Used Audi TT RS for sale: everything you need to know

The Audi TT RS is the brand’s highest-performance model short of the R8 supercar and the e-tron GT electric saloon. It’s also the last of its breed, as TT production stopped in 2023, and it’s one of those rare cars you can be sure is a future classic from the word go.

Part of that is the RS’s turbocharged five-cylinder engine, which sounds like little else on the road, while the TT has always had a distinctive look too. When new, its very high price made it a hard sell, but with used examples being significantly more affordable, it arguably now makes a lot more sense.

In many ways the TT RS was unique, with its five-cylinder engine and all-wheel drive, but in terms of size and price, you could compare it to any number of performance coupes, including the Porsche 718 Cayman, BMW M2, or Toyota GR Supra.

Should you buy an Audi TT RS?

It’s easier to justify a used Audi TT RS than it was to recommend a brand new one. It started at around £60,000 brand new, and depending on options, or whether it was a special edition, it wasn’t unusual to see cars with a list price of £70,000 or even £80,000. But after a few years, depreciation has taken its toll - and the RS offers an experience very different to most cars you’d consider rivals.

A lot of that is down to the engine, which has to be the TT RS’s main selling point. You’ll find the 2.5-litre turbocharged five-cylinder in other Audis, including the RS3 and RSQ3, but it’s unique in a coupe, and arguably sounds better than the engines in any of its competitors. With 400PS, it’s incredibly powerful too.

The TT RS majored on performance and grip above handling finesse, and it was a little short on involvement compared to the best sports cars, but on the upside, TT RS owners get to sit in and interact with one of the best cabins on the market - it looks and feels great inside, though don’t expect to fit anyone but small kids in the rear seats.

Cars like the Porsche 718 Cayman and Alpine A110 are much more involving than the TT, but unless you go for one of the six-cylinder Caymans it can’t match the Audi’s sound, while the A110 certainly doesn’t feel as solid. The BMW M2 and Toyota GR Supra both feel brawny and are more fun to drive, the BMW also being more practical, as a proper four-seater. Depending on the price of the TT RS you’re looking at, a used Audi R8 could also be an option…

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What’s the best used Audi TT RS model to buy?

The biggest decision in the TT RS range isn’t one of the many trim levels or special editions, but whether you go coupe or roadster. The open-topped car definitely adds an extra dimension to the experience, not least in terms of sound, but the TT’s profile is undoubtedly at its most iconic with a fixed roof. Higher trim levels and special models aren’t worth paying well over the odds for, but might be worth it if you’re after a particular colour or option unavailable on the standard car.

Used Audi TT RS fuel economy and performance

• Audi TT RS: The TT RS gets quite a special engine - a 2.5-litre turbocharged inline five-cylinder, making 400PS. A seven-speed DSG automatic is standard, as is all-wheel drive, and the 0-62mph time is a supercar-style 3.7 seconds. Fuel economy is up to 31.7mpg.

What used Audi TT RS trim levels are available?

For a single model line the TT RS had quite a few different trim lines, mostly comprising special editions sold for just a year or so during the car’s run. They were primarily visual packages (the Nogaro got a special colour, the ultra-limited Iconic Edition had a special aero pack), so don’t change the driving experience enough to go out of your way for, but do make the car feel a little more special.

• The Audi TT RS was offered at launch with 19-inch alloy wheels, RS suspension and brakes, RS body styling, LED headlights, a fixed rear wing, a valved exhaust, an extended leather pack that trimmed more interior surfaces in leather, a 12.3-inch Virtual Cockpit display, cruise control with speed limiter, and Nappa leather sports seats.
• Audi also offered several special editions and additional variants of the TT RS, including the Nogaro Edition, Audi Sport Edition, Iconic Edition, and Vorsprung. All had slightly different levels of equipment and sometimes colour options, but are otherwise mechanically similar.

Used Audi TT RS dimensions and boot size

The Audi TT RS’s dimensions are:

• Length: 4201mm
• Width: 1832mm (without mirrors)
• Height: 1344mm

The Audi TT RS’s boot size is:

• 305 litres
• 712 litres with the rear seats folded (to roof)

Used Audi TT RS road tax

The TT RS costs comfortably more than the £40,000 threshold over which the government whacks an extra few hundred quid onto your annual tax bill, so all TT RS models will cost £570 each year, at the time of writing. This applies from the second to the sixth year of taxing the car, after which it drops to a lower rate.

How much is it to insure an Audi TT RS?

Audi TT RS insurance starts in group 38, which is actually pretty reasonable given its performance - a basic 2-litre Porsche 718 Cayman starts in group 42, and the range only goes up from there.

Read our full Audi TT RS review