2005 Audi TT Review

Specifications

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 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 Porsches Boxster, among others. Tuned to reflect its 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 VAGs (Volkswagen AG) mechanical advancements, including the narrow-angle 3.2-liter V6 and the Borg-Warner-designed dual-clutch six-speed sequential gearbox. The TT also rekindled Audis touring car reputation through the highly competitive DTM racing series, shown in North America on Speed Channel.

Nowadays, the TT is starting to show its age. As the competition successively updates itself, Audis diminutive coupe and roadster duo is beginning to lag behind in dynamics while its once futuristic styling is starting to look almost dated, due to familiarity alone. The good news is that Audi is working on a follow up, but in the meantime the stylish brand is sending the first generation off with a final hurrah - a lightweight variant called the TT quattro sport (lower case intentional).

The TT quattro sport represents the best of what Audi has to offer, at least with respect to its two-door model. It is based on the hardtop coupe, but mixes technical elements of the 225- and 250-horsepower models. Under its hood is the trusty 1.8T 20-valve inline-four, which has now been tuned to deliver a substantial 240 horsepower and 236 lb-ft of torque. The engine delivers almost the same power and punch of the top-of-the-line TT 3.2 (V6), without the extra weight the larger displacement engine adds over the front wheels.

While the now-famous DSG sequential gearbox would have been an excellent pairing with the more powerful inline four, Audi couldnt justify making the components for such a low-volume production model. Therefore it made perfect sense for quattro sport buyers to “make do” with an almost conventional six-speed manual gearbox. Almost conventional? Yes, the six-speed manual gets the same gears as the Euro-spec 3.2L V6 car, although the transmission housing is unaltered from the North American-spec 6-speed manual unit.

As its name suggests, this particular TT also comes equipped with quattro permanent all-wheel drive - the same system as used in the 225 and 3.2 models. In Canada the 225-horsepower all-wheel drive TT is standard by the way, so other than the boost in power nothing particularly new there, but here at home TT buyers can get a less expensive, 180-horsepower, front-wheel drive version of the TT 1.8T. Arent we special!

Aside from having an engine-transmission combination that would make Frankenstein jealous, the TT quattro sport has been put on a diet in order to shed some weight. The biggest reduction comes from the removal of the somewhat useless rear seat bench, which has been replaced with a reinforcing brace and cargo net. Audi has also pulled the plug on the air conditioner, which saves 26.5 pounds. Customers not willing to lose weight sweating it out in summer can have the AC fitted at no extra charge.

In total, Audi has managed to shear off nearly 110 pounds, reducing the TT quattro sports unladen weight to 3,064 pounds, approximately 75 kg (165 pounds) lighter than the 225-horsepower variant. The result of the diet is a power-to-weight ratio of 12.8 lbs/hp, and a noticeable improvement in acceleration. The quattro sport is the fastest TT built to date, reaching 60 mph in just 5.8 seconds, before topping out at a speed limited 155 mph.

Performance aside, part of the TTs formula for success is its interior, which is amongst the most stylish and of the highest quality in its class. Here, the changes made are in the materials, which include the use of suede-like Alcantara trim for the steering wheel rim, handbrake and shifter knob, while contoured leather and Alcantara-trimmed Recaro buckets, featuring body-color backings, replace the standard seats. A commemorative engraving on the alloy handle for the glove box is also new.

Outside, the quattro sports special designation is immediately recognizable by its two-tone paint scheme. The main body can be had in Misano Red, Avus Silver, Mauritius Blue or Phantom Black, with roof, mirror housings, spoiler, intake and diffuser painted in Phantom black. Audis special S-Line body kit and suspension tuning give this TT a slightly sportier look, as do 15-spoke 18-inch alloy wheels wrapped in high-performance rubber. Xenon headlamps and red-painted calipers are also included in the package.

Commissioned and built by Audis in-house tuner, quattro GmBH (also responsible for the ultra-powerful RS4 and RS6), the new quattro sport is the purest interpretation of the TT to date. Its reduced weight and additional power should also make it the best driving variation yet. Audi has set a price tag for this special model at 41,600 euros, which is equivalent to $55,900 USD. Exact U.S. market pricing, which on average is less than Europeans are made to pay for the same specification vehicle, will be announced closer to its availability, that is if it actually does become available here. Currently it has been announced only for Germany, of course, and England. If it does arrive on this side of the Atlantic, expect something starting at about $38,000, or slightly under the top-line $40,150 TT 3.2.