Quicker than a Porsche 718 Cayman!

Although the third-generation Audi TT was unveiled in early 2014, it didn’t cross the pond to the U.S. until 2015, for the 2016 model year. The high-performance TT-RS will have a similar fate, even though Audi unveiled the beefed-up coupe at the 2016 Beijing Auto Show. It’s been a full year since the TT-RS made its global debut and the high-performance two-door is getting ready to come to the U.S. at the 2017 New York Auto Show, meaning it will go on sale for the 2018 model year.

The TT-RS saga began in 2009, 11 years after the Audi TT’s launch and three years after the TT Mk2’s introduction. Available as both a coupe and roadster, it climbed above the TTS in the TT range. The company’s first compact RS was powered by the legendary, 2.5-liter, five-cylinder engine that produced 335 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of twist, and featured revised styling and a sportier interior. The TT-RS came to the U.S. in 2012, when the Plus model was launched. Fitted with an uprated version of the 2.5-liter turbo-five, the TT-RS Plus had a cool 360 ponies and 342 pound-feet on tap.

Already more powerful than a Porsche Cayman, the Plus will be replaced by an even wilder version of the TT equipped with a brand-new iteration of the 2.5-liter, five-cylinder engine. Find out how powerful and quick it is and how it stacks up against Porsche’s relatively new 718 Cayman in the review below.

Updated 04/25/2016: Audi dropped the official details on the new TT RS at the 2016 Beijing Auto Show.

Continue reading to learn more about the 2017 Audi TT-RS.