340 HP Audi Sport TT Cup Racer Shows Grass Roots at Essen 2014

Today was the last day of registrations for the premiere of the Audi Sport TT Cup, a one-make racing series unlike anything we've ever seen before. You see, until now, Audi racing was all about the R8 and a bunch of cool Le Mans prototypes that look like flying saucers. However, the TT Cup takes inspiration from similar one-make racing series put together by Volkswagen that have been very successful in Germany over the past several years.

The car presented today at the Essen Motor Show 2014 will be part of a 24-strong grid which will be split between two types of drivers. 18 of the cars those will be for regular drivers, the other six being reserved for VIPs, such as journalists or retired driving aces.

The race machine is based on the chassis of the production TTS, but has suffered some pretty serious modifications. The cabin has been completely stripped down and all the luxury systems have been removed. It now weighs only 1125kg (2,480 lb), making it much lighter than any R5 rally car and 210kg over the road TT (335 kg over the TTS).

Power comes from the same 2-liter TFSI turbo that still delivers 310 HP. However, to make the races a bit more interesting, engineers have added an overboost function which increases output to 340 HP for short burst of overtaking.

"The Audi TT Cup is a genuine race car, ideal for rookies, yet challenging to drive," said former Formula 1 driver Markus Winkelhock, who will act as a driver coach for the series. "You immediately feel that you're sitting in an Audi and recognize the close kinship with the brand's other racecars."

Great, how do I sign up?

The TT Cup will completely replace the VW Scirocco R-Cup as Germany's grass roots motorsport activity. There will be a total of six DTM races, five of which will be in Germany and a sixth to be announced in another country during 2015.

The DTM-backed championship is priced at €99,000 per car. That gets you the car itself, a season of full race preparation by Audi GmbH, one mechanic and VIP admission to Audi Hospitality. Every race day gets hours of practice and qualifying, and then two 30-minute races.

Audi Sport TT Cup at Essen Motor Show 2014 - photo gallery