First Contact with Audi's Spectacular New Sports CarBehind these shadows is the next generation of what many consider
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| A first glimpse of Audi's new TT. (Photo: Audi of America) |
to be the world's trendiest sports car, the Audi TT. In the six years that have past since it went into production, the TT has become an instantly recognizable classic, an icon of distinguished quality, and a vehicle that simply hasn't dated at all. It stood the test of time against gimmick, against technology, and against some pretty stiff competition, but never once did it lose its cool, sophisticated charm, not in two-plus-two hatchback coupe, or jaw-droppingly gorgeous convertible forms.
From
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| Shooting Brake Concept was the biggest clue to date about the next-gen TT. (Photo: Audi of America) |
this first image, officially released on Audi's new TT Lounge minisite (http://www.audi.com/TT), we can tell you that the new TT looks a lot like the Shooting Brake, shown at last year's Tokyo Motor Show. Of course, while we can't see the rest of its body there is a distinct relationship to the concept, and to the original in its facial features, which maintain the recognizable ellipsoid shape, but the proportions of the details within, such as those of the headlamps and grille are much different. The headlamps are much more aggressive in shape, while the grille has grown to accommodate the single-frame trapezoid style.
Unlike the TT Shooting Brake Concept, there are some changes to the nose,
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| Imagine the back end of this car, with the nose of the Shooting Brake... (Photo: Audi of America) |
albeit minor ones. Audi shied away from the extremely bold 'undivided' grille, which appeared on its latest concept cars like the Roadjet, allroad, and the TT Shooting Brake. Instead, the next generation TT has a divided grille for a more natural (and less scary) look - that will probably be more acceptable to some country's regulations regarding insurance company-lobbied low-speed accident damage estimates. Also, the production car features a less aggressive lower valance and different air intakes, but, for the better part, the concept's appearance has been untouched. If we were gambling types (which we aren't), we'd put money on similarly adjusted tail lamps, and rear-end styling.
Wondering
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| Shooting Brake was powered by the 2.0 FSI-T motor, which will be used to power the base production TT. (Photo: Audi of America) |
what's going to be stuffed under the hood? Audi will once again return with a two-model lineup, featuring its prized engines. Entry-level models will be powered by the 2.0-liter FSI-T motor, also found in the VW GTI, Jetta, Passat, not to mention a wide variety of Audi products. The 2.0T is no different in this application, producing an identical 200-horsepower, 207 lb-ft of torque motor, while returning an average fuel consumption of 30 mpg. It has a top speed of 150 mph. The party piece of the range is the 3.2-liter narrow-angle VR6 engine that produces 250-horsepower just like the current top of the line TT. It travels an average of 23 miles to every gallon of premium unleaded.
Every Euro-car enthusiast knows that, like the current generation TT, the new car will
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| First TT was a Golf in lingerie. With the new 'A5' chassis, that's not entirely a bad thing. (Photo: Audi of America) |
once again be based on VW Golf architecture. This isn't at all a bad thing; the latest 'A5' platform has proved to be a smash hit in terms of driving pleasure, as sworn by those who have critically acclaimed the new VW GTI and the even hotter R32 version, both of which are mechanically identical to the TT. Much of these improvements can be traced down to the use of a four-wheel multi-link suspension, extra-rigid frame, and VW's new electromechanical power steering system. Both versions of the TT will feature a six-speed gearbox, and for the first time, the sublime DSG twin-clutch sequential-manual gearbox will be available on the entry-level model. Haldex-based quattro AWD will be standard on the V6 model.
Our first meeting with the new TT has shown the words and descriptions of insiders and experts to be true, yet there are still many blanks to be filled in. What will the rest of the car look like? Will it have an interior as groundbreaking as the first car's? How much will it cost? Will there be a Shooting Brake (two-door wagon) version? While this info has yet to be announced to the public, we can tell you one thing: look for the new TT to debut at this year's Paris motor show in September, as a 2007 model year product.
