In another thread, there was a discussion about what to get after an R8. I had half considered picking up a TT RS -- fast, cheap, and quattro. Most of the comments were along the line that the TT was, to be polite, woefully inferior to an R8.

On paper, the TT RS looks great -- quicker to 60 than my V8 R8 even. So when my local dealer had one available to test drive, of course I had to take advantage of the opportunity. I have to report that the nay sayers were right.

Even in its most extreme form -- the RS -- the TT is a mere shadow of the R8. Stats on paper simply cannot convey the differences, and they are many. While the engine sounds nice with the sport exhaust enabled, everything else is just okay. Acceleration was okay, but not like the R8 (or even my S4, based on how it felt). Handling was OK, but again, not like the R8. The TT RS is a nice car, but it's in such a different league from the R8. Not. Even. Close.

The TT RS stats tell a story, but it's only part of the complete book. Nice, but definitely no cigar.