Introduction

Audi's sports car heritage is as rich as any manufacturer's, dating back 100 years to competition at the Isle of Man. In the 1930s Audi achieved real fame with its awesomely powerful Auto-Union grand prix cars, and today it continues to rush forward with the RS6 sedan winning in the Speed Challenge touring car series, and the R8 prototype, fastest sports car in the world, dominating the 24 Hours of Le Mans and international endurance racing, including the American Le Mans Series. It's this heritage that drives the 2005 Audi TT. The TT got its moniker from the legendary Tourist Trophy race, which started on the Isle of Man in 1907. But the TT is not an uncompromising car that would rather be on the track; it's an eminently civilized sports car that employs tricks learned from racing adapted comfortably for the street. Of particular note is the new six-speed gearbox that's mated to the 3.2-liter six-cylinder engine on Audi's most powerful TT. Is it a manual transmission? Is it an automatic? Car and Driver magazine's engineering editor calls it a manual, while Audi's press material calls it an automatic; we'll call it a hybrid because it doesn't make much difference to the driver what it is, only how it works. It works like both; and, unlike some automatic transmissions with a manual mode, it's the best of both. The TT, Audi's first true sports car, comes as either a coupe or roadster. It offers solid Volkswagen mechanicals and durability, as well as VW's attention to detail in a sporty upscale design with high-quality materials and excellent fit and finish. The styling is retro yet pure, the interior is very stylish, the handling is exceptionally stable and the brakes are among the best.

Walkaround

The TT Coupe made its first appearance as a concept at the 1995 Frankfurt show, and was still dazzling when it made its U.S. debut for model year 2000. With apologies to the Dodge Viper, the TT might be considered the car that opened the floodgates of creativity by breaking down the barriers of manufacturers' and especially designers' fears. The bathtub shape was radically retro when the TT was introduced and it still doesn't seem dated; it's still striking. It was daring for its purity and simplicity of form five years ago and still is, although designers of all makes have gotten more creative lately (think BMW Z4). In short, the TT looks terrific, especially the Coupe. The engine is mounted in front but the TT's overall presence makes it look like the engine should be right behind the driver, like the Porsche Boxster's. Instead there are small seats back there, making the TT a two-plus-two, unlike the Boxster. Lift the hood and you could still think it's a mid-engine car. It looks less like an engine than a couple of black plastic suitcases crammed into a Karmann-Ghia trunk. The TT 3.2 has some new styling licks including the lamps, grilles and rear deck badging. But mostly there are aerodynamic tweaks, too subtle to be individually recognized by the casual observer, although they give the TT a vaguely sleeker overall appearance. There's a new front apron with side gills and enlarged inlets for engine cooling, and a bigger rear spoiler and honeycomb diffuser to increase stability at high speeds. The exhaust pipes are unique to the 3.2 as well. The styling doesn't quite work as well without the top, because much of the visual appeal comes with the endearing total roundness. The Roadster looks like it forgot something when it left the house: its top. When it's up, the soft top looks pretty cool though.

Interior Features

One of the things that makes the TT especially pleasurable to drive is the excellent leg and foot room. There's a huge dead pedal, and a blissful pad for the side of the driver's right leg where it presses against the center stack and transmission tunnel, a feature that too many hard-cornering cars overlook. Ergonomics is a strong suit with modern Audi products. Despite the low roofline, the Coupe is easy to climb into because of the leg room, but you have to watch your head on the way in. Bolted inside the cabin are optional black Italian leather seats to die for. They fit beautifully, with extra bolstering for the thighs and torso. There's enough adjustment to allow for even very tall drivers, although with the bucket seats slid all the way back, don't count on two passengers in the jump seats. We had nine- and seven-year-old boys back there, and they were happy for a one-hour drive to the city, errands, and back. Packages will probably love it in those seats, although it's still easier to pop them in the trunk. As for storage nooks, there isn't much: door pockets and small glovebox and console. The quality of materials and the fit and finish are superb, including a trim option with baseball-like stitching similar to that featured on the original TT concept car. The instrument panel is beautifully laid out, and illuminated in red. The panel and dashboard area in the Audi TT are acknowledged as models of modern industrial design: easy to read, easy to use and understand. There is a decidedly racer-cool look about the simplicity of it all, with touches of stainless around the instrument bezels and air vents and other places, that other manufacturers have since copied for their interiors, all to the good. One disappointing exception to the clarity of the instruments is the digital readout between the tach and speedo; there are four stacked items, with the radio station info on top and transmission gears on bottom, too small to quickly pick out and half-hidden by the hub of the steering wheel.