First look: Sexy Audi TT cops V6 urge

AUDI has thrown a curve ball at the Porsche Boxster by revealing a 3.2-litre V6-powered quattro version of its sexy TT - complete with an amazing new automated six-speed manual transmission.

Due to appear globally from mid-2003 but not yet confirmed for the Australian market, the new TT 3.2 quattro coupe and roadster will finally get the motivation their chassis deserve.

Bettering the current 165kW TT Quattro coupe by almost 20kW in terms of peak power output, the compact 15-degree V6 is said to have been tuned specifically for the TT.

Featuring a high 11.3:1 compression ratio, continuously adjustable inlet and exhaust camshafts, and a variable intake manifold, the 3.2 delivers 184kW - and 320Nm of torque from 2800rpm - to all four wheels.

Audi claims the TT 3.2 accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 6.4 seconds, which seems pessimistic given the 165kW TT's similar performance, while top speed is governed at 250 km/h.

Audi is quick to point out a provisional overall fuel consumption figure of just 9.8 litres per 100km, which the Ingolstadt company says is due to the new transmission's efficiency.

The highlight here is really the revolutionary Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) transmission, which Audi claims pulls off the impossible by successfully combining the benefits of a conventional six-speed manual gearbox with the qualities of a modern automatic version.

Similar in concept to BMW and Ferrari's automated sequential manual gearbox systems, the key to DSG is that it mates a six-speed manual gearbox with a twin multi-plate clutch that ingeniously allows two gears to be engaged at the same time. When the next gearshift point is approached, the appropriate gear is preselected but its clutch kept disengaged.

The gearshift process opens the clutch of the activated gear and closes the other clutch at the same time via solenoids. The gear change takes place under load, with the result that a permanent flow of power is maintained.

Tracing its roots back to 1985, when Walter Röhrl successfully tested a similar system in his Audi Sport quattro S1, Audi says DSG is the first twin-clutch transmission in the world.

Compact, capable of transmitting up to 350Nm of torque and developed in partnership with German engineering specialist Sachs, the new DSG transmission allows manual or automatic gearchanging via either the gearlever or shift paddles behind the steering wheel.

Operated via a shift gate similar to the Audi tiptronic or multitronic systems, TT 3.2 drivers can select full manual control, automatic D mode or a sporty S program, in which upshifts are retarded, downshifts advanced and the shifting process accelerated.

A remote one-touch function accessed via the shift paddles on the steering wheel also temporarily activates the manual mode - even from D and S modes. There's even a throttle blip function during downchanges, similar to that of Alfa's Selespeed and Ferrari's SMG systems.

TT 3.2 has the brakes to match the extra urge, with RS4-sourced ventilated 334mm front and 265mm rear brake rotors hauled up by floating callipers all round. ESP with brake assist is standard on all TTs.

Exterior changes echo the under-skin improvements, thanks to a larger rear spoiler to further reduce rear-end lift, a deep front apron with large air-intakes and gills, and standard Xenon headlights with range control and titanium-coloured trimming.

* While the 3.2 represents the top end of TT town and is not guaranteed to arrive Down Under - and if it does it won't go on sale here before the end of 2003 - Audi will in February present a much bigger TT range that has been revised for the 2003 model year.

Including the addition for the first time of automatic tiptronic TT models, the model year upgrade will include new exterior and interior colours, a revised grille, new 16 and 17-inch alloys and the option of satellite navigation across the range.

Added to the TT range will be tiptronic versions of the both the 132kW front-drive tiptronic TT coupe and roadster, plus a 132kW front-drive TT roadster to undercut the 165kW quattro roadster's $92,500 pricetag by at least $10,000.

While a 120kW version of the 1.8T A4 has already effectively superseded the previous 110kW version for a $1500 premium, Audi's sensational new V8-powered S4 will headline the brand's Melbourne motor show stand in February, with the first manual versions of Audi's 253kW M3 chaser due here around May.

Finally, Audi last week announced the debut appearance at Detroit of the long-wheelbase A8L 4.2 quattro. Measuring a big 5180mm long, the A8 flagship has a 130mm longer wheelbase to match rivals in BMW's 745/745/760Li and the Mercedes-Benz S500/600L.