Posts tagged Audi

One thing will never change, at least for car people: the unashamed joy of finding a slightly battered car under a layer of dust, buying it for a song, and lovingly restoring it to top condition.  And what, in a quarter century, will car people seeking a project be looking for?  Not Toyota Camrys or Dodge Caravans, certainly.  No, they’re going to be looking for cars like the Audi TT coupe and roadster.  These cars invite emotional attachment in a way that few cars these days can.

The swoopy, overturned-bathtub shape comes from the Audi IAA, a show car that wowed the auto show crowds back in 1995.  It’s obvious from one glance at the TT that the show car’s design made it into production with its theme of “functional honesty” largely intact.  The look of the TT is Audi’s family design taken to a delightful extreme.  The curved, pulled-down-over-the-wheels look of the Audi A4 and A6 can be seen in the new little coupe.  With the TT, however, the designers have been allowed free rein in a way that’s rare in cars costing less than $50,000.  A bold black eggcrate grille with a large chrome Audi logo fills the front of the TT, and subtle character lines on the hood and sides add just enough relief to keep the slick design from looking formless.  Big 17″ six-spoke wheels fill the flared fenderwells and dominate the profile.  From the rear, the sharply sloped coupe combines so much sheet metal and so little glass that it looks armored.  The roadster version has a similar silhouette, but the snugly fit top gives it a softer look.  On both models, the racing heritage is played up with a racing-style aluminum cover over the gas cap.

Inside, the TT looks like the show car that spawned it, or like a Star Wars fighter; take your pick.  Circles of aluminum–not just painted plastic–are everywhere.  They ring the gauges, air vents, and spherical shifter.  The radio’s retractable cover is a sheet of aluminum with the “TT” logo stamped in.  Most of the secondary buttons echo the circular theme, and they’re dimpled to suggest rivets around the outside edges.  Even the pedals are race car-inspired drilled aluminum pieces.  The windshield is low–until the driver gets acclimated it can seem like more of a gun-slit than a window.  They’re also comfortable enough for four- or five-hour drives, a trick competitors like the Mazda Miata and Mercedes SLK can’t pull off.  A tunnel-shaped console runs between the front seats, with aluminum rails on each side, and a dainty aluminum cupholder just out of reach behind the front seats.  In the roadster, bold aluminum rollover hoops rise behind each seat.  The TT coupe is also a hatchback, with vestigial rear seats and a useful cargo area.  It’s also got a fantastically huge blind spot to the rear, thanks to that sloped roof.  But that’s not nearly enough to dampen the joy of driving it.

As stunning as it is just sitting still, even the briefest drive amazes.  Power is provided by a choice of turbocharged four-cylinder engines of 180 or 225 horsepower.  That power goes a long way in such a small car.  The turbo is a hard but welcome shove from behind as it spins up to power, and then you’ve got to shift and do it all over again.  The aluminum-ball shifter (only manuals are available–five-speeds in the 180, and six in the 225) knocks off the gears quickly and positively.  The throws aren’t as lightning-quick as a Miata’s, but the TT’s gearbox doesn’t disappoint.  The TT’s got a broad powerband, without noticeable torque valleys at any legal speeds.

The TT is available with front wheel drive or Audi’s “quattro” all-wheel-drive system.  We tested a front-wheel drive Roadster and a “quattro” Coupe.  All-wheel drive means fantastic handling in wet or dry weather.  One dive into a fast corner and the reason for the stiffly bolstered seats become obvious; anything less and the driver would be holding on to the steering wheel for dear life.  Massive tires and light weight endow both TT models with a responsiveness that borders on telepathic.  Short of a violently foolish driver error, it’s hard to get the little Audi to misstep on the road.  Big, antilock-equipped brakes bring the TT to a halt quickly enough to blur vision.  The TT enjoys life in a way that few cars these days do.  And that enthusiasm is infectious.  Even non-car people pick up on the Audi’s honesty of purpose.

Such exclusivity comes at a surprising price.  The TT Coupe starts at $31,200, the Roadster at $32,850.  The “quattro” all-wheel-drive system adds $1,750, and the bigger motor is good for another four or five thousand.  Standard equipment on the TT includes an eight-speaker cassette sound system, fog lights, heated mirrors, a first aid kit, and a three-year, 50,000-mile warranty with roadside assistance.  The short options list includes high-intensity-discharge headlamps, heated seats, a Bose sound system with CD changer, and a hands-free phone.  Our “quattro”-equipped test Coupe stickered for $34,475, and its two-wheel-drive roadster companion for $36,025.  For one of the most foolish-devotion-inducing cars on the road today, that’s a bargain.  Don’t wait until you have to find one behind a barn!

The Fact Box:

All specs are for the 2000 Audi TT 180 Coupe and 2001 180 Roadster, which we tested.

Length:    159.1 inches
Width:        73.1 inches
Height:        53 inches
Wheelbase:    95.6 inches
Curb weight:    2910 lbs

Cargo space:    10.8 cu.ft. (Coupe)
7.8 cu.ft (Roadster)

Engine:    1.8 liter turbocharged DOHC four-cylinder
Drivetrain:    five-speed manual transmission, all-wheel drive (Coupe)
five-speed manual transmission, front-wheel drive (Roadster)
Horsepower:    180 @ 5500
Torque:    173 @ 1950-4700
Fuel capacity:    16.3 gal
Est. mileage:    22/30 (Roadster)

6/2009 update: I don’t see any TTs being abandoned in barns yet. In fact, I have yet to see one that looks as though it’s been mistreated.