Sporting a quad exhaust

These are the first spy photos with a more powerful S variant of the upcoming third-gen Audi TT.

We are just a few hours away from the official unveiling of the all-new Audi TTand our spies have already managed to grab on camera the more potent TT-S version which should be introduced later this year or in 2015. It's easily to notice we are dealing with a beefed up TT since the prototype seen here comes with a quad exhaust arrangement.

In addition, the Audi TT-S will have a more aggressive body featuring wider door sills, larger air intakes below the headlights, as well as sportier front and rear bumpers. Output will probably be somewhere around the 300 HP (221 kW) mark while the range-topping TT-RS should provide approximately 360 HP (265 kW) from the firm's traditional five-cylinder motor.

An official debut could occur in October at the 2014 Paris Motor Show.

Should have 300 HP

Several allegedly official images of the 2015 Audi TT-S have surfaced online ahead of an imminent reveal.

A couple of hours ago we brought you spy pics depicting the Audi TT-S and now it seems the model has been fully revealed through several leaked pics which appear to be official. Sporting an evolutionary design, the 2015 TT-S looks very sharp with its LED headlights and chromed hexagonal front grille, along with generous front air intakes and muscular side skirts.

The mirror caps, rear diffuser and fuel cap have a silver finish while at the back there's a trunk lip spoiler, a quad exhaust system and LED taillights. We also get another chance to see the interior but now in an all-black configuration with silver accents and leather upholstery featuring diamond stitching.

Power probably comes from an upgraded 2.0-liter 4-cylinder TFSI outputting 300 HP (221 kW).

An official reveal should occur in the coming hours.

Far from making us fling our arms around over the excitement of its final reveal, the 2015 Audi TT is here, in leaked photos form, in red and with one interior shot. Just posted, it does match the darkened teaser shot from the back, so there’s very little chance of this not being the real thing.

Seen here in TTS guise (we changed color on the car featured in the opening photo), the first thing I can say about it is that it’s restrained, looking like a modernized version of its predecessor.

Naturally, it is an all-new car with a cool instrument cluster, but it just doesn’t scream “drive me!” like a Porsche Cayman, BMW’s Z4, Subaru BRZ or Alfa Romeo’s Brera and Peugeot’s RCZ(-R).

In all honesty, it looks like the kind of car somebody thinks of buying if they realize their budget gets them into a top-spec VW Scirocco, and they figure they want something more.

It’s not a bad looker, just a bit meh compared to other sporty coupes, so it needs to make up for this through its driving dynamics – the interior I think beats the exterior hands down for the sporty look factor and has a steering wheel worthy of our collection of pretty steering wheels, you know, before forward-thinkers in charge eliminate it completely.

The TTS packs a 300 PS punch, from its 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, as well as sporty body treatment in the form of the side sills, front and rear bumpers, plus the oversized rims that look to be in the 20-inch range. Check it out in the gallery below, as we wait for the official release to add the technical details and high-res shots.

TTS hits 100 km/h in 4.7 seconds

Audi has officially revealed the third generation TT along with a hot TTS variant packing 310 HP (228 kW).

It turns out the pictures we posted earlier today were the real deal as Audi has taken the wraps of the all-new TT. It comes with an evolutionary design encompassing a more aggressive front fascia with a hexagonal grille flanked by the trapezoidal optional LED headlights. There's also a contoured clamshell hood while the Audi logo has been moved onto the lower section of the hood.

Other noticeable design features include the prominent wheel arches, a defined "Tornado" horizontal shoulder line running the entire length of the flanks while at the back there's a liftback-like tailgate. It also comes with a spoiler that automatically deploys at speeds exceeding 75 mph (121 km/h).

Unlike most new cars which are larger than their predecessor, the 2015 Audi TT is actually 20mm shorter than the model it replaces so it has an overall length of 4180mm, even though the wheelbase has been elongated by 37mm. Width stands at 1832mm so it's down by 8mm while the height has remained the same at 1353mm.

The third-gen TT rides on Volkswagen Group's MQB platform and is up to 50 kg (110 lbs) lighter, resulting in a curb weight of 1,230 kg (2,711 lbs) for the 2.0 TFSI model. Trunk capacity has increased by 13 liters so customers will be able to fill up 305 liters with luggage.

Speaking of engines, Audi will offer upon launch three 4-cylinder turbocharged, direct-injection engines. There are two 2.0 TFSI units with 230 HP (169 kW) & 370 Nm (272 lb-ft) and 310 HP (228 kW) & 380 Nm (280 lb-ft) in the TTS derivative, along with a 2.0 TDI outputting 184 HP (135 kW) and 380 Nm (280 lb-ft) of torque.

The 230 HP 2.0 TFSI coupled to a six-speed manual gearbox enables the new TT to hit 62 mph (100 km/h) in 6 seconds (5.3s with S tronic) before reaching an electronically-limited top speed of 155 mph (250 km/h). The 310 HP TTS quattro-equipped model needs 4.7 seconds to conquer the sprint and is optionally available with an S tronic gearbox. The diesel TT does the run in 7.2 seconds and will top out at 146 mph (235 km/h).

The 2015 Audi TT comes with a McPherson front suspension and a four-link rear setup, while the TTS version sits 10mm lower. Audi is offering various alloy wheels in sizes ranging from 17 to 20 inches and at the front axle there are ventilated disc brakes up to 338mm in diameter depending on version.

Step inside the revamped cabin and the first thing you will notice is the all-new 12.3-inch TFT screen powered by an Nvidia Tegra 30 graphic processor.

Another cool feature is the positioning of the air conditioning controls in the air vents, while the optional S sport seats (standard on TTS) have pneumatically adjustable side sections and are highly contoured to offer optimal support and comfort.

There's also a new flat-bottomed steering wheel featuring a new airbag that occupies 40 percent less space than before without having a negative effect on safety. Audi has installed a 12-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system with a 14-channel amplifier and door-mounted woofers which are illuminated by an adjustable light conductor.

The Audi TT is the most popular sports car in its class, developed with passion and perfection. The third generation of the compact sports car revolutionized functionality and driving dynamics, and represents Vorsprung durch Technik. . Highlights include the Audi virtual cockpit and the matrix LED headlights.

Besides the regular production versions of the third-generation TT Coupe, Audi had a surprise for us in Geneva today with the conceptual TT Quattro Sport. You can think of it as Audi's track-focused, GT3 (as in Porsche 911 GT3) iteration of the new TT.

“With our Audi TT quattro sport concept show car, we wanted to demonstrate what the new TT’s technology can do if you take it a step further,” explained Ulrich Hackenberg, chief engineer at Audi. “This car is designed for racing – an extreme driving machine for the motorsports enthusiasts among our customers.”

At the heart of the concept is a newly developed version of the VW Group's EA888 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four engine twisting out an impressive 414hp (420PS) at 6,700 rpm, thus setting a new benchmark in the 2.0L category with a specific output of 207hp (210PS) per liter. It also delivers a peak torque of 450Nm (332 lb-ft) available from 2,400 to 6,300 rpm, with over 300 Nm (221.27 lb-ft) already offered at only 1,900rpm. The fuel cut-off is at 7,200 rpm.

The four-pot is hooked up to an S tronic dual-clutch transmission and Audi's permanent quattro all-wheel drive. Tipping the scales at 1,344kg (2,963 lbs) with a 54/46 weight distribution between the front and rear axles, the concept slings from 0 to 100km/h (62mph) in just 3.7 seconds.

To improve handling, Audi's engineers made changes to the suspension and brought the body closer to the ground, while also retuning the electronic nannies, including the ESC electronic stabilization control that can be partially or fully deactivated.

The showcar features a modified body with a carbon-fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) spoiler package, 30 millimeters (1.18 in) wider wheel arches, a different front grille and 20-inch alloys on semi-slick tires. Inside, Audi stripped the interior of all non-essential "luxury" components, adding Alcantara bucket seats and pull handles, but it did keep the fully digital instrument cluster’s 12.3-inch display.

Audi didn’t say if it plans to introduce a production version of the Quattro Sport, but if it does, it won't replace the RS.

By John Halas