Audi is going spec racing with the MKIII TT - Audi TT Sport Cup to start in 2015 and race during DTM weekends

This is definitely not a TT you would call cute. Audi is offering its customers a potentially affordable way to get into a spec racing series. Affordable naturally when put into context against other single make factory sponsored series such as the Ferrari 458 Challenge program or the Porsche Carrera Cup program.

The Audi Sport TT Cup will begin next year in 2015. It will be held as part of the DTM season meaning owners will compete in an environment as serious as its gets. Yes, this will only be available for Europeans (or people who love to travel to Europe frequently) for the time being.

So what about the car itself? It features a dry weight of 2480 pounds so with fluids closer to 2600. With 310 horsepower from the 2.0 TFSI motor and front wheel drive it will definitely move well and it also features an innovative push to pass overboost feature. Audi allows the engine to be briefly boosted by 30 horsepower although the amount of time and frequency of use allowed is not specified.

There will be two races featuring a 24 car field at each DTM race event with 18 permanent seats. You can let a guest drive your car if you want to which means I better make friends with someone who buys one of these and quickly.

Audi's own professional drivers and staff will be on hand to assist and the winner of the cup will be invited to participate in the Audi R8 GT3 program.

Awesome? Hell yes it is.

AUDI TO LAUNCH RACING SERIES FOR THE NEW TT

- Audi Sport TT Cup from 2015 in DTM environment
- Attractive race car for beginners and drivers switching from other series
- Prof. Dr. Hackenberg: "The TT is going to thrill fans and drivers"

Ingolstadt, October 2014 – With a dedicated racing series for the Audi TT* the brand with the four rings will be offering a new opportunity to enter the company's successful motorsport world. The Audi Sport TT Cup will be held as part of the DTM starting in the 2015 season. This means that, following the successful introduction of the Audi R8 LMS Cup in Asia, Audi is launching another one-make cup in Germany next year. The racing version of the new Audi TT with a weight of only 1,125 kilograms delivers 228 kW (310 hp). By means of a so-called push-to-pass function the output of the two-litre TFSI engine can be briefly boosted by 22 kW (30 hp).

"The Audi TT is an icon and continues to epitomise powerful sportiness and emotional design in what is now its third generation," says Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Member of Audi's Board of Management for Technical Development. "For me it was clear that a driving machine like the new Audi TT belongs on the race track as well. With the Audi Sport TT Cup we have found an exciting approach. The TT is going to thrill fans and drivers."

In the 2015 season, at each of six DTM events in Germany and neighbouring countries, two races of the Audi Sport TT Cup are planned. quattro GmbH will centrally prepare and field the 24 cars. Six cockpits will be reserved for changing guest drivers, while interested drivers can apply worldwide for the other 18 places on the grid at www.audi-motorsport.com effective immediately. The multi-stage selection process will take place in close cooperation with the Audi driving experience.

Markus Winkelhock will be on hand to coach the participants of the Audi Sport TT Cup as an experienced professional race driver. The former Audi DTM driver and winner of this year's 24-hour races at the Nürburgring and at Spa has already tested the TT cup. His impression: "The Audi TT cup is a genuine race car, ideal for rookies, yet challenging to drive. You immediately feel that you're sitting in an Audi and recognise the close kinship with the brand's other race cars."

The extremely light body of the third TT generation with its intelligent material mix of steel and aluminum provides an ideal base for a race car. The four-cylinder TFSI and the six-speed S tronic were adopted from the production model nearly unchanged. An active differential that is electronically variable from the cockpit ensures optimal traction at the front axle.

"With the TT cup we offer an attractive race car for beginners and drivers who switch from other racing series," says Heinz Hollerweger, Managing Director of quattro GmbH. "It goes without saying that for Audi safety is of paramount importance. We're using features from the Audi R8 LMS ultra, such as the Audi PS1 Safety Seat."

The winner of the new Audi Sport TT Cup can look forward to receiving support in Audi's successful GT3 sports car program. A subsequent promotion to the DTM or the WEC with Audi is another dream of many young race drivers. "Audi fully concentrated on top-flight racing for a long time," says Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. "The Audi R8 LMS in 2008 was the first race car we specifically developed for use by customer teams. With the Audi Sport TT Cup, quattro GmbH now also offers the opportunity to enter racing with Audi."