Ever
since we first laid eyes on the fabulous Audi TT, we were in love. Small yet dignified,
it had an appeal that only grew stronger the harder you looked. Today, it remains
innovative and compelling: a contemporary classic if there ever was one. Truly,
the TT's brilliant combination of high-tech shapes and distinct Bauhaus overtones
represents true art in motion; it would look just as at home in a museum as in
a garage. The
interior of the TT remains one of Audi's masterpieces. Like the exterior, the
theme is circles and squares, circles and squares. But this is design with purpose:
form really does follow function here. It is in the TT that we first saw the cool
circular air vents whose diveted aluminum surrounding trim rings actually twist
to open/close the vents. There are A-braces at the bottom of the dash with padded
inserts to serve as a leg rest. The gauges are big and legible, although the radio
buttons could be bigger.
Still, the TT's innovative approach to virtually everything you interact with
makes it a great place to spend time. Especially cool is the Baseball Optic leather
treatment available only on the convertible, with its saddle color and wide-looped
stitching made to fit your butt like a [baseball] glove. A power retractable glass
wind deflector on the convertible mimics the design of the roll bars perched just
behind the seats. Cool. So what if the trunk can only hold your purse? The
base TT features a 180-hp turbocharged four-cylinder mated to a Tiptronic automatic
transmission and front-wheel drive, while you can step up for the more potent
225-hp version of said engine that brings with it a six-speed manual transmission
and grippy all-wheel-drive. Good fuel economy for both, too.
Like most of the vehicles in this guide, the ride quality of the TT is not luxurious,
but the upside of that is that it corners brilliantly, especially with the all-wheel
grip of the twin-turbocharged version. What's more is that the TT's stiff structure
keeps it from shaking to bits over bumps. All said, the TT is a piece of automotive
history, the kind of car that you'll look back on and glean with pride for having
owned one. Price:
$33K-$42K |