AUDI'S SUPER-POPULAR TT MODEL TURNS 25 - IT'S BEEN A BRILLIANT RUN!
Audi is responsible for creating some great cars over the years, there are some properly iconic models that have a worldwide, cult-like fan base and one of those is the Audi TT. I know I”m getting old because in my head the TT is about 10 years old, but it actually saw worldwide release way back in 1998. In typical Audi fashion, the far was something completely different, sort of like a squished Beetle but with better lines, and it was available with an all-wheel drive drivetrain in manual or DSG and a choice of the now iconic turbocharged 1.8-litre 20-valve 4-cylinder or normally-aspirated 3.2-litre V6. The coupe style was something different to what other automakers were producing at the time and the combination of everything resulted in a massively popular car. They were also quite easy to modify, and that meant they were able to market the car to execs and boy-racers alike. After just a year on the market, the car was voted the Best New Car of the Year in 1999 by Auto Europe. The model name TT was inspired by the legendary Tourist Trophy race on the Isle of Man, one of the oldest motorsports events in the world and one where the original Audi companies of NSU and DKW achieved great success with their motorcycles. Designer Wenzel, exterior designer for Audi at the time said comments: “In the Audi TT, every shape has a clear function. To us, the greatest praise was when the trade press noted appreciatively that not much had changed from the study to series model, although we did, of course, have to adapt many details due to the technical specifications for the series version, including the proportions. Most noticeable was the integration of a rear side window, which elongated the car’s profile and increased the sports car’s dynamics. For Wenzel, the Audi TT remains “a driving sculpture, with highest-quality surfaces and lines.” The body of the Audi TT appears to be made from one piece, he says, and the front end without traditional bumper overhangs emphasizes its clear form.
First-generation TT customers had plenty of choices when it came to selecting special equipment; exclusive paint colours like Papaya Orange or Nogaro Blue as well as that “baseball glove” design for the leather seats in the Roadster. Over eight production years a total of 178 765 1st-gen Audi TT Coupes (Type 8N) rolled off the production line by mid-2006 and 90,733 Audi TT Roadsters were built between 1999 and 2006 when the 2nd generation was introduced, also in coupe and roadster guise and these had a 2.0-litre turbo engine followed up with a 2.5-litre 5-cylinder turbo engine in the TT RS. In 2008 the TT 2.0 TDI Quattro was released becoming the world’s first production diesel-powered sportscar. The 3rd gen was launched in 2014, this time with a 2.0-litre TFSI engine and manual transmission. The top model was the TT RS with the now iconic turbocharged 2.5-litre turbo lump with a massive 295 kW. A powerplant that was named “International Engine of the Year” a whopping nine times in a row. The TT nameplate was recently put to pasture, which is quite sad because there are generations of fans who can now afford a decent TT, but will never know the awesomeness of owning one brand new. At least we’ll never see an electric version. Luckily here at SXdrv, we'll always have mad respect for the TT, there are no less than 6 of them parked around the head office, including a minter of a rare Quattro Sport with the 3.2-litre lump.
Take a look at the YouTube video from the crazies in the YouTube automotive world, Donut Media, as top man delves into the storied history of the lovable Audi TT. The video is three years old and so misses out on the final version of the TT that was announced recently when it was planned to stop producing the range, but it's one of the better history videos around and so now you have to watch it because we said so: AUDI TT - Everything You Need to Know | Up to Speed | Donut
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