Discovering the Audi Sport TT Cup
The Car Guide is making its way to Germany for a first encounter with the Audi TT Sport Cup race car. This is something of an exclusivity for us, since The Car Guide is the only Canadian media outlet that will be represented at this special event, during which I will have the opportunity to drive this authentic race car on a track.
The last time I drove competitively was in May 2015, when I finished in 12th and 7th place, respectively, in the first two races of the Micra Cup at Circuit Mont-Tremblant. With that in mind, I’m preparing to take the wheel of a car as light as the Micra race car but with an engine three times more powerful.
- Also: 2016 Audi TT: Audi’s Tantalising, Topless TT Twins
- Also: Audi TT Sportback Concept: The Stretched TT
The Audi Sport TT Cup is a one-make racing series organized by Audi that features Audi TT race cars prepped by the brand’s Motorsport division. The 2016 edition will include fourteen events contested over seven weekends of racing in support of the DTM Championship and the 24 Hours Nürburgring. Twenty drivers, evaluated and chosen by Audi Motorsport, will vie for the top spot driving identical Audi TT Sport race cars.
The Audi Sport TT Cup is an authentic race car that’s based on the Audi TT production model. The ultra-light Audi Sport TT Cup weighs a mere 1 125 kilos; its cabin is stripped to the bare minimum to make way for things like a safety cage, a racing seat borrowed from the Audi R8 LMS race car and a five-point safety harness.
Under the hood, there’s a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine that generates 310 horsepower – 340 when the driver pushes the “Push-to-Pass” button located on the steering wheel – and power is transmitted to the front wheels by way of the six-speed S Tronic gearbox with wheel-mounted shifters. Check back in a few days for the complete summary of this very special test drive.