Audi TT RS

Its 4.1-second 0-60 acceleration time is faster than competitors like BMW’s 1M and Z435is and Porsche’s Cayman S and R.  (David Undercoffler / Los Angeles Times)

With the base TT oft-derided as a secretary’s car, the TT RS goes a long way toward establishing street cred among the sports-car cognoscenti.  (David Undercoffler / Los Angeles Times)

External mods to the TT RS include a fixed rear wing, brushed aluminum mirror housings, 19-inch wheels, a more aggressive grille and oval exhaust pipes.  (David Undercoffler / Los Angeles Times)

The TT RS’ base price of almost $58,000 lands it squarely in between the base prices on the BMW 1M ($47,000) and the Cayman R ($67,000). It has more power than both, and certainly more usable space than the Cayman R.  (David Undercoffler / Los Angeles Times)