The Audi TT RS is a car that gets a lot of its special feel from nostalgia. Any Audi fan, or any rally fan for that matter, knows about the mechanical monster that roamed the 1980s: the quattro. What made that car so raw was the power and noise that came from its unique inline five cylinder. Fast forward nearly 30 years, and Audi is back in the straight five game with the TT RS. They must have done something right because at the Engine of The Year awards, Audi’s 2.5 liter turbocharged straight five took home a win in its respective class.
A panel of 76 automotive journalist were given the task of finding the best engine in certain displacement categories and 2.5 straight five won in the 2-2.5 liter class. Numerous factors were taken into account to determine which engines took home the gold and sound was one of them. “Torque, power, and great sound – this engine has it all! It is a powerful, visceral reminder of the original quattro rally racing engine that put Audi on the map,” noted one of the judges. This is the second year in a row that the 2.5 liter turbocharged straight five found in the TT RS won its class.
