Features

MILAN — Italian luxury fashion house Gucci opens Men’s Fashion Week in Milan on Friday with the much anticipated first men’s collection by new artistic director Sabato De Sarno.

The autumn/winter 2024-25 programme, which runs until Tuesday, also marks the return of Fendi, which chose last June to present its men’s collection in its new leather workshops near Florence.

De Sarno, who spent 14 years at Valentino after stints at Prada and Dolce & Gabbana, took over at Gucci in January 2023.

He was brought in by French owners Kering to help relaunch the iconic but struggling luxury brand.

De Sarno’s first women’s collection in September in Milan was marked by timeless elegance, confirming the break with former star designer Alessandro Michele, who was known for his eccentric designs and off-beat shows.

The collection has only been on sale since the beginning of 2024 but Gucci — which represents more than half of Kering’s sales — saw its revenue fall 13 per cent in the third quarter of 2023, in a slowing luxury market.

“The Gucci brand is in a transition phase,” said Luca Solca, analyst at Bernstein.

“The creative reinvention under Alessandro Michele brought great results but after a while, as with everything, it got tired.”

“Today, Gucci must find a new energy and new ideas to excite customers,” he told AFP — adding that in his opinion, the classic look of De Sarno’s first women’s line was not enough, particularly for Chinese buyers.

Younger audience 

“Gucci works when it’s over the top,” he said, pointing to previous collections under Tom Ford and Michele, whose designs reached out to a younger and more diverse audience.

The brand was also hit last November by its first ever strike.

Around 40 artisans from Gucci’s design studio downed tools for four hours, saying plans to move much of the team from Rome to Milan was a “mass redundancy in disguise”.

A trade union representative, Chiara Giannotti, told AFP that no collective agreement had been reached since the walk-out but said production had not been affected by the dispute.

Armani, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi are among the other big names showing their men’s collections in Milan, although Valentino is returning to showing in Paris.

Men’s fashion has for a long time been in the shadow of the women’s collections but Solca said this was changing as big names paid more attention.

After a strong rebound from the difficulties sparked by the coronavirus pandemic, with growth of 20.3 per cent in 2022, the Italian men’s fashion industry recorded more modest growth of 4.9 per cent in 2023.

Turnover in the wider Italian fashion sector rose by 4 per cent last year but performance was uneven, with strong growth in the first quarter falling away as geopolitical tensions rose later in the year.

“These are not years of frenetic growth but at this moment it is important to hold on and we are holding on,” said Carlo Capasa, head of the Italian chamber of fashion.

LAS VEGAS — CES, the annual high tech gadget extravaganza in Las Vegas, again delivers its wave of new inventions and cutting edge technology with artificial intelligence this year’s unavoidable buzzword.

Here’s a look at some selected examples shown to the media, ahead of the official opening on Tuesday.

Mirror, mirror on the wall... 

...who’s the healthiest of them all?

Called “MagicMirror”, NuraLogix’s connected mirror scanned the face of the company’s marketing executive Lindsay Brennan determining in a matter of seconds her body mass index, blood pressure and even her “mental stress index”, calculated from heart rate.

“You can see for me I’m a bit high, I’m almost in the yellow zone,” said Brennan, pointing to the indicator displayed on the mirror.

“That’s because of the show,” she joked.

NuraLogix claims that thanks to its optical technology and artificial intelligence software, its mirror can assess risks of diseases such as type 2 diabetes.

“This actually started out of the University of Toronto when they were researching lie detection in children,” she said.

“They learned that when you get excited or your blood pressure is high, the blood flow actually changes in your face and you can actually capture these patterns using any conventional camera.

Intended to be used in a doctor’s waiting room or pharmacies, the mirror is expected to cost under $7,000.

NuraLogix also plans to market the software separately.

Implant to walk again 

If all goes according to plan, Wimagine, the brain implant designed by France’s Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), should enable paralysed people to walk again.

Equipped with electrodes, this brain-to-machine interface is installed in direct contact with the motor cortex, which controls voluntary movement of a paraplegic or tetraplegic patient.

In a first case, the data collected by the implant is transferred wirelessly to a connector attached to the spinal cord, below the paralysed lesion.

All the patient has to do is think about walking, and the information is transferred to the connector and then to the legs.

“It’s a digital bridge,” Guillaume Charvet, head of the CEA research programme, told AFP.

In the second case, the implant communicates with an exoskeleton or purpose-built skeleton that performs the gestures commanded by the patient.

With a connector placed on the forearm, it can, for example, be used to grasp an object with the hand.

“A clinical trial is about to begin,” said Charvet, stressing that five to ten years of research are still needed. But patient volunteers have already been involved for several years. “The aim is for it to be in the same price range as a pacemaker,” he added.

‘Rock my baby’ 

“We’re the first electric stroller with all the AI features for comfort and safety,” said Gluxkind engineer Jeffrey To.

The AI-powered stroller is supposed to make parents’ complicated lives easier, like a co-pilot, he explained.

The electric assistance makes it possible to climb hills without breaking a sweat, and the brakes engage automatically “so there’s never a chance of a runaway stroller”, To said.

“It recognises humans, pets, scooters, bikes, vehicles that might not be stopping and gives an extra warning so that sleep deprived parents essentially have driver assist on a daily basis,” added Kevin Huang, co-founder of the Canadian company.

When the parent activates the “Rock my baby” function, the stroller performs a regular back-and-forth motion to help the child fall asleep.

“There are also built-in speakers that can read stories, play music or white noise,” said To.

Gluxkind hopes to start production next spring priced at around $2,400.

LOS ANGELES — The Golden Globes bounced back from years of scandal and dwindling audiences to draw 9.4 million viewers, preliminary figures showed on Monday, even as the gala’s flailing host was savaged by critics.

The ratings represented a marked improvement for the Globes, a Hollywood film and television awards show that once ranked second only to the Oscars, but has been in crisis — and even nearly ceased to exist — in recent years.

Last year, television ratings for the event had slumped to a new low of just 6.3 million viewers, after being bumped to an unhelpful on Tuesday evening slot.

A year earlier, the gala was not even aired, when former broadcaster NBC pulled the plug due to outrage over the lack of diversity and ethical lapses of the group of journalists that previously organised the awards.

The Globes relaunched this year under new private ownership, led by US billionaire Todd Boehly, with the telecast moved to CBS and restored to its Sunday night spot.

According to trade reports, CBS agreed to broadcast the show for a discounted price on a one-year basis, making the 50 per cent ratings bump for this year’s show potentially vital to the Globes’ future.

But despite the bounce, the gala’s ratings remain way down from 2020, when more than 18 million tuned in.

And comedian Jo Koy, who was brought in last-minute to host the event after several bigger names declined the role, was panned by critics.

Koy’s opening monologue fell flat, causing him to protest that he only “got the gig 10 days ago”, and to blame the show’s writers for many of his ill-received jabs.

A crude joke about the breasts of Barbie dolls was met with silence — as was another comparing Bradley Cooper’s large prosthetic nose in “Maestro” to a penis.

The New York Times dubbed the opening monologue “a highlight reel of mortifying moments,” while Vanity Fair called it a “horrid, sophomoric mishmash of lazy jokes”.

Perhaps the night’s most meme-worthy moment came later as Koy cracked a joke about Taylor Swift, who is regularly featured on NFL telecasts as she cheers on her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce.

“The big difference between the Golden Globes and the NFL? On the Golden Globes, fewer camera shots of Taylor Swift,” said Koy, before the camera cut to the world’s biggest pop star, who stared coldly as she sipped her drink.

Still, Sunday’s gala was boosted by key wins for Christopher Nolan’s $950 million-grossing blockbuster “Oppenheimer”, including best drama, and a historic triumph for Native American actress Lily Gladstone in “Killers of the Flower Moon”.

“Past Lives”, a surreal fantasy reminiscent of Frankenstein starring Emma Stone, bested “Barbie” to win best comedy.

LOS ANGELES — “Oppenheimer”, Christopher Nolan’s drama about the inventor of the atomic bomb, topped the Golden Globes on Sunday — but its fellow summer smash hit “Barbie” missed out on best comedy film honors to “Poor Things.”

“Oppenheimer” took five prizes including best drama, best director for Nolan, best score, as well as acting wins for Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr.

Emma Thomas, the film’s producer and Nolan’s wife, said her husband’s three-hour epic about “one of the darkest developments in our history” is “unlike anything anyone else is doing”.

Murphy, who plays brilliant scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer, hailed his “visionary director”, while Downey Jr, portraying the protagonist’s bitter rival, praised the movie as a “masterpiece”.

In winning best director, Nolan fended off Greta Gerwig, who helmed “Barbie” — the other half of the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon that grossed a combined $2.4 billion last year at the box office.

Turning nostalgia for the beloved doll into a sharp satire about misogyny and female empowerment, “Barbie”’ was the leading film heading into the night with nine nominations, but ended the gala with just two prizes.

It won the award for best song, for a tune written by Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas. And as the year’s highest grossing movie, it claimed a newly created trophy for box office achievement.

“We would like to dedicate this to every single person on the planet who dressed up and went to the greatest place on Earth, the movie theaters,” said Margot Robbie, the film’s star and producer.

“Thank you to all the Barbies and Kens in front of and behind the screen,” added Gerwig.

But “Barbie” surprisingly lost out on best comedy to “Poor Things” — which also earned Emma Stone best actress for her no-holds-barred turn as Bella Baxter.

“Bella falls in love with life itself, rather than a person. She accepts the good and the bad in equal measure, and that really made me look at life differently,” said Stone.

‘Party’ 

After an annus horribilis in which the industry was crippled by strikes, A-listers turned out in force to celebrate on Sunday.

Stars who were unable to promote their movies during the months-long Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) walkout used the occasion to make up for lost time on the Oscars campaign trail.

Along with movie stars like Leonardo DiCaprio, attendees included big names from the world of music such as Bruce Springsteen and Dua Lipa — both nominated for best song — and Taylor Swift representing her recent concert movie.

“The big difference between the Golden Globes and the NFL — on the Golden Globes, fewer camera shots of Taylor Swift,” joked host Jo Koy.

The ongoing hype surrounding “Barbenheimer”, even months after the films’ releases, is a welcome boon to the new owners of the high-profile but consistently scandal-dogged Golden Globes.

Private investors including US billionaire Todd Boehly purchased the awards after years of controversy and declining audiences, and have invested heavily in resetting a night once billed as “Hollywood’s biggest party”.

The Globes were boycotted by the industry after allegations of corruption and racism rose to the surface in 2021, and the show was taken off air entirely a year later.

Since then, the controversial group of Los Angeles-based foreign journalists that created the Globes 80 years ago has been disbanded, and a wider net of overseas critics was brought in to choose this year’s winners.

“Golden Globes journalists, thanks for changing your game,” said Downey Jr as he collected his prize.

‘Historic’ 

The Globes provide a timely boost for the Oscars. Nominations voting for the Academy Awards begins Thursday, with the Oscars taking place this year on March 10.

Indigenous actor Lily Gladstone won best actress in a drama for her role in Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon”, delivering some of her emotional speech in the native language of the Blackfeet Nation.

“This is an historic win, it doesn’t belong to just me,” she said.

“This is for every little res kid.”

Paul Giamatti and Da’Vine Joy Randolph bolstered their Oscars campaigns with wins for “The Holdovers” in which they starred as a curmudgeonly history teacher and cook of a 1970s prep school, respectively.

Best screenplay and best non-English language film went to French courtroom drama “Anatomy of a Fall”.

That film’s director and co-writer Justine Triet said she had assumed that “nobody is going to see this movie” about “a couple fighting, suicide, a dog vomiting... I mean, come on!”

“This movie is about the truth, the impossibility of catching it,” she added.

Hayao Miyazaki’s “The Boy and the Heron” won best animated film.

The Globes also honor television.

“Succession” dominated, claiming best drama series, and acting wins for stars Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook and Matthew Macfadyen.

“The Bear” swept the comedy categories, while road-rage saga “Beef” did the same in limited series.

Past Globes host Ricky Gervais, who did not attend, won best stand-up comedy performance, a new category.

Swimming alongside predominantly German cars in the mid-size executive segment, the shark-like Maserati Ghibli competes with traditional saloons and self-styled four-door-coupes from Audi, Mercedes-Benz and BMW, as well as the Jaguar XF, which brings a similarly sporty sensibility and leftfield appeal.

First introduced in 2013 and face-lifted in 2017 and 2021, the long-serving Ghibli is , however, more than just a sporty number among more conservative executive class competitors.

The Ghibli Modena S Q4 in particular is instead an everyday exotic, with four-door practicality, punchy performance and four-wheel-drive confidence.

With gaping low-set and concave vertical-slat grille, intense, squinting browed headlights, sharply rising, salaciously scalloped bonnet and voluptuous hips, the Ghibli’s exoticism oozes from its every pore.

Subtly refreshed to incorporate a more aggressive bumper with more pronounced diamond-like lower side intakes and adopting the “Modena” name for V6 variants in its latest update, the Ghibli’s dramatically moody presence is predatory and curvy, and brimming with tension and urgency.

Side ports ‘meanwhile’ emphasise its long bonnet and rearwards cabin, and rear views include muscular haunches, quad tailpipes and a built-in spoiler.

Ferocious four-wheel-drive

With its Ferrari-developed twin-turbocharged 3-liter V6 engine located in a front-mid position, the Ghibli Modena S Q4 retains near perfect 51:49 weight distribution despite its four-wheel-drive system’s additional weight. Developing 424BHP at 5,750rpm and 428lb/ft over a muscularly wide 2,250-4,000rpm band, the Q4 is responsive from low-end and digs all four wheels into tarmac to slingshot through 0-100km/h in 4.7-seconds and onto a 286km/h top speed. Pulling vigorously hard right to its 6,500rpm redline, the Q4’s cooling system is , meanwhile, similarly impressive in resilience under demanding conditions.

With a distantly charismatic off-beat growl and guttural wastegate chirps on full-load up-shifts, the Q4’s viscerally prodigious engine is complemented by a smooth and concise 8-speed automatic gearbox, which features sport, comfort and steering-mounted paddle-shifter actuated manual modes. Adaptively allocating 100 per cent power rearwards and up to 50 per cent to front wheels through an electronically-controlled transfer for better traction and grip, the four-wheel-drive Q4 also features a limited-slip rear-differential to distribute power along the rear axle to the wheel best able to use it to enhance stability and agility.

Sporting instincts

Agile and fluent through switchbacks, the Q4 features balanced rear-drive instincts combined with rally-car like four-wheel-drive traction, grip, commitment and cornering adjustability. Eager and adept in handling qualities, the Q4 responds brilliantly to early turn-in, with one coming back on throttle early to avoid turbo lag. Riding a meaty mid-range power surge as its four-wheel-drive and limited-slip differential ensure vice-like road-holding, the Q4 pounces out of corners. The Q4 also benefits from textured and tactile steering and responsive throttle, for confident and nuanced mid-corner on-throttle steering corrections.

Driven with electronic stability control in low intervention mode best showcases the Q4’s sublimely nuanced, tenaciously grippy and exhilaratingly capable four-wheel-drive system. Reassuring yet thrilling through hill climbs and switchbacks, the Q4’s adaptive four-wheel-drive expertly exploits its balanced chassis for tidy cornering and high lateral grip limits. The Q4’s at-the-limit instinct is for slight predictable under-steer, but it is also happy to nudge the rear out slightly through corners when asked. Quick electric-assisted steering provides balanced weighting and nuanced road feel, while multi-piston ventilated disc brakes are effective and resilient.

Quick comfort

Riding on double wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension with adaptive magnetic dampers, the Ghibli Q4 glides fluently over imperfections, with supple comfort despite its grippy but firm optional low profile tires. Relaxed and comfortable on highways in default driving mode, the Ghibli becomes tidier and more focused in “sport” mode. Not completely sacrificing comfort in “sport” mode, the Ghibli delivers natural, nuanced, engaging and ultimately predictable handling qualities and tauter body control. Stable at speed, the Ghibli is meanwhile settled on rebound and buttoned down through corners.

Classy, sporty and refined with high personalisation possibilities and quality materials including leather upholstery, suede-like roof lining and carbon-fiber trim, the Ghibli is , meanwhile, well equipped with comfort, convenience, safety, drive assistance and intuitive infotainment features. Well-fitted and -finished with ergonomic, driver-focused seating, the Ghibli features clear instrumentation and layouts, and good front visibility. Spacious in front and with generous 500-litre boot volume, the Ghibli’s rear passenger space is good for most, but a rakish roofline slightly compromises rear headspace for larger, taller occupants. 

Maserati Ghibli Modena S Q4

• Engine: 3-litre, twin-turbocharged in-line V6-cylinders
• Bore x stroke: 86.5 x 84.5mm
• Compression ratio: 9.7:1
• Valve-train: 24-valve, direct injection, variable valve timing
• Gearbox: 8-speed, automatic, four-wheel-drive, limited-slip rear-differential
• Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 424 (430) [316] @5,750rpm
• Specific power: 142.3BHP/litre
• Power-to-weight: 219BHP/ton
• Torque lb/ft (Nm): 428 (558) @2,250-4,000rpm
• Specific torque: 194.7Nm/litre
• Torque-to-weight: 300Nm/ton
• 0-100km/h: 4.7-seconds
• Top speed: 286km/h
• Fuel consumption, combined: 11.1-litres/100km
• Fuel capacity: 80-litres
• Length: 4,971mm
• Width: 1,945mm
• Height:  1,461mm
• Wheelbase: 2,998mm
• Kerb weight: 1,935kg (estimate)
• Weight distribution F/R: 51:49
• Headroom, F/R: 985/985mm
• Legroom, F/R: 957/843mm
• Shoulder room, F/R: 1,468/1,435mm
• Luggage volume: 500-litres
• Suspension, F/R: Double wishbone / multi-link, adaptive magnetic dampers
• Brakes, F/R: Ventilated, perforated discs
• Brake calipers, F/R: 6- / 4-piston
• Stopping distance, 100-0km/h: 35-meters
• Turning circle: 11.7-meters
• Tyres, F/R: 245/35ZR21 / 285/30ZR21 (optional)

By Rania Sa’adi,
Rapid Transformational Therapist& Clinaicl Hypnotherapist
A Spoonful of Wellness

As the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, we enthusiastically declare our resolutions for the year ahead. We promise ourselves to eat healthier, exercise more, quit bad habits and work towards our goals.

However, as the days turn into weeks and months, our commitment to these resolutions often fades. Studies have shown, that around 80 per cent of New Year’s resolutions get abandoned by the month of February, but it doesn’t have to be that way. How can we maintain our New Year’s resolutions?

5 Rules to fulfil your resolutions

One thing to note is that your mind is governed by a set of rules that dictate your thoughts, behaviours, and ultimately, your ability to maintain habits. And, if you understand these rules, you will be able to harness the power of the mind. Seems simple enough, right?

Here are the 5 top rules of the mind that will help you maintain your resolutions:

Rule 1: Your mind believes what you tell it 

The first rule of the mind is that it believes what you tell it. When setting New Year’s resolutions, it’s crucial to frame your thoughts positively. Instead of saying, “I will quit smoking,” say, “I am a healthy non-smoker.” By adopting this positive self-talk, you reprogramme your mind to accept your desired habit as a reality. The mind becomes aligned with your goals, making it easier to stay committed.

Rule 2: Your mind needs clear instructions

Another fundamental rule of the mind is that it requires clear and specific instructions. Vague resolutions like “I want to lose weight” or “I’ll exercise more” lack the specificity needed for success.

Instead, break your goals into small, actionable steps.

For example, “I will walk for 30 minutes every morning before work,” or “I will replace sugary snacks with fruits and vegetables for my afternoon snack.” Clear instructions provide a roadmap for your mind to follow, making it easier to stay on track.

Rule 3: Your mind learns by repetition

Consistency is key to maintaining habits. To make your New Year’s resolutions stick, commit to practising them daily. The more you repeat your desired behaviours, the more they become ingrained in your subconscious mind, as new neural pathways. Over time, these actions become second nature and your resolutions become lifelong habits.

Rule 4: Your mind responds to images

Visualising your goals is a powerful technique because your mind responds to images. Create a mental image of what achieving your New Year’s resolutions will look and feel like.

Imagine yourself enjoying the benefits of your hard work, whether it’s a healthier body, a clutter-free home, or a successful career. This visualisation technique reinforces your commitment and motivation.

Rule 5: Your mind loves familiarity

Finally, your mind prefers what it knows and iscomfortable with. To make lasting changes, you must replace old habits with new ones. Instead of trying to eliminate a bad habit, focus on replacing it with a healthier one. For example, if you’re trying to quit smoking, replace the habit of lighting up with deepbreathing exercises or chewing sugar-free gum.

Maintaining New Year’s resolutions requires more than just setting goals; it involves understanding and harnessing the power of the mind. By applying these simple rules of the mind, you can increase your chances of turning your resolutions into lifelong habits.

As you embark on your journey to achieve your New Year’s goals, remember that the power to make lasting change resides within your mind. Use it wisely to transform your resolutions into reality.

Reprinted with permission from Family Flavours magazine

DAKAR — Wrestling is enormously popular in Senegal — and the decisions that award victory or crushing defeat to the grapplers are now overseen by the same technology that is dividing opinion in football across the world.

At a fight in December at the National Arena in Pikine, just outside the capital Dakar, 15,000 fans roared on the bare-chested wrestlers to the beat of drums and encouragements booming out of loudspeakers.

Sitor Ndour though was not watching the ring — his eyes were firmly fixed on a TV monitor placed in a small blue tent a few metres from the fight. Ndour is the VAR — or Video Assistant Referee — judge.

Wrestling fans in the west African country have long called for VAR to be introduced into their sport and in 2023 that wish became reality.

Three cameras record the action from different angles, which Ndour can view on two screens.

Although the technology is far from that found at football matches in Europe, if a decision is disputed, the VAR official can call over the main umpire and show him the recordings.

Maissa Ndiaye, the vice president of the Senegalese wrestling association, said the advent of VAR was a source of relief for the referees in a sport which in Senegal has prize money of several tens of millions of CFA francs, equivalent to tens of thousands of dollars.

Ndour, who is the president of the referees’ committee, explained: “Sometimes we had a disputed verdict, which caused confusion and [as a result] people broke chairs and destroyed public property because they weren’t happy with the result that had been given.

“In this kind of situation if we can review the footage and declare a winner, but also if the public can see the images, that makes our task easier and it allows the spectators to go home with more peace of mind.”

In the high-profile fight in December, VAR was called into action several times.

In one of the preliminary bouts, which was broadcast live on TV, two heavily muscled fighters, stripped to the waist, were both looking for ways past their opponents and the crucial edge that would give them victory.

One of the fighters pulled off a move that led both of them to land on the filled sacks that mark out the ring — and both claimed victory.

VAR was called in, with the chief judge making the same screen gesture with his hands that football referees use. The judge walked over to the VAR screen and, having seen the recording, returned to the ring and lifted the arm of one of the wrestlers to indicate he was the winner.

His beaten opponent loudly contested the decision and pushed his way towards the VAR tent before he was restrained by security, who eventually escorted him away.

Ndour said such scenes were common because while some wrestlers have accepted the introduction of VAR, others have yet to fully grasp how the system works and often demand to the see the video footage themselves.

First introduced in 1998 as a small fun coupe both celebrated and dismissed for its design-led approach, the third generation Audi TT now bows out as a densely packed near-supercar beast in top high performance TT RS guise. 

A well-rounded and dynamically accomplished daily drive brute with an accessibility, practicality, maneuverability, efficiency and peace of mind rarely associated with performance coupes, the TT RS is the latest unfortunate victim of a cull of enthusiast cars, in favour of an ever bloated glut of bulky and bland crossovers and EVs.

With its demise depriving Audi of its most charming car, the Bauhaus-influenced TT’s clean surfaces, arcing roofline and geometric curves long informed Audi’s aesthetic. 

Introduced in 2014, the final third generation TT evolved into a wider, sharper and more assertively mature design with slitty headlights and massive hexagonal grille, but it was the 2016 RS variant that dialed up the aggression with its sportier bodykit. Revised in 2019, the TT RS gained bigger air inlets and improved cooling, a new grille pattern and distinctive rear fixed wing with side winglets.

Burbling beast

Styled like a miniaturised version of the fully-fledged mid-engine Audi R8 supercar, the front-engine TT RS might not match its Lamborghini-related sister in desirability or ultimate handling and capabilities, but surprisingly doesn’t lag too far behind in outright performance and all-round ability.

Powered by muscularly boosted turbocharged version of Audi’s direct injection 2.5-litre 5-cylinder engine, the TT RS develops a brutal 394BHP at 5,850-7,000rpm and abundant 354lb/ft torque at 1,250-5,850rpm powered through a decisively quick shifting 7-speed automated dual clutch gearbox with escalating response and manual paddle-shift modes.

With committed four-wheel-drive traction and a responsively quick-spooling turbocharged engine, the 1,475kg TT RS rockets through 0-100k/h in a supercar-like 3.7-seconds and onto a de-restricted 280km/h top speed, yet returns modest 8.8l/100km combined fuel efficiency. Rasping and growling with a distinctly burbling 5-pot engine note, the TT RS pulls responsively and confidently from idling to its high rev limit. Muscularly effortless through a broad and abundant mid-range, it overtakes with effortless confidence, while power accumulates with a ferocious urgency as revs reach its maximum power plateau.

Nimble yet tenacious

Sharper and more focused than most other Volkswagen group cars built on the same front-drive based transverse engine four-wheel-drive platform, the TT RS is engineered with a slight rear-drive bias, which combined with a short wheelbase and wide stance, translates into agile yet sure-footed handling. 

Turning in with responsive immediacy, resolute road-holding and firmly flat body control, the TT RS is thoroughly resistant to understeer and oversteer. 

Turning on the proverbial dime through corners, its steering is meanwhile quick, weighty and exact, if somewhat clinical in feel.

Riding with the stability and refinement of a larger car at speed, the TT RS’ is however in its element as it virtually unfurls snaking switchbacks with its nimble agility and vice-like grip levels. 

Quattro four-wheel-drive delivers tenacious road-holding by reallocating power front-to-rear and — with limited slip differential — laterally at the rear to ensure traction and translate power to forward motion on slippery surfaces. Firmly damped and sprung, the TT RS’ buttoned down road-hugging ride is tautly settled on rebound and resilient to squat, dive and lean.

Compact comfort

Riding on optional 255/30R20 tyres, the TT RS is settled and reasonably comfortable, if firm, on smooth roads, but jagged sudden speed bumps soon become wearisome. That said, the standard 245/35R19 tyres would be a modicum more forgiving and compliant over heavily textured surfaces. 

Well-packaged, the TT RS is densely equipped with hardware for its small size, but nevertheless offers good front headroom and visibility for taller drivers. Its hatchback boot is unexpectedly accommodating, while small occasional use rear seats provide additional utility over rivals like the Porsche Cayman.

Finished with quality materials and plenty of soft textures, the TT RS’ cabin has a distinctly sporting ambiance, with its chunky flat-bottom steering wheel and supportive sports seats providing a highly adjustable driving position.

Its steering, pedals and instrument panel are meanwhile well-centered. Uncluttered inside, the sporty TT RS features a stubby gear lever, round vents, and a configurable “virtual cockpit” digital instrument panel. 

Well-equipped with standard and optional convenience, safety and driver-assistance features, the revised TT RS’ user-friendly infotainment system is meanwhile updated and improved.

Audi TT RS Coupe

• Engine: 2.5-litre, transverse, turbocharged 5-cylinders
• Bore x stroke: 82.5 x 92.8mm
• Compression ratio: 10:1
• Gearbox: 7-speed automated dual clutch, four-wheel-drive, electronic multi-plate clutch and differential lock
• Ratios: 1st 3.563; 2nd 2.526; 3rd 1.679; 4th 1.022; 5th 0.788; 6th 0.761; 7th 0.635; R 2.789
• Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 394.5 (400) [294] @5,850-7,000rpm
• Specific power: 159BHP/litre
• Power-to-weight: 267.5BHP/tonne (unladen)
• Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 354 (480) @2,250-5,850rpm
• Specific torque: 193.5Nm/litre
• Torque-to-weight: 325.4Nm/tonne (unladen)
• 0-100km/h: 3.7-seconds
• Top speed, governed (ungoverned): 250km/h (280km/h)
• Fuel consumption, combined: 8.8-litres/100km 
• Fuel capacity: 55-litres
• Length: 4,201mm
• Width: 1,832mm
• Height: 1,344mm
• Wheelbase: 2,505mm
• Track, F/R: 1,564/1,543mm
• Overhangs, F/R: 893/803mm
• Headroom, F/R: 993/858mm
• Shoulder room, front: 1,362mm
• Loading height: 803mm
• Luggage volume, min/max: 305/712-litres
• Unladen / kerb weight: 1,475/1,550kg
• Steering: Electromechanical variable assistance rack & pinion
• Turning Circle: 11-meters
• Steering ratio: 14.6:1
• Suspension, F/R: MacPherson struts / multi-link, anti-roll bars
• Brakes, F/R: Perforated, ventilated discs, 8-/1-piston calipers
• Tyres: 255/30R20 (optional)