When Audi first introduced the TT back in 1998, its intentions were crystal clear. It wanted to launch a car that would create its own niche within the heartland of the sports coupè market and, above all, take ownership of this very special segment.
When the TT first hit the road, bystanders looked and stared at the car as if it had suddenly emerged victorious from a styling competition. Its road presence and sheer compact size made instant headlines and apart from putting the car in a very select category, it also turned it into an unmistakable icon.
When the second generation TT was launched in 2006, the car was given the correct weight and was made even more sportier. It was also decked out with better engines that, in turn, improved performance and likeability by the bucket loads.
The third generation TT has taken matters to yet another level. Apart from the fact that the car’s wheelbase has been increased by 37mm, the overall dimensions have actually decreased giving the TT the ability to be extremely agile both in town and on the open road.
Attention to detail is the rule of the day and the car feels and drives like a very special machine. Detail can also be seen in the simple but effective rear spoiler that can be raised and lowered at the push of a button.
The new chassis gives the TT further character and enables it to be very nippy since it is lighter than its predecessor. The nearly all-aluminium body has helped in no small way to decrease the weight.
Indeed, one does not have to look at the badging to understand that they are looking at a TT as the car has very similar looks to its predecessors. And to actually understand the dynamics of such a car, one has to drive it and feel the quality of its grip, which is simply out of this world.
Inside the TT, one realises what an excellent job Audi engineers have done. Quality is second to none. They have managed to increase the boot size by 13 litres even though the overall size of the car has been reduced. One then snuggles up into the driver’s sports seat to get into a cabin that should undoubtedly be rated as the ‘Best Interior of the Year’.
The dashboard and its dials are simply superb... a taste of what future dashboards will look like
The dashboard and its dials are simply superb. This is a taste of what future dashboards will one day look like. The instrument cluster is actually a high resolution 30cm LED screen that can be toggled between an infinite number of combinations, giving the driver the choice to have what information he wants in front of him at the touch of a button. The Sat Nav is also housed in the same screen as is the control panel for the info-tainment system. The air-conditioning controls are small round LED screens inset into the air vents which apart from being very effective, look very stylish. The whole arrangement is simply stunning.
The interior is clad in a combination of alcantara and leather, giving the car a rather cosy and up-market feel. The car driven for this test was also equipped with a dual-clutch S-Tronic gearbox which also boasted of a paddle shift arrangement on the steering wheel.
With its 230bhp, the Audi TT 2.0 TFSI is a very quick car and the S-Tronic gear box offers shifts that are both extremely fast and precise. Although the latest TT is a very sporty car, offering both speed and safety to the driver, the new engines are also very frugal giving very efficient fuel economy and CO2 levels that are below 150g/km. The car actually feels 50kg lighter than the previous model and flickering between gears is an utter joy.
The suspension layout is very taut but light enough to give the car a comfortable ride even on our local roads. Although the car on test was equipped with 19” wheels, it was still capable of taking in all the bumps the road had to offer and felt very comfortable and composed at all times.
This is a car built not only with the enthusiast in mind. It is ideal for any type of driver as its set-up will allow for mistakes to be made and corrected intelligently with the electronic safety features it has to offer.
While talking about enthusiasts, one can also customise his or her TT right down to the finest detail. There is a range of specialist colours on offer that come accompanied with a wide range of interior colours. One can even specify the colour of the stitching on the seats. Yes, this is how far Audi has gone to create this true icon.
With a starting price of €57,000, the Audi TT has an abundant supply of both character and style. And with today’s sometimes boring sports car offerings, this makes for a very fresh change.