Everything has been said about the 1.8 turbo in the TT, A3, Golf and its sisters. Linear, flexible, powerful, etc., but rarely spirited, particularly with a ‘simple’ electronic box.

Our impressions :
Beware of the wild beast. This should be the warning that Power System gives to anyone purchasing this box for the Audi TT. Through the magic of electronics, this two-wheel drive 180 bhp version jumps to 216 bhp. Even more serious, the torque increases by more than 10 mkg, with a recorded value in the region of 34.7 mkg. Do the math: the output comes to 19.2 mkg per 1000cc! Thus equipped, the Coupé provides first-class performance, enough to best many GTs. When accelerating, it becomes a real beast : only 6.6 seconds in top gear. This is in keeping with the measurements for the top speed and the 1000m standing start, where the results are close to the 225 bhp Quattro version.

The most impressive characteristic is the responsiveness at low revs. At the slightest pressure on the accelerator, the Coupé surges forward, stresses the universal joint and flies off to better climes at a highly reprehensible pace. In terms of noise, the “liberated” exhaust bruises your eardrums, to the point of being deafening when the engine is pushed to 3000 rpm. The audible turbo whistles strongly right up to the red and allows a lot of excess. Very precise, the 1800 loses nothing of its original flexibility: it good-naturedly tolerates low revs, helped by the ample torque. Listed at 3990 Francs, this system will please those discouraged by the purchase price of the Quattro version, 36,000 Francs dearer.