Audi TT VS Porsche 718
Audi TT
Likes
- 294kW five-cylinder engine
- Great dynamics
- Decent boot for the segment
Dislikes
- No AEB
- Four star 2015 ANCAP rating
- No central media screen
Porsche 718
Likes
- Superb handing
- Style Edition leather upholstery
- Special colours
Dislikes
- AEB not standard
- Dated interior
- Not as easy to live with as some rivals
Summary
Audi TT
When the Audi TT first arrived in 1998 it looked cute… seriously cute, like a car-version-of-a-koala cute. Then over the next couple of decades it grew out of that cuteness into something more menacing looking and the RS versions were well, Google 'drop bear' and you're pretty much on the money.
Now the new TT RS is here looking more grown up and angrier than ever, but does it have the mechanical mumbo to match the aggro appearance? Does it have back seats? Or even a boot? Could you drive one every day without buying your chiropractor a new Porsche? Actually, why wouldn't you just by a Porsche yourself, I mean a 718 Cayman S costs about the same?
Read on to find out.
| Safety rating | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 2.5L turbo |
| Fuel Type | Premium Unleaded Petrol |
| Fuel Efficiency | 8.4L/100km |
| Seating | 4 seats |
Porsche 718
Porsche has taken its entry-grade 718 Cayman and created a special Style Edition which adds more features and some nice aesthetic touches to what is one of the best and relatively affordable, prestige sports cars on the planet.Â
What makes this car even more special is knowing Porsche will adopt an electric powertrain for the next Cayman. Yup, this is one of the final Caymans to have a combustion engine. Talk about a limited edition.
So what’s not to love? Well, you’ll have to read on to find out because although the 718 Cayman Style Edition is wonderful in so many ways, there are some sides to it you need to know about before diving into the ownership experience.
Read more about
- "Who would have thought Porsche would go electric?" Porsche boss hails Taycan's "overwhelming success"
- Will the 2025 Porsche 718 electric car hit or miss? Aussie CEO's bold call on sales of upcoming MG Cyberster rival
- Porsche doesn't need support from Volkswagen or other sports car brands on eFuels - but Lamborghini, Bentley and more could all benefit from it in the end
Ready? Let’s go.Â
| Safety rating | — |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 2.0L turbo |
| Fuel Type | — |
| Fuel Efficiency | 7L/100km |
| Seating | 2 seats |
Verdict
Audi TT7/10
The Audi TT RS is iconic for its design and should be heaped with praise for its dynamic ability, it's also more practical than many of its rivals offering back seats and a good-sized boot for the class. But despite this latest update the TT RS has fallen behind in advanced safety technology and cabin equipment such as the lack of a media screen.
Porsche 7187.3/10
The 718 Cayman Style Edition only costs a bit more than the entry-grade Cayman it's based on, but opens up more special colours and contrasting features from the wheels to decals, even leather upholstery. The value is good, the look is enhanced and the car remains superb to drive on the right roads.
Living with a Cayman daily is ‘do-able’ but you’ll have to be understanding given it's not the most user-friendly car to drive, and then there’s the low-level safety tech.
But in return, you’ll own one of the best and relatively affordable prestige sports cars ever made and one of the last of the combustion-powered Porsche Caymans.
Design
Audi TT8/10
Let's start with the looks, seeing as I went on about them so much in the introduction.
This update has seen changes in all the places you'd expect a facelift to cover. There's a new front-end design with a new mesh grille, even larger supercar-like air intakes, a redesigned front splitter and sleeker headlights.
There are also new side skirts, while the rear of the car has more contoured styling and a beefier diffuser.
The tough styling is part of what sets an RS model apart from its more domesticated siblings in the range. There are also the wheels - regular TTs come standard with 18- or 19-inch alloys, the TT RS has 20-inch rims with red RS brake calipers. If you're still uncertain if you're looking at a TT RS then you can be sure you are if it has a fixed rear wing.
Then there's RS engineering which we'll get to in the engine and driving sections. But let's dive into the cabin which has also been updated with a new RS steering wheel, there's the leather RS seats, with the door and console trimmed in leather and aluminum with carbon twill inlays.
The lack of a central media screen means all media, phone and nav menus and displays can only be viewed on the digital instrument cluster. Audi calls this a driver-focused cockpit, I call it marketing spin. I mean a Porsche 911 has a central media screen and you don't get much more of a driver-focused car than that.
I do like the air vents which have the climate control modes within them. I also like that there are back seats – but more on the practicality later.
The TT RS looks bigger in photos than it really is. End-to-end it's only 4191mm long and just 1344mm tall but at 1832mm across it has a wide, planted stance.
Porsche 7188/10
The 718 Cayman is often labelled as the 'junior 911' but that downplays its status as an outstanding sports car in its own right.
It’s not a smaller version of the 911, at all, but it is smaller than a 911. Not by much, though. The Cayman is 140mm shorter in length than the 911 at 4379mm end-to-end. Interestingly, the Cayman has a longer wheelbase at 2475mm and is taller at 1295mm.
The 718 Cayman is beginning to date in its design with this generation of the sports car arriving eight years ago. From the outside it’s holding up well in terms of styling , but inside it feels very 2016 with the small media screen and analogue dials.
It gives me a weird nostalgic feeling I normally only get driving older cars, but in a current model. Which could be why Porsche is jazzing the Cayman up with this Style Edition.
The Style Edition enhances the look of the entry-grade Cayman with 20-inch 718 'Spyder' wheels in a high gloss black or white finish, and there’s a choice of six special colours ranging from the Crayon hue our car wore to 'Ruby Star Neo', 'Shark Blue', 'Carmine Red' and 'Arctic Grey'.
The Style Edition also adds black sport tailpipes, full-colour Porsche crests on the wheel hub covers, a black leather interior with contrasting Crayon stitching, Porsche crest embossed headrests, illuminated door sills and floor mats with Crayon contrast stitching. Â
Buyers can also choose a 'Contrast Package' in black or white which adds Porsche lettering to the side of the car and a strip to the bonnet.
Practicality
Audi TT7/10
The TT RS is a four-seater coupe with a hatch tailgate.
I'm 191cm (6'3") tall and there is no way I can sit behind my driving position, but my size is irrelevant here - there's almost zero legroom back there and not even small children are going to have enough space.
Yes, the TT RS isn't a family car, but at CarsGuide we rate all cars for practicality and spaciousness as well as what they're like to drive. That said the TT RS is more practical and spacious than a Porsche Cayman and the BMW Z4 which don't have rear seats at all.
The cargo capacity of the TT RS's boot is 305 litres, which isn't bad at all.
Cabin storage isn't good. The door pockets are small, the centre console bin is only big enough for a wallet but the hidey hole under the dash is useful.
That hidey hole also has a 12V outlet, a USB port and a wireless charger.
This is an obvious point, but the TT RS is low to the ground. The good news is the doors are large and the bubble-like roofline means I never hit my head on the A-pillar as I have with many sports cars.
That roofline also means headroom is good for the driver and co-pilot, although, again, your friends in the rear seat are going to have another reason not to invite you over any more.
Porsche 7187/10
The 718 Cayman doesn’t have back seats - it's a two-seater sports car. Cabin storage is almost non-existent but is saved by a glove box and pull-out door pockets which are bigger than they look.
Surprisingly, there are three cupholders - two which pop out of the dashboard above the glove box and another in the small centre console bin.
Cargo space isn’t bad for a two-seater sports car with 184-litre rear boot and a front boot with a 150-litre capacity. That’s roughly one nine-year old child as you can see from the photos. My son wanted to sit in there, which I agreed to, but I said no when he asked me to shut the bonnet.
Price and features
Audi TT7/10
The TT RS lists for $134,900. While that makes it the most expensive TT, when it comes to horsepower, bang for your buck is excellent compared to Porsche's 718 Cayman S which lists for $140,590 and has 257kW.
The 718 Cayman GTS matches the TT RS's 294kW but costs $172K. That said, the BMW Z4 has 285kW and lists for $127,900 and while Mercedes-AMG doesn't really have a TT RS rival it does have the A45 S with 310kW and a list price of $93,600. Also, in that price range is the Z4's Toyota twin – the Supra with 250kW for $94,536. Don't scoff – it's a superb driver's car.
Let's get back to the TT RS. What comes standard? Features include 20-inch seven-spoke 'matt titanium-look' alloy wheels with red RS brake calipers, RS sport suspension with magnetically adjustable dampers, there's the RS sports exhaust system, privacy glass, leather upholstery, a Bang & Olufsen 12-speaker sound system, wireless charging and 12.3-inch instrument cluster.
The standard RS seats are Nappa leather, the front ones are heated and power adjustable, there's the leather RS steering wheel, proximity key, front and rear parking sensors, Matrix LED headlights and dual-zone climate control.
Porsche 7188/10
The 718 Cayman Style Edition lists for $136,700 and this is for the manual version, the auto is $5340 more. All up Porsche is asking $4200 more than the entry-grade Cayman it’s based on. In return you’re getting some nice features you won't find on the standard model.Â
There's the chunky black exhaust tips, the full-coloured crests on the wheel caps and inside is the black leather interior package with embossed headrests, illuminated door sills, and floor mats with 'Crayon'-coloured stitching.
Buyers can also specify one of two Style Edition contrast packages - one in Black and one in White -Â at no extra cost. Ours had the Black package specified and added the Porsche decals to the side of the car, the stripe on the bonnet and the gloss black 20-inch wheels.
The colour of our car was Crayon which comes as part of the bespoke colour offerings with the Style Edition.
Along with these Style Edition features there are the standard features of the entry-grade Cayman, including LED headlights, proximity unlocking, power adjustable sports seats, media display with sat nav, Apple CarPlay and dual-zone climate control.
If you’ve been driving new cars lately you might be a bit disappointed by the Cayman’s small media display (it’s a 7.0-inch screen which is tiny by today’s standards) there’s also no Android Auto available (just Apple CarPlay) and safety tech is relatively light-on, too. You can read about this further down.   Â
It should be pointed out here that our car was fitted with a dual-clutch automatic transmission and the optional adaptive cruise control ($2320).
Under the bonnet
Audi TT9/10
The 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo-petrol engine in the TT RS is one of my favoruite Audi powerplants and calls the RS 3 and RS Q3 home, too. It's loud, energetic and churns out a whopping 294kW of power and 480Nm of torque. That's enough to get the TT RS from 0-100km/h in 3.7 seconds.
Is the engine in the front or the back? Not such a silly question when you look at the design of the car and you're new to TTs, but the engine is in the front.
Audi's 'S tronic' seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission shifts fast sending the drive to all four wheels.
It's not the most powerful engine in the RS model line-up, but I can tell you having driven the TT RS back-to-back with Audi's R8 super car it's one of the most fun powerplants.
You can mash the accelerator pedal on a straight bit of road and not fear that the TT RS will snap and bite you – it's not too much power in that it's controllable with superb all-wheel drive traction.
Porsche 7188/10
So, under the bonnet of a Cayman is the front boot, but if it’s the engine you’re after you’ll need to go through the rear hatch because this is a mid-engined car.
Getting to the engine means removing several fixtures and covers which begins to feel like you’re dissembling the vehicle and comes with a rising anxiety that it all won’t go back together.
But it all clicks back in. It’s just a slow and tedious process. Fortunately, oil and water can be added by removing the circular covers you can see in the images.Â
Under the layers of covers, deep down just in front of the rear axle, is the Cayman’s 2.0-litre ‘flat’ four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine which makes 220kW and 380Nm. A seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission sends drive to the rear wheels.Â
It’s not a huge amount of power but the Cayman only weighs 1365kg and so can get from 0-100km/h in 5.1 seconds. Not brutally quick but the way this car handles is what you’ll like. Â
Oh, and just to be clear, the Style Edition doesn’t bring any extra power or engine changes. The outputs and performance are the same as the entry-grade Cayman.
Efficiency
Audi TT7/10
Audi officially says the TT RS should use 8.0L/100km after a combination of open and urban roads. We'll be able to test that once we have the TT RS in our garage, but either way, that's on the thirsty side.
Porsche 7187/10
Porsche says that after a combination of open and urban roads the Cayman’s fuel consumption should be 7.0L/100km. My 143km fuel test, taking in country roads and school runs, used 21.8L of petrol and equates to 15.2L/100km. Which means I had about twice as much fun as Porsche did when it recorded its fuel consumption.
The 64-litre tanks means in theory you should be able to travel 914km between fills if you’re conservative with fuel.
Driving
Audi TT8/10
Well you already know I love that five-cylinder engine – seriously you could put it in a loaf of bread, and it'd probably be awesome to drive.
Yes, sure the front end in the TT RS felt a bit heavier than I remembered and the nose didn't have that light pick-up-and-point feeling many sports cars have, but on the hill climb section of the test route especially, this coupe was seriously adept through the switchbacks.
Our convoy of test cars included everything from the Audi R8 and new RS Q3 to the RS 7 and RS 6 Avant motherships. And while nothing nails a great road like the R8, the TT RS was eating up the twists while the RS 7 and RS 6 freight trains were struggling with the physics of mass, size, and velocity in those tight corners.
The TT RS felt tight, stable, but agile as it scampered and weaved its way up hills. I'd like the steering to have more feel. Still there's enough feedback through the cabin and the seat to give the driver a good connection with the road.
Is it comfortable to drive? No. I found the standard RS seats too snug for me (to be fair I'm not race-car driver petite), and the ride over the typical Aussie course bitumen and pot-holed country roads made the cabin shake and rattle, along with my bones.
The ride comfort though is what you can expect out of a sports car like this and it's another reason why the TT RS is more than just a sporty coupe with red brake calipers. There's the RS sports suspension with magnetic adjustable dampers, the RS sports exhaust system and big brakes – 370mm discs on the front with eight piston calipers and 310mm discs at the rear which slow things down super quickly.
If you are after something less 'hardcore' there's the TT S or consider the RS Q3 small SUV which has the same five-cylinder engine and can do the 0-100km/h sprint in 4.5 seconds, but has softer suspension for a comfier  ride, while being dynamically impressive in the corners. Oh, and you'll have way more room inside, too. Let's talk about that.
Porsche 7189/10
The 718 Cayman Style Edition doesn’t come with any performance advantages over the already brilliant entry-grade Cayman it’s based on. And it is brilliant to drive. Several big steps above Audi’s TT, Nissan's Z or Toyota and BMW’s Supra/Z4 'twins under the skin' in terms of handling, steering and engagement.Â
That said, the Cayman isn’t as easy to drive as any of those cars. The steering is heavy, the accelerator is stiff, the dual-clutch auto transmission feels a bit rough and the turbo lags, then sends in the mumbo a bit too fast and too late. Oh, and and the seats are a tad tight.
But I can overlook all of this because on good winding country roads the Cayman feels like a water drop running down a wall, moving naturally and harmoniously around whatever it encounters.
The day-to-day school runs and grocery getting isn’t quite as poetic, and a Cayman proves challenging in the real world over potholes and in supermarket car parks. You’d have to love the Cayman for better or worse, as many do, to live with it daily. If you can't, there's the Audi TT.
Safety
Audi TT4/10
ANCAP gave the Audi TT a rating of four stars out of a maximum of five when it was tested in 2015. The level of child occupant protection was insufficient for a five-star rating and according to the ANCAP report this was mainly due to the limited space in the rear seat.
There are two ISOFIX points and two top tether anchor mounts for child seats in the second row.
Explore the virtual Audi TT RS
Compared with most new cars the TT RS has a low level of advanced safety technology – there's no AEB or adaptive cruise control, nor is there rear cross traffic alert, but there is blind spot warning and lane keeping assistance.
The TT RS has electronic stability control and ABS, and emergency brake assist (this isn't AEB). The safety features in that sentence haven't been mentioned in one of my reviews in years, and that's because there's not much else for me to list, apart from airbags which only cover the front passengers.
This lack of safety equipment especially for a car which lists for $135K is the reason why the TT RS has scored poorly in this section.
Porsche 7185/10
The almost complete lack of standard advanced safety technology on board the Porsche Cayman might be a deal-breaker for you. There’s no AEB (forward or reverse), no cross-traffic alert and no lane keeping assistance. But there is blind-spot warning, front and rear parking sensors and a reversing camera. Adaptive cruise control is a $2320 option.
The 718 Cayman hasn’t been crash tested and therefore doesn’t have an ANCAP rating, but you’ll be pleased to know there are four airbags covering the driver and passenger.
Ownership
Audi TT6/10
The TT RS is covered by Audi's three-year, unlimited kilometre warranty which not only falls behind in duration compared to mainstream brands but also its direct rival Mercedes-Benz which now has five-year, unlimited kilometre coverage.
Service intervals are every 12 months or 15,000km with a three-year plan ($2320) or five-year plan ($3420) available.
Porsche 7186/10
The Cayman Style Edition is covered by a three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty and servicing is needed every 12 months or 20,000km.
With Porsche, final service costs are determined at the dealer level (in line with variable labour rates by state/territory).
We'd like to see the warranty coverage increased to five years/unlimited kilometres which will bring it in line with more mainstream brands.