(long) Review of the Audi TT Coupe and Roadster from the NAIAS w/pics!

[the Quiet sTTorm...]

First of all, pardon my grammer & spelling. I was getting this out to you as fast as I could type and upload over 900 pics.



There I was, one on one with BOTH cars side by side. I was filled with anticipation when I noticed them from across the room.

I wanted to clear my head of the excitement, nervousness, and sheer enjoyment so I could approach the new MK2 TT with a clear mind.

So I went to the Q7 booth first to settle my nerves. Wonderful vehicle.



Then I went and spent some time with the R8! If you have second thoughts wondering if Audi could pull off a direct hit to Porche without taking the Lambo (raging bull) off then you were wrong. It's a totally different car from both the Porche and the "BULL."



The R8 is the car for the individual that wants the performance of "The Bull" without the rawness and the "class" of the Porche turned up a notch! The car is simply beautiful. If you put all three of them together the Audi R8 will turn the most heads!

So then it was time. Time to confront the two vehicles that everyone in NA has been waiting for. That so few has had the opportunity to examine side-by-side.

I would like to think of myself as being the first "true" NA TT enthusiast to really get a chance to have "hands-on" time with both. I know as of now, I have the largest "detailed" photos of them.

On to the review. If you want the cliff notes version then Highlight the following area:
The TT roadster looks better than the coupe this time around.

:end hightlight:



Approaching the coupe is spooky for us hardcore TT enthusiasts. It has the soul of the MK1 without totally "copying" the car itself. It is as if the ghost of Christmas Cars past has paid a visit to your local Audi dealership and left this in place of our beloved MK1.



This is not a bad thing. All of the familiar shapes and lines have been preserved. Grant it you have to look for some of them but they are all still there. The basic concept of Thomas Freeman lives behind the more "masculine" creased lines that appear in the MK2 coupe.

You've heard this time and time again, but there is a meaner look to the car but there is a hint of femine DNA lurking beneath. It's hard to describe but it can be best said by most of the female admirers "I can see myself in this car."

Introducing the totally manly metrosexual vehicle. For the man that works in construction by day and goes to the trendy clubs at night. For the woman that likes her clothes sexy but doesn't say I'm a slut. We introduce you the car that is sexy in all the right places and offends none, the Audi TT coupe.

This my friends is the bad thing about the coupe. It offends no one. The lines aren't too creased. The body isn't too soft. There isn't really anything to evoke the strong emotions of the the out going MK1. The ghost of Christmas Past paid the dealers a visit but didn't leave much of a presence.

Alas, I still like it. It just doesn't move me and shake me like the beloved MK1. ...but it does look Good.

Moving on to the interior. Audi perfect. It has taken on the "corporate" appearance. The cockpit is instantly familiar. Yeah, things have moved around and this time the controls mimick that of the entire line up, but it's still a TT.



You get that down low, I'm a bad a$$ view from the cockpit. The interior trim is up to the usual Audi quality. There are no other interiors that compare and the same remains true for the TT. The window controls are still nicely hidden from view. The 'Aluminum' trim is amazingly nicely done (hard to distinguish what is real and what is faux). The vent rings still function like the MK1 but with more force needed than we are used to.

The best thing about the interior? FINALLY AUDI HEARD OUR CRIES REGARDING THE FIRST CAR!!! THE SEATS IN THE NEW TT ARE ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!

Finally seats that you will be proud to keep in your car and take on long distance trips. They hold and hug in all the right places. The support is Honda S2k compliant. Easy way to put it is that finally a seat that rivals the seats of the infamous Honda S2000 with heat!!! (I wonder if the rails are similar to the S)

No more awkard adjustmens. Everything is electronic and logically placed. Some of the best mass production seats I've ever sat in! Thumbs up for Audi giving the new car seats it deserves.

To say that the interior has grown is an understatment! It is Huge in comparison. You almost feel as if you are in a ballroom in the coupe compared. You instanlty know this car has more leg and head room.

Same with the trunk space. Rear seat room?!? Still a joke. Bloody axe to chop off legs and heads are the only way full sized adults and children of age are getting back there. Because of the roofline swoop, it is no longer small female friendly with the hatch down.

The new coupe is bigger. An it 'looks' bigger too. Sitting next to the A3 the new coupe looks "huge!" Isn't the TT supposed to be the smaller vehicle of the two? That's what I thought. Think Nissan 350Z with more sheetmetal to look at. HUGE!

Off to the roadster that stood next to the coupe!



Apparently the ghost of Christmas Past didn't hang around the roadster as long. The roadster ironically doesn't evoke memories of the past MK1 roadster.

I can't explain it. I was totally excited about the roadster. The roadster felt fresh. The roadster felt exciting in comparison. Remember I own a MK1 coupe not a roadster but have spent my time around them at TT events.

Again, I listened to the crowds around the roadster as it sat at the corner of the Audi area opposite of the R8. More people swarmed the roadster than the coupe. Some people approached the roadster from the coupe wondering what car was this, not realizing it was the same TT as the coupe until they read the badge.

This is not the car that had it's top chopped off. If I had to guess, I would say that this car was designed to be a roadster from day one (however, I know better).

The roadster carries the lines of the 'new' Audi theme with ease where the coupe has trouble due to the dominant genes that remain from the MK1. The roadster is defintely the child of the 'new' Audi where the coupe has an identity crisis.

Sitting in the roadster just 'felt' right. I personally liked the roadster better than the coupe for a change. I "switched."

Pictures just don't convey the emotions that I'm trying to get across to you. I guess the easiest way to put it for us coupe lovers, "The roadster evokes the same emotions you felt when you first saw the MK1 coupe."

Everything about it is right. There is a stronger rear spoiler lip on the roadster than on the coupe. This breaks the "slab" feel of most roadsters. From every angle the roadster looks amazing.

The trunk space is amazing. You could get someone in there.

Other things that the 'average' person may not notice. The new cars have the option of having backup sensors. You all know what these are. Yup. With the option installed, there are six circular "spots" on the lower rear bumper to tell you how close is the nearest object. My suggestion, skip this option. The sensors break the clean lines on both cars and are unwelcome to my eyes (Black and dark greys will mask these sensors better so color will change your preference of these. I still say pass).

Some have express concerns regarding the half alum looking rollover bars that the new roadster sports. They carry over better in person than in photos.

The biggest little issue with the new car. The muffler on the 2.0t. Left sided double tip muffler. It just looks bad on such a symetrical car. The 3.2 rear looks amazing. I'm sure the aftermarket will have a solution where the Audi designers failed. Both the 3.2 and the 2.0 should have sported tips on both sides.





The biggest question is, "How do these cars perform on the road?!" The answer to that question will be the deciding factor for many of the MK1 enthusiast crowd. We have spent thousands of dollars to get our beloved cars to handle like a "real" sports car.

I hope Audi delievered. If the VW GTI is any indication, then we don't have much to fear.

I feel that Audi has given us a roadster that we can be proud of. A corporate excerise on the coupe. A fresh start for the roadster. Neither disappointing. A design that will be a success to the masses. Thus a success to Audi.

Audi took the MK2 and made it "more" of a sports car than the MK1 (even modified) ever was, but comes up 'short' of really delivering a true "sports car" that enthusiasts lusts. The aftermarket is already addressing these concerns.



If I had my choice. Give me the new roadster. I would take it with the 2.0t with quattro. Give me the DSG sans the rear sensors. Both cars will be stunning in more "bold" colors, so I would take the roadster in Red, Black, or White (Of these colors, white has been my favorite). Black interior (even though the new baseball interior is stunning just wouldn't look good with white in my opinion). Forget that Navigation system but give me the standard radio. Chip it with APR. Lower it with KW V3s. Tint the windows. Removed the North American required yellow side reflectors from the headlights. Put some nice deep dish wheels on it with a larger contact patch in the rear. Switch out the sway bar to correct the issues with the larger contact patch in the rear to 'neutralized' the car (the new car is still set up with understeer tendancies). Get Scwhing to break me off the 1st every Stg III kit and I will be one happy camper.

But at the price of over 40k for the "base" car, I'm concerned that once again I've spent Porche or BMW money to get the sports car my soul desired. However, I'll have to wait until I can drive one before I make that decision. But there is already one decision I'm sure of, damned the new roadster is hot!

Click here for ton of photos of the details that the magazines haven't posted at my fotki!!!!

[TTschwing]

You pretty much echoed my impressions perfectly.
I'll be reviewing your pictures carefully!

[AkRascal]

much, but they fit you well.

[Black BeauTTy]

[JohnLZ7W]

I also like the roadster much more this time around

[MOBlueTT]

[q u a t t r o phinia]

I have to say... you look better in the coupe... LOL

[sTTevo]

IIRC, only choices are 2.0 with FWD or 3.2 with quattro. Seems to me the direct injection 2.0 could be chipped and ModShacked to easily make 300HP. That, with the lighter weight, improved suspension, etc. would make this one hot performing TT.

[Go-Show]

[Quattrings]

It's almost too nice looking and refined and I could see woman saying that they want that car (same as MK1) although it is MUCH better than the old TT in that respect. Not that there is a thing wrong with that - great that it's desirable for both genders.

When I went to the LA Auto Show, the TT was kind of near the back and not getting nearly as much attention as the other models like the S6,S8, and R8 models. I was surprised, and the MK2 really didn't 'shout' anything but kind of blended into the surroundings.

I think this issue can be addressed with either the 'S', or waiting for some tastefully aggressive factory fender buldges in an 'RS' model (if they are really working on it).

I'm personally looking for the new TT to satisfy the performance of my missed modded 225TT that could leave an S2000 wondering what hit him, and not leave any apologies doing it.

I'm not giving up on the MK2 though and I'm sure Audi has something good coming around later in the year. I'll be waiting to here news at Geneva of a model with at least 300bhp...