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.
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TT coupe
Released: May 1999
Ended: November 2006
Family Tree: TTIt is a testament to the TT that its design looks as fresh today as it was when it was launched back in Europe in 1998, which was itself based on a concept car unveiled in 1995! Although based on the Golf IV platform, Audi injected enough style and pizzazz into the TT to make it a standout, which was good because the initial driving experience was pretty lame. When first launched here it was powered by a front-drive 132kW 1.8-litre turbo four-cylinder. A more powerful 162kW quattro version quickly followed, along with a Roadster in March 2000 in both front and quattro all-wheel drive guises. Six-speed tiptronic autos rolled out in February 2003. The real TT boost came in January 2005, when the 184kW 3.2-litre V6 quattro bolstered the ranks. The V6 also handled better than the original.
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