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LE CASTELET, France
Let’s get this straight right from the start. I didn’t like the first Audi TT. Or to be more accurate, I loved the retro-design for about 10 minutes when it was first unveiled at the Frankfurt Car Show back in 1995, then I started to go off it.
The car was too small, too girly, too precious in its design, too expensive for what it offered and when all was said and done, it was only a Golf in disguise. It didn’t drive that well, and was really much ado about nothing.
As for the new one; well, I don’t much like this design either. Sure, it says straight away that it is an Audi TT, but I find the design too busy, there are too many things going on. But I have to admit that it hits you right between eyes. Get this new one on the road though, and I defy anyone to criticise it. This is a sports car that does the business.
The new TT was launched to the media here in Le Castelet, a village in the mountains behind the French Mediterranean port city of Toulon. The new car is longer, wider and higher. Performance from the 3.2 litre 250 bhp V6 engine is fabulous, with 0-62 coming up in 5.9 seconds. More like a Porsche Boxster for £10,000 (€15,000) less. Four-wheel drive is standard with this engine. It seems that much of the research budget has been splurged on the way the engine sounds. From about 3,000 revs the engine noise begins a sort of V8 throb, then it becomes a howling, trumpeting beast as you whiz through the gears.
The steering and handling are fantastic. It goes where it is pointed. And unless you do something really silly, will remain firmly planted on the road, helped by the new multi-link suspension. And that’s without the amazing new Magnetic system, of which more later.
Lightening quick changes
There is also a 4-cylinder 2.0 litre direct injection turbo charged petrol 200 bhp powered front-wheel drive version which dashes to 62 mph in 6.6 seconds. Not really much slower than the V6. Both versions can be ordered with the S tronic automatic gearbox, formerly known as the DSG gearbox and developed by VW, which uses two clutches and prodigious computer power to produce lightening quick changes. This 4-cylinder version goes almost as well as its more expensive big brother, but seems to handle better, thanks to the lighter weight (smaller engine, and no four-wheel drive). Given that the V6 costs about £5,000 (€7,500) more than the four-cylinder, this version would seem to be the most attractive. Residual values are also likely to be strong. According to EurotaxGlass’s, the 2.0 Coupe will retain 54 per cent of its value after 3 years and 60,000 miles, better than the Mercedes SLK (53%) or the BMW Z4 Coupe (45%).
You can tell the two versions apart easily, if you’re travelling behind one, as you inevitably will. The front wheel drive 4-cylinder has twin pipes grouped together on the left, the V6 has one tailpipe on each side.
Pinch of salt
The DSG gearbox works beautifully. The Formula 1 style paddles mounted behind the steering wheel allow you to quickly change down as you seek to slow for corners. (Surely, nobody would ever want to manually select gears on the way up?) If you tap the shift mechanism into sport mode, the computer will hold the gear longer. If you don’t select sports mode, the system will quickly revert back to automatic. Audi says that this automatic gearbox actually returns substantially better fuel economy than the manual. If you forgive me Audi, I will take that claim with a pinch of salt.
As you would expect from a company claiming to be at the cutting edge of technology, there are some interesting new ideas in the TT. The body is built with a so-called “hybrid” blend of aluminium and steel, cutting the weight by 48 per cent, and improving body stiffness. Audi also introduces an optional suspension called "Magnetic Ride", (an extra £1,150/€1,700) using oil in the damping system filled with magnetic particles. This stiffens the suspension using an electric charge through the particles and it adapts much faster than conventional systems. This allows the suspension to sense when it needs to stiffen rapidly – in milliseconds says Audi - and protects the occupants from severe bumps or potholes. The driver can also select a stiff suspension setting to make the drive more sporty.
Flattens sleeping policemen
This means that instead of banging your head against the roof when you hit an unexpected sleeping policemen, this system will sense the urgent need for maximum damping power, and flatten out that sleeping policeman. You will glide over serenely.
You can also select a harsher ride with a button on the dashboard which will tighten up all the handling characteristics.
The interior is magnificent. The steering wheel is squared off for reasons I can’t follow, but it looks cool. That’s probably it. The air conditioning vents are framed in aluminium and can be adjusted with a twist of the frame. Quality is impeccable wherever you look.
Some criticisms; on the manual V6 version, I found it difficult to engage 3rd gear when changing down. And Audi makes an outrageous claim about the rear seats, saying that this is the only car in the sector to offer rear seats for passengers up to 1.5 metres in height. Forgetting for a moment that we in Britain do feet and inches (I bet the U.S. press kit says 5 feet. I thought it was only the BBC which was campaigning to transform us into a metric country). But wait, now that I realise 1.5 metres is only 5 feet, it is not so far off the wall. If Audi means it’s only good for kids, why not say so? Or better still, dump the pretension that there is any real room in the back for people, and simply redesign it as a luggage carrying area?
Highly successful
Audi has transformed the TT into a magnificent driving machine. Forgive me for declining to embrace the way it looks, but I don’t think this will dampen sales of what is bound to be a highly successful car for Audi. A roadster will be ready in 2007.
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