It was at the 1980 Geneva Motor Show where Audi unveiled what was to become a rally legend and the cornerstone of its road-going performance cars – the Quattro. Fast forward four decades, the TT RS is getting a special edition aptly named “40 Years of Quattro” to celebrate the important anniversary.

Available exclusively as a coupe and only in Germany, the retrolicious sports car will be capped at 40 units, one for each year that has passed since the Ur-Quattro’s premiere.

Finished in Alpine White, the TT RS 40 Years of Quattro features special decals inspired by those of the Audi Sport quattro S1 that triumphed at the 1987 Pikes Peak with Walter Röhrl behind the wheel. For an even greater visual impact, the decals on the bonnet, roof, and rear quarters are complemented by glossy black accents throughout the exterior and a bonnet scoop with a shiny carbon appearance.

Gallery: Audi TT RS 40 Years Of Quattro

The car sits on white 20-inch wheels with contrasting red brake calipers lurking from behind, while the extra aero bits include glossy black flics on the front apron along with side extensions of the rear bumper. Rounding off the changes on the outside are the subtle Four Rings logos on the rear wing’s endplates and on the quarter glass.

The limited-run TT RS Coupe can be had purely as a two-seater by purchasing the optional carbon strut cross brace replacing the rear bench. Not only does it improve torsional rigidity, but it also shaves off approximately 16 kilograms (35.3 pounds) compared to the regular model and its cramped rear seats. A further indication this isn’t a run-of-the-mill Tourist Trophy is the individually numbered badge on the gear lever for the seven-speed S Tronic transmission.

Under the bonnet, it’s the same turbocharged inline-five engine pumping out 394 bhp (294 kilowatts) and 480 Newton-metres (354 pound-feet) of torque. The award-winning 2.5 TFSI enables a 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) run in 3.7 seconds and a maximum velocity of 174 mph (280 km/h) thanks to the raised electronic top speed limiter that comes as standard.

The Audi TT RS 40 Years of Quattro is without a shadow of a doubt a hugely desirable car, but there’s just one problem – it’s bloody expensive. While a base TT RS Coupe starts off at about €66,500 in Deutschland, this one costs a whopping €114,040. For that kind of money, one could buy a Porsche 911 Carrera 4 and still have a few thousand euros to spend on options. The 911 Carrera S is only about €4,000 more expensive. If we were to stay within Audi’s lineup, the RS6 Avant is just €2,000 pricier.