Audi TT RS Iconic Edition is five-pot finale for sports coupe

The third-generation Audi TT is to exit with the highly exclusive RS Iconic Edition, landing next year during the final months of production. 

It arrives at the same time as the Audi R8 RWD GT - a 612bhp swansong for the TT's V10-engined sibling, which will also bow out in 2023.

It is marked out from the standard Audi TT RS by bespoke badging and trim inside and out and standard fitment of the usually optional aerodynamic package, which brings bespoke side flics, air intakes and front and rear diffusers and a prominent rear spoiler for boosted downforce. 

The mechanics are unchanged, though, so the Iconic Edition draws 395bhp and 354lb ft from Audi’s 2.5-litre turbocharged five-cylinder engine (driving both axles through a seven-speed DSG gearbox) to sprint from 0-62mph in 3.7sec and reach a top speed of 174mph. 

Its extremely limited availability and commemorative billing mean it commands a hefty premium over the standard car at £87,650 – slightly more than the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4, for reference. Just 11 of the 100 cars are bound for UK customers.

The third-generation TT will bow out 25 years since the original car arrived in dealerships, wearing a minimalist, "almost symettrical" body shell heavily inspired by the Bauhaus design movement and nearly completely unchanged from the radical concept shown at the Frankfurt motor show in 1995. 

Sebastian Grams, managing director of Audi Sport, said: “The name of the Audi TT RS Coupé iconic edition says it all. The edition model is reminiscent of the iconic TT design language, which at the same time stands for courage and elegance in uncompromising form. 

"Thanks to the exclusive exterior and interior highlights, the much-loved performance of our ultimate sports coupé, with its multiple award-winning five-cylinder engine, is not only palpable, but also visible to fans". 

After the TT retires, the five-pot motor will continue to serve in the Audi RS3 hot hatch and its mechanically identical Audi RS Q3 sibling - as well as in more obscure sports cars like the Donkervoort D8 GTO and KTM X-Bow. It has also been used by Audi sibling brand Cupra for its limited-run Formentor vZ5.