Reflection of the Past: Rui Paulo Nascimento's 2001 Audi TTRS

Rui Paulo Nascimento 2011 Audi TTRS ɬ TBGLIVE lead

Building and dressing up an already established sports car like the Audi TTS is no easy feat, but to do it in a way like Rui Paulo Nascimento did to clearly stand out from the rest takes vision and, more importantly, a great deal of execution. Along with his father being an established rally racer at the wheel of a Ford Cortina RS in 1970, Nascimento has a history of working with vehicles that break the mold, including a 1979 Pontiac Phoenix with a Nova SS block, 1990 Suzuki Swift GTI, and a 1990 RHD Skyline GT-R (R32), among many others. This TTS – while no longer in its black and red form – is a culmination of those years of experience and passion. Inspired by his love for German cars and touring car racing, Nascimento infused his TTS with some DTM inspiration that can be found front to back. It was a reflection of his past, his personality and his deep connection to motorsport – and as you can see with his fighter-plane update, his passion for German engineering has been taken to a whole new level.

Rui Paulo Nascimento 2011 Audi TTRS ɬ TBGLIVE 3

LIGHTWEIGHT GOODS: With motorsport inspiration and performance at the forefront, Nascimento opted for carbon fiber where strength and lightweight matters: his front splitter, hood and rear spoiler are all dressed in wet.

Rui Paulo Nascimento 2011 Audi TTRS ɬ TBGLIVE 5

BIG STOPPA’: Hidden not so discreetly behind these black XXR wheels are a set of Neo Motorsport 14.5-inch drilled and slotted rotors, which are clamped on by giant six-piston calipers of the same make.

Rui Paulo Nascimento 2011 Audi TTRS ɬ TBGLIVE 7Rui Paulo Nascimento 2011 Audi TTRS ɬ TBGLIVE 6

SUBTLE & FUNCTIONAL: Nascimento carried his red/black theme inside, where you’re encouraged to look at the finer details. An NRG quick release hub, short throw shifter, custom seats and VAG Performance vent-mount display in the left-center pod are just some of the performance upgrades.

Rui Paulo Nascimento 2011 Audi TTRS ɬ TBGLIVE 2

#TBLIVE Event: Torque Modified 2014 - Garnett B. Rickard Complex, Bowmanville, ON
Votes: 55% of the Popular Vote

ESSENTIALS 
Owner: Rui Paulo Nascimento
Vehicle: 2001 AUDI TTS (2014 SPEC)
Location: Rigaud, Quebec, Canada
Car Club: Team Street Authority
Engine: BVP 1.8L 20V DOHC turbocharged I-4 (bored to 2.0L)
Horsepower: 395 HP

ENGINE Bored to 2.0L l Garrett GT28RS turbocharger l Turbosmart BOV l Unitronic stage 3 ECU l ZEX nitrous wet kit l Highflow intake l Integrated Engineering high-flow induction manifold l EVO intake manifold gasket l TFSI Redhead ignition coils w/ adaptors l 42 Draft billet aluminum fuel rails l Bosch 880 cc fuel injectors l NEUSPEED Power Pulley kit l Diverter valve relocation kit l Polished throttle body cover l Wrinkled oil catch can EXHAUST Custom designed stainless steel headers l 4 2 1 racing manifold l 42 Draft 3-in. ceramic coated downpipe l Borla ceramic coated cat-back exhaust) DRIVETRAIN Short shift kit l Spec stage 3 aluminum racing flywheel l ECS Tuning Dogbone transmission mount/subframe insert kit l Shifter cable bushings WHEELS / TIRES / BRAKES XXR 535 wheels – 18 x 8.75 +20 (f/r) l Pirelli Trofeo racing tires – 245/35 ZR18 (f/r) l Neo Motorsports 6-piston big brake kit w/ 14.5-in. drilled rotors

(f) w/ braided stainless steel brake lines (f/r) l Ventilated carbon pads (f/r)CHASSIS / SUSPENSION Neo Motorsport racing coilovers l NEUSPEED 22 mm anti-sway bars (f/r) EXTERIOR Regula Tuning 2012 DTM Racing body kit l Camo Customs custom 3-in. widebody l OSIR vented fenders l Carbon fiber (front lip, hood, rear wing) l APR custom wing brackets l Nikolas Racing custom carbon fiber DTM mirrors l Audi TT RS LED taillights l WRAP DESIGN graphics l Metallic black paint with cherry red metallic fleck INTERIOR Sparco (pedals, shift knob) l Custom black/red leather seats l VAG Performance vent-mount computer control l NRG (custom steering wheel, quick release hub) l OSIR illuminated shift ring l Xenon interior bulb kit l Dashboard button covers MOBILE ELECTRONICS Pioneer DEH-P9400BH multimedia radio l Kicker (1,000 W amplifier, 15-inch subwoofers (2)) l Bose speakers l iPhone multimedia adapter SPONSORS Camo Customs, Unitronic, Croftgate, Pirelli, Regula Tuning Germany, Spec, ECS Tuning, Lacroix Tuning, Integrated Engineering, Kicker Canada, Wrap Concept Design, SF Autospa

Related Articles

Hyundai Canada rolls out Elantra N TCR Edition Hyundai Canada rolls out Elantra N TCR Edition
Manufacturers go racing to test and refine their technology, and apply what they learn at the track to improve their road cars. That’s the rationale...
Air Lift Performance ALP4 - Next Level Air Suspension Management Air Lift Performance ALP4 - Next Level Air Suspension Management
Air Lift Performance just pulled the wraps off ALP4 - its latest air management system - and it’s a big shift toward simplification and refinement for...
Chopping Block: Acura TLX Chopping Block: Acura TLX
These days it can seem like a new passenger car is being discontinued every other week, and while that isn’t literally true, the market for cars...
Acura reveals updated 2026 Integra Acura reveals updated 2026 Integra
For manufacturers, summer is usually “new car season”, a time of year when automakers roll out their lineup for the upcoming model year. These cars...
Formula DRIFT x Tuning365 St. Louis 2025 Formula DRIFT x Tuning365 St. Louis 2025
Formula DRIFT rolled into World Wide Technology Raceway with both PRO and PROSPEC Championships past their halfway marks, and the sense of urgency was...
Lexus LFA successor on the way? Lexus LFA successor on the way?
The glorious Lexus LFA supercar, which had only 500 units built and went out of production in 2012, may have a successor at long last. We say “may”...