Debut of the 2008 TT Coupe is Audi's defining moment
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[08/29/2007] I finally understand Audi, although the German luxury brand had to beat me over the head with its three newest cars before I got the point.
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I finally understand Audi, although the German luxury brand had to beat me over the head with its three newest cars before I got the point.
I may be a little slow, but the cars aren't, and they're as pretty as they are sporty.
Audi, I've decided, is the company that builds fast and beautiful coupes, like the new TT.
That's not all it builds, of course. You'll find Audi's four-ring badge on everything from the compact A3 hatchback to the seven-seat Q7 SUV and the plush A8 limousine.
Audi builds a lot of good cars, but it never built the car or cars that defined the brand for me.
Over the years, Audi has had more core values than a bushel basket of apples. It has tried tying its image to all-wheel drive, aerodynamic styling and a slew of slogans, but nothing stuck. Audi was less stuffy than Mercedes, more comfortable than BMW, defined not by what it was but by what it wasn't.
For today, at least, and for me, Audi is now the company that builds the loveliest trio of sports coupes on the market.
There's the $109,000 R8 super car, the A5 midsize coupe that goes on sale in November and the affordable and appealing little TT.
The TT is all new this year. The new model is bigger, more accommodating and comfortable than the stylish coupe it replaced. It has a wide-footed stance and sloping profile that unite it with the R8 and A5, giving Audi's new core a three-car center of gravity the rest of its lineup can revolve and evolve around.
Prices for the 2008 Audi TT start at $34,800 for a front-wheel drive model with a 200-horsepower four-cylinder engine and the company's dual-clutch automatic transmission, which provides some of the feel and efficiency of a manual without requiring the driver to shift gears.
A more powerful model featuring Audi's 250-horsepower 3.2-liter V6 gets Audi's Quattro all-wheel drive system. The V6 model is available with a conventional manual transmission for $41,500 or the dual-clutch unit for $42,900. Audi also builds a roadster version of the TT that starts at $36,800.
I tested a nicely equipped front-wheel drive 2.0T coupe with a $37,750 sticker price. All prices exclude destination charges.
The car is a delightful package, with enough power for exciting performance, but not so much that the engine overwhelms the TT's front-wheel drive layout.
In a world full of 300-horsepower Mustang GTs and 500-horsepower Dodge Vipers, the TT 2.0T's 200 horsepower may look anemic on paper, but it's a blast on the road. The free-revving turbocharged four-cylinder direct-injection engine produces its peak 207 pound-feet of torque at all engine speeds from 1,800 r.p.m. to 5,000 r.p.m., providing lots of power off the line and on the highway.
The coupe's sharp handling made twisty roads and quick maneuvers a pleasure, though the nose-heavy front-drive layout does show up in a tendency to push in fast, tight curves. Torque steer is only apparent in foot-to-the-floor acceleration, and it's mild even then.
The suspension absorbs bumps without sacrificing roadholding. Tire and wind noise are minimal.
The new coupe is 5.4 inches longer and 3.1 inches wider than the previous TT, but the 2.0T weighs 50 pounds less than the old model, thanks to Audi's extensive use of aluminum, which accounts for 69% of the car's body panels.
In addition to a vastly more accommodating passenger compartment, the new TT's hatchback body provides excellent cargo space. There's virtually no rear legroom, however.
The interior is trimmed with Audi's usual attention to detail. Round ventilation ducts in the dashboard suggest engine nacelles mounted to a wing, an aerospace theme that's repeated in the climate-control dials. The optional leather seats with Alcantara inserts are attractive. The bolsters on the bottom cushions were a bit too high and narrow for my taste, however, and $37,750 should buy you a memory for seat and mirror settings.
Audi might also have added a few storage cubbies when it expanded the TT's interior. An armrest with an interior bin would be a good place to start. The cupholders also leave a bit to be desired. The three overlapping rings in the center console were designed so one could hold a 22-ounce cappuccino go-cup, another a can of Red Bull, while the third seems a bit too small and shallow to hold anything securely.
Unfortunately, the overlapping layout means the cupholders get in each other's way. There isn't room for a Red Bull and a mega cappuccino at the same time, for instance, drastically limiting the TT's appeal to computer programmers, journalists and other folks who measure their daily caffeine intake by the quart.
The TT's performance is exciting enough to make your heart flutter even without a megadose of jitter juice, though.
I may be a little slow, but the cars aren't, and they're as pretty as they are sporty.
Audi, I've decided, is the company that builds fast and beautiful coupes, like the new TT.
That's not all it builds, of course. You'll find Audi's four-ring badge on everything from the compact A3 hatchback to the seven-seat Q7 SUV and the plush A8 limousine.
Audi builds a lot of good cars, but it never built the car or cars that defined the brand for me.
Over the years, Audi has had more core values than a bushel basket of apples. It has tried tying its image to all-wheel drive, aerodynamic styling and a slew of slogans, but nothing stuck. Audi was less stuffy than Mercedes, more comfortable than BMW, defined not by what it was but by what it wasn't.
For today, at least, and for me, Audi is now the company that builds the loveliest trio of sports coupes on the market.
There's the $109,000 R8 super car, the A5 midsize coupe that goes on sale in November and the affordable and appealing little TT.
The TT is all new this year. The new model is bigger, more accommodating and comfortable than the stylish coupe it replaced. It has a wide-footed stance and sloping profile that unite it with the R8 and A5, giving Audi's new core a three-car center of gravity the rest of its lineup can revolve and evolve around.
Prices for the 2008 Audi TT start at $34,800 for a front-wheel drive model with a 200-horsepower four-cylinder engine and the company's dual-clutch automatic transmission, which provides some of the feel and efficiency of a manual without requiring the driver to shift gears.
A more powerful model featuring Audi's 250-horsepower 3.2-liter V6 gets Audi's Quattro all-wheel drive system. The V6 model is available with a conventional manual transmission for $41,500 or the dual-clutch unit for $42,900. Audi also builds a roadster version of the TT that starts at $36,800.
I tested a nicely equipped front-wheel drive 2.0T coupe with a $37,750 sticker price. All prices exclude destination charges.
The car is a delightful package, with enough power for exciting performance, but not so much that the engine overwhelms the TT's front-wheel drive layout.
In a world full of 300-horsepower Mustang GTs and 500-horsepower Dodge Vipers, the TT 2.0T's 200 horsepower may look anemic on paper, but it's a blast on the road. The free-revving turbocharged four-cylinder direct-injection engine produces its peak 207 pound-feet of torque at all engine speeds from 1,800 r.p.m. to 5,000 r.p.m., providing lots of power off the line and on the highway.
The coupe's sharp handling made twisty roads and quick maneuvers a pleasure, though the nose-heavy front-drive layout does show up in a tendency to push in fast, tight curves. Torque steer is only apparent in foot-to-the-floor acceleration, and it's mild even then.
The suspension absorbs bumps without sacrificing roadholding. Tire and wind noise are minimal.
The new coupe is 5.4 inches longer and 3.1 inches wider than the previous TT, but the 2.0T weighs 50 pounds less than the old model, thanks to Audi's extensive use of aluminum, which accounts for 69% of the car's body panels.
In addition to a vastly more accommodating passenger compartment, the new TT's hatchback body provides excellent cargo space. There's virtually no rear legroom, however.
The interior is trimmed with Audi's usual attention to detail. Round ventilation ducts in the dashboard suggest engine nacelles mounted to a wing, an aerospace theme that's repeated in the climate-control dials. The optional leather seats with Alcantara inserts are attractive. The bolsters on the bottom cushions were a bit too high and narrow for my taste, however, and $37,750 should buy you a memory for seat and mirror settings.
Audi might also have added a few storage cubbies when it expanded the TT's interior. An armrest with an interior bin would be a good place to start. The cupholders also leave a bit to be desired. The three overlapping rings in the center console were designed so one could hold a 22-ounce cappuccino go-cup, another a can of Red Bull, while the third seems a bit too small and shallow to hold anything securely.
Unfortunately, the overlapping layout means the cupholders get in each other's way. There isn't room for a Red Bull and a mega cappuccino at the same time, for instance, drastically limiting the TT's appeal to computer programmers, journalists and other folks who measure their daily caffeine intake by the quart.
The TT's performance is exciting enough to make your heart flutter even without a megadose of jitter juice, though.
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