrl. Michèle Mouton. Yup, you're on the right track.

However, since Audi has already announced the return of the legendary badge, I'm not going to waste your time trying to convince you that the TT RS is a spiritual successor to the rally beast, because it isn't.

But, it is a seriously good sportscar.

The rasping, burbling turbocharged engine is a peach. It dishes out a tasty 340bhp but makes you work hard to savour every morsel of horsepower. Keep the power on, get the gear changes right and you'll be seeing 100kph in a scant 4.6 seconds.

The TT RS loves being pushed and even when the rev needle's bouncing off the limiter, there's an unflinching can-do air about it. There are some drawbacks though. The five-pot delivers a healthy 450Nm of torque but there never seems to be any available if you're in the wrong gear. One gear too high and you stall, a gear too low and the engine screams so hard, you feel sorry for inflicting such pain upon it.

The new fiver weighs 183kg, which makes it lighter than the V6. The perks are evident. The nose is more eager and the characteristic AWD understeer only begins to creep in at extreme cornering speeds. The steering is more communicative than the standard TT, but it's still not as chatty as the Cayman's finely honed system.

The upgraded Quattro all-wheel drive with a new constant velocity joint and an uprated rear diff to handle the extra torque, plays a key role in this handling prowess. The 40:60 front-to-rear torque split hurls you out of corners. Thanks in part to a stiff and superbly well-balanced chassis and the electromagnetic dampers, the TT RS shows remarkable composure. The payoff is ride quality. It judders and bounces too much in sports mode. It's not as bad as the early Z4s but that's faint praise. Furthermore, the six-speed manual transmission isn't slick enough and you do have to stir it around a bit to slam the cogs home.

However, to say that you can't live with the TT RS on an everyday basis would be unfair. The clutch is light, there's plenty of kit and apart from the ride quality, which is passable as long as you have the sport mode off, there's not much wrong. Make no mistake though, the TT RS makes you work hard for every ounce of speed.

The cabin is typical Audi quality, but save a smattering of RS badges it's disappointingly similar to the standard TT. Although everything is well put together, it's not as clinical as the Porsche's.

It costs Dh237,000, which is admittedly a lot of money for a TT, but the RS is faster than all its rivals including the Nissan 370Z, the BMW Z4 35i and the Porsche Cayman S that you see here.

The TT RS, then, is a very far cry from the original. It's the car the TT should have been from the start.

Specs & ratings

Porsche Cayman S

The second generation Cayman has undergone a slight refresh, but only die-hard fans will be able to spot the difference. It looks superb with new funky LEDs, black alloys and a wonderful red leather interior. One for the show-offs, perhaps? Fire it up and the roar from its 3.4-litre direct injected flat-six reminds you that the Cayman has always been a phenomenal driver's car. But thathasn't stopped Porsche from improving on it further.

A walk around the diminutive S reveals two things. First of all, it looks much smaller than you expect at 4,347mm long, 1,306mm high and 1,801mm wide, and secondly, it's remarkably like a Boxster with a fixed roof. The headlights, front fascia intakes and taillights are restyled, but a radical reskin this is not.

It sits in the range between the Boxster and the legendary 911, both in terms of price and performance. However, since the Cayman has no roof to stow, the rear trunk has more room than the convertible — an amazing 260 litres for all your Spinneys bags. That's not all, the front boot has 150 litres of space too — that's properly amazing for a sportscar.

The snug two-seat cabin uses high quality materials though some parts such as the seat levers look a little over-engineered. It even has what are quite possibly the world's most elaborate cup holders, which open out from the glove box.

But what a sportscar really needs is clear gauges, a mini wheel with paddle shifters and supportive seats to complement a finely tuned engine, and the S has it all. Sitting in the bucket seats, you feel as if you are attached to them. Your body is cocooned snugly, so there's more of you being told what the car is doing underneath, heightening the driving experience.

Naturally, there is more to the Cayman S than just high-quality radio knobs and bucket seats. The S weighs 1,375kg, which makes it 75kg lighter than the TT RS. So if you do some maths, you'll soon figure out that despite a lower horsepower figure, the power-to-weight ratio of the two cars is almost exactly the same.

The lightweight Cayman S, with its new engine and a double-clutch PDK gearbox is sensational to drive. With 320bhp and 370Nm of torque to play with, it smashes the 100kph mark in 5.1 seconds with launch control, and keeps going until it reaches 277kph. There's a biplane spoiler which rises up automatically to help keep you glued to the road when your right foot feels heavy. Which in our case, was throughout the couple of hours we got to play with it.

The engine wants to whisk you off into another dimension while the throttle response is extremely snappy. It feels sharp and is very taut while the limited slip diff helps improve traction when cornering hard.

The steering simply guides you through corners without you even having to think about it. Being a Porsche, you expect great handling, but the mid-engined S is especially confident around bends. Ride quality is firm but nobody expects Mercedes-Benz type comfort in here.

The seven-speed 'box uses two wet-plate clutches and is a bit like having two gearboxes bolted together, one handling the even gears and one the odd gears. By switching between the two clutches during shifting, the power remains uninterrupted. Like two major league baseball pitchers playing catch just a few yards apart, shifts are lightning fast. It'll get you around 19mpg in the city and 27mpg on the highway.

The latest generation of the Porsche Stability Management (PSM) includes a brake pre-loading system. This kicks in when you let go of the accelerator quickly, like you would in an emergency braking situation. The PSM moves the brake pads closer to the discs before you even press the pedal, and readies them for action.

This improves the brake response and shortens stopping distances significantly. The traction control allows a certain amount of slip so it's not always interrupting you before you get anywhere near the limit, but when it does step out of line, it cuts in to save the day.

Options include the Porsche Active Suspension Management, a Sport Chrono Package, automatic climate control, Bose surround-sound stereo system, parking-assist sensors and rain-sensing wipers.

Overall, the changes to the Cayman S are minor but they do add up to make a big difference, resulting in a car that's engaging and huge fun to drive.

Verdict

The TT RS is a great car. It hits the sweet spot with its turbo five-pot and manual transmission. It's a brute. The Cayman S, on the other hand is more civilised, better built, almost as fast as the TT, although not as engaging. But, it costs Dh23K less. And that tips the scale in favour of the Porsche. If you're the smart, sensible sort, the Cayman is your winner. We're not, so we'd buy the Audi.

Specs & ratings