2013 AUDI TT ULTRA QUATTRO CONCEPT (Not a TTS OR TTRS)

[Del Mar]

"Every year at the Wörthersee event, Audi makes sure that its presence is felt significantly.

This year, the German automaker is presenting the “Home of quattro” and it’s got a pretty impressive concept on tap to make its debut in the form of the TT Ultra Quattro Concept.

It’s based on the Audi TT, the German brand’s resident sports car. That’s as far as similarities go because the TT Ultra Quattro Concept is more like the TT’s hotter and sexier cousin, dressed more provocatively to accentuate its sexier curves.

Sure, it’s a concept, which is a real shame, and if Audi ever decided to bring the car to production, it might have to do so at the cost of what makes this car really unique.

At the end of the day, the TT Ultra Quattro is a fantastic concept that will probably give Audi headaches should it decide to green light production. But in its current state, it’s remarkably awesome in every sense of the word. by Kirby Garlitos, on May 8, 2013"

In building and developing the TT Ultra Quattro Concept, Audi adhered to a simple motto: the right amount of the right material in the right place. Sounds like a pretty straightforward principle. But, of course, there’s more to it than that.

For this model, Audi engineers fine-tuned the Audi Space Frame (ASF) in the current TT to come up with the body for the Wörthersee showcar. What that entailed was dropping 100 kg (220.46 lbs) from the car’s tool body weight of 304 kg (670 lbs), something Audi succeeded in doing by using carbon-fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) on the rear end, the center tunnel, on the B-pillars and on the roof. The automaker also used magnesium components as hinge reinforcement to help in the weight reduction.

Magnesium components in the floor and as hinge reinforcement reduce weight even further. The addition of large spoilers also pays homage to the automaker’s motorsports history with the base of the carbon-fiber rear wing using components made from milled aluminum to keep things light. Speaking of carbon fiber, you’ll also find that Audi made generous use of the material, particularly on the hood, the roof, the sides and the trunk.

Finalizing the exterior modifications is the special Crystal White color the TT Ultra Quattro Concept comes with while a set of wheels whose spokes are made out of high-strength aluminum.

The interior of the TT Ultra Quattro Concept was also designed with the same purpose of cutting weight. That’s why Audi used even more carbon fiber in the cabin. The door trim, the center console and the cross-bracing that replaces the rear seat bench all carry this material.

Bucket seats from the Audi R8 GT were also installed, while all the standard equipment from the Audi TT is also present, including air conditioning, electric window controls and an electromechanical parking brake.

The Audi TT Ultra Concept is powered by a 2.0-liter TFSI engine that produces 310 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. Those power figures allow the sports car to hit 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 4.2 seconds with a top speed of 174 mph. Showing that will go to crazy extremes to save weight, even the lead-acid starter battery was replaced with a lithium-ion one.

A clear indication of the TT Ultra Concept’s impressive performance credentials is its power-to-weight ratio of 3.6 kg per horsepower, right in line with some of the most performance-oriented sports cars on the market today.

The Audi TT Ultra Quattro Concept also makes use of a lighter suspension system with reduced unsprung masses, which shaves off some weight off of the setup while also improving handling and comfort. Even the coil springs, which are traditionally made from steel, have been replaced with fiberglass-reinforced plastic and shave of 40 percent of their bulk while still maintaining its overall usefulness.

The overall objective of Audi with the TT Ultra Quattro Concept was to shave as much weight off of the car in order to improve its performance credentials. Having said that, the way Audi went about it and used plenty of carbon fiber, magnesium, and titanium parts clearly illustrates that this car means business and conversely, will probably cost a lot if it does make it to production.

https://youtu.be/a46HIoevLec

[Del Mar]

https://youtu.be/a46HIoevLec

[Del Mar]

Most of the community that's read my posts has probably wondered what my fascination with the 300hp benchmark was when there are various high HP options available to us Audi TT owners.

The absolute truth is I've been trying to replicate the Audi TT Ultra Quattro to the best of my ability with the resources at my disposal. I've really been fascinated with the Audi TT club sport race cars which are tuned to race at 300hp. Since the majority of the time I'm either racing in autocross or the dragstrip (motorsports with little prep needed within my car class) I've really just wanted to build a car that could do both things well on street tires while not sacrificing the responsiveness needed for daily commuting to and from work or the grocery store.

So far I've been able to shave off around 200lbs of unsprung weight from the wheels-tires-brakes. Now I'll start to focus on the aero portion of the build. A new grill, bonnet, rear diffuser, rear spoiler, front & side splitters are all being purchased and finished in carbon fiber. Since I'll be swapping some parts out with lighter ones but adding more kit in other areas, I wont truly consider the aero as a viable option for further weight savings.

The major weight savings will come through the replacement of the entire exhaust system. As most know, I've already purchased the HPA high performance street downpipe with catalytic converter, but what most don't know is that I've also started looking at a high performance resonator & single exhaust muffler as I will be installing a central exhaust system on the TT. This entire swap should shave off at least 100kgs of weight in total.

On a street car application or a car that sees mid to highspeed track work a diffuser is a more important aero piece than say a spoiler due to it's ability to affect the turbulent air vortex behind the vehicle where the low and high pressure areas meetup. There's tons of data on this and it's a great study topic for grass root racers. I'm not saying spoilers aren't worth it (because the right ones are so worth it) but that spoilers aren't the only important pieces of aero to think about.

Finally the last piece of the puzzle and obviously the most expensive is the interior. There's a few things I want to do such as swap out the steering wheel for an MK3 TT SW. change some of the accents from SS to CF, & add some bracing to the chassis.

Please stay tuned as I promise to not disappoint with my Ultra OEM+ project.

Best

[Yeoman]

Ugly as sin