MPG: up to 61.4
Top speed: 155mph
Top speed: 155mph
Once you’ve decided to splash your cash on a neat hedonistic
sports car, you have one further indulgent decision to make. Do you go for the coupé or the open-top roadster?
Closed or open? Groomed or wind-blasted? Swot or swank? In the coupé you get
the roof and two cramped yet functional perch seats in the back. In the
roadster you lose the roof and you lose those tiny seats. This means you also
lose your ability to offer a viable transport solution for your teenage
daughter’s netball team. Which was how I came to make the same 2.7-mile round
trip six times in a row. Each time I asked the girls the same two questions:
what brand of car is this? And what does TT stand for?
Not one of the girls got either question right (Audi and
Tourist Trophy). But they all loved the car because: “It’s sooooo cute!”
And they are absolutely right about that.
The first TT rolled out of the Audi factory in Gyor,
Hungary, in 1998. Its Bauhaus curves and teardrop roofline, vaguely reminiscent
of a slightly squished VW Beetle, gave it instant traction with speed
enthusiasts. It was a driver’s car for those without the budget, or the
cojones, to carry off a Porsche. A year later the soft-top version joined the
fray and its double rabbit-ear roll hoops made it a favourite across the board.
This is now the third generation, and each iteration has
built on the shoulders of the last. It has a multilayered fabric roof that
folds in seconds. A wind deflector pops up behind you so the cabin stays
draught free even on a cold winter’s day. The open roof also gives passersby a
chance to admire the cabin. It’s proper posh, a masterclass in leather
upholstery. When you find yourself idly tracing the stitching with a lazy
finger you realise you are in the realm of the boutique dungeon, not a car
interior. The dash has been upgraded to a virtual cockpit – dials and gauges
are all now digital – which creates a wonderfully uncluttered space.
And to drive? The TT hasn’t always been revered for its
performance, but third time round, Audi’s engineers have nailed it and created
something really dramatic. It’s irresistible. The TT leaps into corners with
relish and wolfs its way up and down swooping hills in spectacular fashion.
There’s a selection of engines on offer, from the green-fingered 184bhp 2-litre
TDI which does 61 mpg, to the bully-boy 227bhp 2-litre TFSI Quattro which does
0-62 in under 5 seconds, but drinks twice as much fuel.
And so, my decision? The roadster – sorry, netballers.
source: http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jan/03/audi-tt-car-review-martin-love
by Martin Love
http://www.boscheuropean.com
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