Audi’s high-performance RS line has officially returned to the U.S. with the launch of the 2012 TT RS, which goes on sale next month. According to the latest reports, Audi is planning on launching more RS models in the U.S. to better compete with BMW’s M division and the Mercedes-Benz AMG line.
Currently Audi only offers the S-line models, S4 sedan, S5 coupe and TTS roadster, but all those models have less power than Audi’s RS models. The next Audi RS will be the RS5, which will go head to head with BMW’s M3.
“The technical capabilities of the Audi brand are perfectly distilled in the RS models,” Johan de Nysschen, Audi’s U.S. chief, said in an e-mail. “For the past few years, American sports car enthusiasts have pleaded with us to make the marque available here.”
The launch of the TT RS in the U.S. comes after almost 12,000 fans signed a Facebook petition asking Audi to bring the model here.