2005 Audi TT quattro sport Preview

More Power and Unique Features for Special Model

The Audi TT was a brilliant move for the German manufacturer. Short for "Tourist Trophy," the famous old race in the UK,

The TT was much more than a Golf copycat, or a "squashed" New Beetle, it was designed and built as a prestige sports coupe. (Photo: Audi Canada)

the car was a blessing for Audi and its fans, thrusting Audi into the sport segment in which it had been absent since the Cabriolet and Coupe Quattro finished production.

The compact TT was built on the "A4" platform, the same chassis used to underpin the VW Golf, Jetta and New Beetle. It also used the same mechanical components, including the powerful little 1.8T 4-cylinder engine, with the addition of Haldex all-wheel drive.

But the TT was much more than a Golf copycat, or a "squashed" New Beetle, it was designed and built as a prestige sports coupe, a competitor to the Mercedes-Benz SLK and Porsche's Boxster, among others. Tuned to reflect its

The TT rekindled Audi's touring car reputation through the highly competitive DTM racing series. (Photo: Audi Canada)

sporting character, styled in a manner that set trends on highways and runways, and built to the same quality and with similar luxuries to any other Audi, the TT was the hit of the decade, the car to have.

Since then, the TT has remained a strong seller and an outlet for parent company VAG's (Volkswagen AG) mechanical advancements, including the narrow-angle 3.2-litre V6 and the Borg-Warner-designed dual-clutch six-speed sequential gearbox. The TT also rekindled Audi's touring car reputation through the highly competitive DTM racing series, shown in North America on Speed Channel.