A GENERATIONAL DRAG RACE STARRING THE ICONIC AUDI TT IS A MUCH-WATCH.
Audi’s compact coupe, the TT, has been a firm favourite of many fast car fans since it was first launched way back in 2000. The first generation was a car you either loved or hated, and in the circles I run in, there are way more people who love it but that’s because I’m a fan of most turbocharged VAG products and it makes sense then that my friends are too. In fact, the big boss of SXdrv has an unhealthy obsession with the Mk1 Audi TT which is immediately evident if you ever happen to lay eyes on his garages. There’s a total of nine of them parked up. That’s right, NINE Mk1 TTs which if I recall correctly are made up of seven with the 1.8 turbo powerplant and two are the 3.2 versions. We’re pretty sure there are others around the world that have the same kind of obsession, so they’re going to be as keen as we were to see Mat Watson from Carwow put all the different generations of this iconic car up against each other in a comparison drag race. It is quite interesting that there are only three generations of the Audi TT, each one having a mid-life facelift to make essentially six different versions available. The first generation ran from 2000 to 2002, with a facelift appearing from 2003 to 2006. The second generation launched in 2008 and ran until 2010, the facelift appeared in 2011 and lasted until 2015. The latest, and sadly also the last generation is the third one was launched in 2016 and ran until 2018, with the facelift arriving in 2019. We still don’t understand the reason Audi canned the popular model, but it is what it is.
While we’ve established that there are only three generations of the Audi TT, you’ll notice the Carwow crew have lined up four different TTs for this epic comparison. It’s a clever move, and one the boss will like because the Mk1 had two great powerplants to choose from, each having a fan base of its own. Some swear by the super-popular turbocharged 1.8-litre 20-valve lump and others are fans of the normally-aspirated 3.2 V6 powerplant, so having one of each included is the right way to go. The turbocharged lump had a few different versions, but in the Mk1 TT the best was rated at 180 kW with 320 Nm or torque. The N/A 3.2 lump was rated at 185 kW with the same 320 Nm of torque, but it’s a heavy car as a result, in fact, it's the heaviest in this race at a hefty 1 520 kg. For the Mk2 we see the range-topping TT RS that features Audi’s iconic turbocharged 2.5-litre 5-cylinder that has 254 kW and 450Nm mated to a 6-speed manual transmission. For the Mk3 the Carwow crew sourced the last of the TT range, the special-edition Iconic Edition TT RS that also sees fitment of the turbocharged 5-pot and in this version, it’s rated at 300 kW with 480Nm of torque, but this one is mated to a 7-speed auto transmission. It’s obviously the fastest of the lot, but with this video, we can see how the different engine setups and power figures actually translate into real-world conditions. All versions feature Audi’s signature Quattro all-wheel drive.
Take a look at the YouTube video from our (online) mate Mat Watson and the Carwow crew where they pit all three generations of the iconic Audi TT up against each other to show the difference in progress and technology and how it's affected the cars in a real-world environment. While this is awesome to watch, it's a little sad to know that we'll never see another Audi TT in the future: Audi TT Generations DRAG RACE | carwow
Be sure to check out our YouTube channel here for more exciting and exclusive SXdrv content! And don't forget to smash that subscribe button!