This hasn't escaped quattro GmbH's notice. So from the performance division that has brought us all the great Audis of recent years, including the mighty RS6 and now the new 414bhp RS4 (see p68), comes this, the TT quattro Sport. Taking as its basis a TT 225, quattro GmbH has added power, cut weight and tweaked the chassis with new, wider wheels (up from 8in to 8.5in) and lower, stiffer suspension.

The hike in power is mild but the TT has never really been lacking in straight-line speed. Even so, the boost from 222bhp (225PS) to 237bhp at 5700rpm and the more significant torque increase from 206lb ft to 236lb ft, cuts the 0-62mph sprint to a tenth under six seconds (expect 0-60mph in 5.7sec or so). Top speed remains limited to 155mph.

The Sport is distinguished by its two-tone paint finish (although you can have the entire car in Phantom Black), and looks more aggressive than the standard TT 225 thanks to the 18in rims and the sports styling package borrowed from the 3.2 V6. But it's inside that you really get the sense that the Sport is something a bit special. Where the rear seats usually sit there's a chunky aluminium brace that increases rigidity, and instead of thickly-padded armchairs you're locked in place by deeply-sculpted Recaros, while the steering wheel is covered in deliciously tactile Alcantara. It's worth the premium over the 225 for the pared-down but exquisitely detailed interior alone.

Fortunately, there's a bit more to it than that. Immediately the ride feels more nuggety and the chassis more responsive. It's noticeably stiffer but at the same time the ride feels more controlled and there's a real sense of integrity about the damping. The engine's delivery is very different, too. It's a far from laggy unit but the punch is so much bigger when it does arrive that initially the Sport is tricky to drive smoothly. Get over the initial jerkiness and the strong mid-range allows you to make remarkable progress without troubling the upper reaches of the rev range. Even up to seven-tenths the Sport feels great.

Inevitably, with thorough but limited revisions to the TT's standard set-up, there are still concerns. The biggest is the dead-feeling steering, which really hobbles the otherwise engaging Sport. And as you start to really use the 1.8-litre turbo engine the chassis can feel clumsy. Over particularly rough roads the Sport feels as if it has slightly less suspension travel than before and the front wheels can hop and skip when you want them firmly in contact with the ground. The result is disconcerting ABS intervention and a serious dent to your confidence.

Having said that, it's rare for the Sport to lose its composure for more than a moment or two, and when you're committed enough to work all four tyres to the limit it's much more neutral, resisting understeer more doggedly. It's still not a throttle-sensitive chassis like, for instance, a Mitsubishi Evo, but the TT Sport feels more stable and less hyper-sensitive, which for some will be perfect.

For us it's still not quite the car it could be. It's more entertaining than any other TT and it really does feel special when you're inside it. But with a freer hand you can't help feeling that quattro GmbH would've gone further still and produced the car that the TT deserves to be. Maybe next time. For now, though, the Sport builds on the TT's many strengths and is an undeniably capable, beautifully built and almost timelessly desirable coupe. But it's not enough to justify an almost ΂£5000 premium over the more powerful, rear-drive Nissan 350Z.