COMMEMORATING the arrival of Audi’s seven-speed S-Tronic automatic dual-clutch transmission to the flagship TT RS coupe, the Ingolstadt-based brand announced an auto-only limited edition packing a claimed $8460 worth of extra kit for no extra cost over the $139,900 (plus on-roads) list price.

, , The TT RS was previously manual-only due to its 2.5-litre, five-cylinder turbocharged engine punching out too much power (250kW) and torque (450Nm) for the transverse-mounted version of Audi’s seven-speed S-Tronic to handle.

, , But now, 45 Australian buyers get the chance to bag extra interior comfort and exterior styling touches while enjoying the car’s new-found ability to reach 100km/h in just 4.3 seconds, making it four-tenths quicker than the manual.

, , Incredibly, the TT RS is also three-tenths quicker off the mark than the 4.2-litre V8-powered R8 supercar costing almost twice as much – but then it does pack an extra 20Nm of torque over its bigger brother.

, , But how else is the fastest TT transformed by the new transmission and does it take the edge off such an enthusiast-oriented beast? We take to the road – and track – to find out.