Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
IT hardly ever rains in Bahrain and the night before I'm due to collect a soft-top sports car the heavens opened with a torrential downpour.
Fortunately, someone up there must have been smiling on me for the sun started to shine as soon as I slipped into the driver's seat of the Audi TT RS Roadster 2.5TFSi 2010 quattro.
There is no better way to enjoy the spring sunshine than purring along with the electrically folding fabric roof down in a black diamond which outshines most motors on the road.
This is a not a car for the faint-hearted or a highway wall flower. With a push on the 'sport' button this sweet little lady transforms into a tigress with a throaty roar and acceleration to match a leopard on speed.
How does it drive? I asked the showroom assistant at the Audi Centre Bahrain and he cheekily smiled and said ... wait and see.
To really feel that sense of total control over a powerful predator you need a little clutch control to ease your way up and down the six-speed manual gearbox.
The five-cylinder engine can accelerate from standing to 100km/h in 4.7 seconds and with the torque available so low down in that turbo means you can be genuinely quick from Saar to Sanad without exhausting yourself, or cruise with comfort and relative economy.
Owners believe this is the most desirable TT ever and it's certainly caught the competition on the hop.
Audi believes it compares more than favourably with some of its biggest rivals. None boast four-wheel drive, for example, and fail to match many of the TT RS's many qualities.
The standard of materials used in the car's interior is faultless - matt brushed aluminium inlays, leather-covered multi-function sports steering wheel, interior mirror with anti-glare action - and the only complaint I could muster is the lack of a hook or space to place my jacket other than the passenger seat or the boot.
At BD30,500 it's a lot of car for a lot of money. But, with the Sitra showroom now trading in any car for an Audi along with some great offers, it might just be the right time to switch up to the car of your dreams.
Audi sales figures have rocketed in the Middle East with 1,579 cars sold. The sales volume was 8.5 per cent higher than in the previous year - a trend set to continue for the rest of 2010. In March alone sales increased by 30.8 per cent compared to 2009.
A company spokesman explained: "To become the most successful brand, our mission for the Middle East is to delight customers with the best brand experience available."
It's a vision statement most brands would proclaim but the Audi TT RS Roadster 2.5TFSi 2010 quattro ticks all the right boxes for drivers wanting a tantalising two-seater ... at just the right time of year (it doesn't rain for long in Bahrain).
The inclusive price comes with three years warranty with unlimited mileage, 12 years rust warranty, three years road assist and the first year registration.
Contact 17459933 for details.
