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Today of America delivered a convincing argument to a handful of American journalists to rally our support in convincing Audi AG (Germany) to import the for our domestic consumption. The official presentation included a few Power Point slides with some nice pictures, a brief spiel from the head of product planning, then they handed us the keys to the one TT RS in the country and told us to have at it for a day of lapping around the high-speed turns of Southern California's Willow Springs Raceway—this approach spoke volumes.

For those not quite up to speed on what we've been missing, there's far more to the RS version of the than fast body parts, a stiffened suspension and a fantastic sport exhaust. The gap between the U.S.-sold TT S and the prospective new RS import is what separates the from the RS4. The hi-po turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4 of the is replaced with a 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-5 that makes its maximum torque of 332 lb.-ft. just about anywhere in the rpm range (or 1600-5300 rpm, to be exact). Pair that to a maximum output of 340 bhp from 5400-6500 rpm, and you have a car that performs like a baby front-engine —and better yet, if they decide to bring it over it'll likely come in at around half the price of one.

Around Willow Springs, the TT RS fills in the voids that appear while stretching the TT S out to its limits. For starters, a good ol' fashioned short-throw 6-speed manual transmission replaces the dual-clutch S tronic as the sole gearbox. Its action is smooth and precise, with that same effortless throw we admire in Audi's manuals. The clutch doesn't require a whole lot of effort either, which reassures that one could genuinely drive this car on a daily basis without developing a Popeye-sized left calf. The flat-bottomed, perforated leather steering wheel dons extra girth and feels form-fitted to the shape of your hands while a pair of the optional ultra supportive RS bucket seats—one of the few items that we unfortunately won't get—were present to keep lateral forces in check.

Having not even reached the end of pit lane, I can already feel the power differential of that one extra cylinder. Audi estimates the 0-60 mph to be around 4.5 seconds or less, and I see no reason to disagree. The torque is abundant and instant and, with Quattro all-drive, there's no worry about spinning up any of the four 255-mm wide tires wrapped over the 5-spoke 20-in wheels.

While the tires are still cold, I can feel the balance of the RS is more neutral than the S. It responds well to trail braking and even small mid-corner throttle adjustments can really persuade the tail to come out if you're carrying enough speed. Stay steady on the throttle and the RS tracks straight and feels absolutely rock solid which is especially comforting through Willow's bumpy high-speed sweeper. Some of the other rear-biased Quattro systems will allow for some power-on oversteer, but the TT RS's responds more like a traditional all-wheel-drive system—point it and floor it. Had it been the former of the two, the TT's tidy short wheelbase handling would likely become a handful, better suited for lower speed autocross-type driving.

With the RS's phenomenal powerband, we were using primarily 4th and 5th gear around the track, which is quite unusual of small displacement street cars around here. Down the main straight, the RS just graces an indicated 140 mph, which provides a real test for the brakes by having to cut that number in half for turn 1. Being on the binders this hard and fast makes the TT RS feel a bit lively, but not unstable. Audi calls this set up its 18-in. brake package (the front rotors are actually 14.6-in.), but that just means that the brakes will clear 18-in. wheels. The calipers are fixed 4-piston units in the front with single piston rears, and a floating disc design helps to ensure that heat is dissipated before their next calling.

So now that we've confirmed the TT RS is the real deal, why is it so important that we see that it come to our shores, especially considering it's projected to make up just 5 percent of total TT sales? Well, we feel that for a car to be effective in enhancing the brand image of a car company, it needs to be available to the customer it's trying to reach. Audi will only benefit from adding yet another RS model to the U.S. import list, and we have faith that the company will make the right decision.

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