First Drive2007 Audi TTNow A True Sports CarIt has been a long eight years since Audi's TT coupe first struck our aesthetic sensibilities like a high-voltage wire thrust straight into our visual cortex. An instant icon of automotive design, its sensuously rounded forms, low-slung roofline and flash interior were soon being replicated by design studios around the world, but, as occurs with all cutting-edge designs, time stole the TT's unique splendor as it became a familiar element of the automotive landscape.
Moreover, even though the ensuing years brought more powerful engines and the breakthrough dual-clutch transmission to freshen the TT's dynamics, the Golf-based structure's shortcomings-an uninspiring power-to-weight ratio, remedial rear axle design, and less-than-sporty steering-became acutely apparent. In short, it was time for Audi to subject the TT to a major rehabilitation project and bring the coupe/convertible up to the high standards set by such younger stablemates as the RS4 and S6.
Happily, we can report that Audi has bested even our fussy expectations with the forthcoming TT, which we sampled over three days of glorious driving early last summer in Germany, France, and Austria. With its extensive aluminum components, four-link rear suspension, electro-mechanical power steering, larger dimensions, and torque-intense powertrains, the new coupe has launched into a higher orbit of performance, complemented by a new exterior design that manages to evoke its admirable predecessor while concurrently arresting the eye with conspicuously more aggressive lines.
On sale in North America in early 2007, the TT coupe will offer two powertrains: the 200-bhp 2.0-liter FSI turbo that first appeared in the A3, and the 250-bhp 3.2-liter V6 from the outgoing TT. A six-speed manual gearbox is standard, but both engines can be mated to Audi's six-speed dual-clutch transmission, now called S-Tronic to differentiate it from VW's nomenclature. All 3.2 versions will be Quattros, and the 2.0Ts will initially be front-drive models, although, if the market demands it, a Quattro 2.0 T could follow.
Despite being more than 5 inches longer and 3 inches wider than the current TT, the new coupe is also lighter, weighing in at around 2,800 pounds for the 2.0T and 3,100 pounds for the 3.2. Except for the use of steel for panels at the rear of the floor, the doors and the luggage compartment lid, the new TT is built of aluminum, which accounts for 69 percent of the body weight. Were the bodyshell to be built entirely of steel, according to Audi, it would weigh fully 48 percent more than its 454 pounds.
It may be lighter, but the new TT feels substantially more solid. Static torsional rigidity has been improved by about 50 percent, dynamic flex by 17 percent, and dynamic torsion by 15 percent over the current TT. Because a car's body mass contributes to the damping of noise and vibration, the TT's lightweight aluminum structure presented a special challenge to the acoustic engineers. However, targeted deployment of body coverings, strengthening at sound introduction points, improved body sealing and special shaping of the panels effectively reduced intrusive levels of NVH despite a 20 percent weight reduction in nsulating materials.
The new TT also slips through the air more cleanly despite larger wheels, a larger front end, whose air inlets account for 10 to 12 percent of the drag, and rearview mirrors that are about 30 percent bigger due to new safety regulations. The coupe's drag coefficient of 0.30, down from 0.34, is all the more remarkable as it was achieved at the same time that engineers met the conflicting goal of lowering the lift coefficients at both axles through revisions to the underbody, including a 7-degree tilt to the rear muffler that helps to reduce rear lift. A more obvious method to reduce unwanted lift is the electrically deployed rear spoiler, which comes into play at 75 mph and retracts at 50 mph.
Audi is calling 2007 "the year of emotion," citing the release of the TT and R8 sports car as leaders in its campaign to reinforce corporate core values: premium-level materials, progressive technology and a design language that speaks to the heart and soul of sportiness. It was essential that the new TT carry these themes to a new level, and the new bodywork accomplishes that feat, carrying forward previous TT styling elements but with an increased dynamism.
The domed roof, low and narrow greenhouse resting on slim pillars, graphical sweep of the side windows, flared wheel arches and circular fuel filler cap remind us of the first TT. But, the former, almost symmetrical proportions of the nose and tail have been replaced by a notable forward thrust, achieved by extending the cabin further to the rear so that the hood appears to be longer. Added tension is provided by the convex and concave body panels, which are framed by the "tornado" line above the perfectly semi-circular wheel arches and below the shoulders and a new line above the sills that rises to sweep around the entire rear end. The nose of the car is striking for its slanted headlamp clusters and single-frame grille, whose geometry is echoed by pronounced creases in the hood, which stretch to the A-pillars. To the rear, broad shoulders on the extended tail give more than a hint of the TT's increased performance, the taillights are configured to present a three-dimensional effect, and the twin exhaust pipes, wide diffuser, and centered rear foglight look as though they could be on a competition sports car.