Audi TT RS Plus Roadster

It's faster and better equipped than the standard TT RS, but the Plus version doesn’t really do enough to justify its higher price tag. While its turbo five-cylinder engine ensures it’s very quick and sounds great, it’s nowhere near as involving as the new Porsche Boxster, which offers proper driving fun and a prettier package for a lot less money.

There can’t have been many TT RS buyers who thought their car needed a bit more punch, but with a new Porsche Boxster on sale, Audi is keen to steal some of the limelight.

So the TT RS Plus produces 355bhp from its 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo engine, which is 20bhp more than the standard car. Torque is also up 15Nm to 465Nm, while the speed limiter has been removed, taking the top speed from 155mph to 174mph.

Goodies include a sports exhaust, 19-inch alloy wheels and some subtle visual tweaks including a matt aluminium grille, plus sat-nav, Bluetooth and iPod connectivity included as standard.

On the move, it doesn’t really feel any different to the standard car. The extra power shaves two-tenths of a second off the 0-62mph time (down to just 4.2 seconds for the seven-speed S tronic auto Roadster we tested), but you’d be hard-pressed to notice. It’s still an incredible engine, which makes a fantastic warbling note.

In corners, the TT RS Plus grips and grips and then understeers stubbornly. It’s fast, yes, but not much fun, while the bigger wheels make the ride very firm. But the biggest problem is price.

The TT RS Plus kicks off at £48,945 for the six-speed manual Coupe – £3,085 more than the standard model – rising to £52,265 for our test car. By comparison, Porsche’s brilliant Boxster S costs £45,384 and is better in every way.