REPLACING any automotive design icon is fraught with a designer backlash. In the case of Audi's TT, improving on the original's austere but classic Bauhaus features was going to be a tough act to follow. But Audi's designers have managed to do just that. The second-generation TT is the embodiment of the old car, with the benefit of newer technologies and even more contemporary styling.

Key characteristics like the high shoulder line, a sweeping C-pillar that melds effortlessly with the car's rear and the cascading grille have all been reinterpreted for the newcomer. The newest TT will become another cult car, lurking in the shadow of the original.