The presentation of the Audi TT RS Iconic Edition, which celebrates its twenty-five years of presence on the market and three generations, reminds us that the TT is part of that group of sports cars. walter desilva He defined it as “Audi’s most representative model” at the time when the Italian designer was at the head of the Volkswagen Group’s style team. But let’s go to our story.
In the world of small top-of-the-range sports cars of the 1990s, roadster lovers could opt for, among others, a BMW Z3, a Mercedes des SLK, the Porsche Boxster or, from 1998, a an Audi TT.
The coupe with the four rings was not born with a particularly sophisticated base, since it took as its starting point the chassis of the A3, also shared with the fourth generation of the Volkswagen Golf. But distinguished itself from its competitors for offering either a front-wheel drive or a Quattro; and by two types of bodywork, coupé and roadster or cabrio. And, above all, for being different, without this difference entailing a price that can only be assumed by a few. Quite a bet.
A living room prototype
The designers gave free rein to their imagination, without restrictions
It all started in 1995, at the Frankfurt Motor Show. At the German event, the Ingolstadt firm presents a concept car named TT (for “Tourist Trophy”, a remembrance of English races of yesteryear), a prototype that, in the words of its creators, had every chance of becoming a street model. The unique design of this coupé offers numerous nods to the past. It is the work of the American Thomas Freeman, creator of the Volkswagen Concept 1, the “remake” of the Beetle.
In this case, according to his own statements, he has been inspired by the Auto Union competition cars of the interwar years. His past at Porsche is also noticeable in the proportions, in the feeling of strength of the Audi TT. Always faithful to aluminum, Audi is, however, less radical than with the A8. On the TT exhibited in Frankfurt, only the hoods, doors and front wings are made of aluminium. This represents a saving of one hundred kilos of weight. For the chassis, the engineers have opted for steel. Actually, the TT uses the platform of the future A3. For the engine, a 4-cylinder 1.8 Turbo with 20 valves from the A4 has been chosen, located in front in a transverse front position and which transmits its 150 CV to the asphalt through an integral transmission. In the Tokyo Motor Show of that same year and also as a concept car, the convertible or cabriolet version was presented.
On the street
The first generation of 1998, was very close to the prototype of 1995
Three years later, in 1998, the street TT (8C/2N) arrived. Its silhouette maintains the essentials of the 1995 prototype: compact (4.04 meters long), wide (1.86 m) and low (1.35 m). However, the overhangs have been clearly lengthened while the passenger compartment shows a second side glass. Inside, the spirit of the 1995 study has also been preserved, in terms of style. There are four seats, but the rear seats are difficult to access, due to the shape of the roof. Under the front hood we have a 180 hp 1.8 turbo four-cylinder block, associated either with front-wheel drive or an integral Quattro. And a good surprise for performance lovers: there is a 225 hp version with double intercooler, six-speed gearbox and integral transmission.
These first TT offered very good performance. They easily exceeded 220 km/h, and even 240 km/h in the case of the 225 hp version, with a 0 to 100 km/h in 7.8 seconds (in the case of the less powerful version) and of 6.4 the other. However, the first owners begin to protest: the aerodynamic shapes of the TT make it not very stable at high speed, and this causes rivers of ink to flow in the first months of its launch. Audi reacts quickly and at the beginning of 1999, incorporates a fixed spoiler at the rear, and changes settings, also adding the ESP as standard, and modifying the units already sold through a recall campaign.
That same year the roadster version appears, with only two seats and a classic soft top. And already in the 2000s, a 150 CV engine arrives (which will go to 163 CV some time later), and with an integral transmission only. A Tiptronic gearbox was also available for all engines, although most users opted for the manual gearbox.
Inspiration from the past is also evident in the interior
In the spring of 2003, the TT became one of the first cars to feature a DSG gearbox. It was associated with the 250 hp 3.2-liter V6 engine, at the top of the range. Two years later, in 2005, this first generation says goodbye with a special series limited to a thousand units, only in a coupe body, equipped with a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine with 240 hp, lightened by 75 kilos thanks to the elimination of the spare wheel. and from the rear seats.
Second generation
The TT follows in the wake of the changes to the A3 and the Volkswagen Golf. Thus, in 2006, the TT debuts a new chassis with a five-link rear axle throughout the range, and grows in size: this second generation is almost 20 centimeters longer than the first. The bodywork is made up of two thirds of aluminium. The line is a little less personal, but retains the spirit of the first generation. The fixed wing added to the first one is now of the mobile type.
The second generation might not have been as advanced in style, but it was in technology.
The TT arrives first in a coupe body and a little later there is also a roadster. The engines are turbocharged, but even more sophisticated and powerful. The new 1.8 direct injection TFSI offers 160 CV, and is accompanied by a 2-liter 200 CV. These two blocks are optionally associated with a new generation Haldex integral transmission and the change can be manual or DSG. At the top of the range, there was a 250 hp 3.2-liter V6 with DSG transmission and Quattro drive as standard.
This second generation would also be characterized as the origin of the launch of the electronically controlled Magnetic Ride suspension (standard only on the V6) and the first high-performance version, the TTS, with a 2.0-liter TFSI with 272 hp with DSG change and quattro traction. Both versions were available as a coupe and a roadster.
And the third
In 2014, the third generation (FV/8S in factory designation) arrives, already on the new MQB platform of the Volkswagen group. The length barely increases 2 centimeters, the design becomes sportier (in the line of its older brother, the R8) and debuts the famous Audi Virtual Cockpit, a first at the time.
Under the front hood, the well-known 1.8 and 2.0 TFSI are seen with powers from 180 to 230 CV, with automatic and integral transmissions in all versions. The 2.0 TDI rises to 184 hp and is associated with a more efficient quattro Ultra integral transmission, which allows the rear axle to be disengaged at constant speed in order to reduce consumption.
The Audi TTS and TT RS, in the range since 2016, develop between 310 and 400 hp, with 0 to 100 km/h in 4.6 and 3.7 seconds respectively. With the model update in 2018, the 1.8 and diesel disappear. So today there is only the 2.0-liter in the 40 and 45 TFSI variants, with 197 and 245 CV, respectively, and a melodious 400 CV 5-cylinder (TT RS).
In 2023, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the launch of the TT, there will be a final edition based on the 400 PS RS. Called TT RS Iconic Edition, it will be produced in a limited series. Externally, it is distinguished by shiny black elements and a specific aerodynamic kit, 20-inch wheels and a spoiler taken from the competition, while inside the lucky owners of this model (only one hundred units) will be able to sit in RS sport seats with an exclusive upholstery.
The TT RS Iconic Edition, a farewell through the front door
very personal impressions
I remember as if it were today the first time I got on the TT, back in 1999. The original style of its interior, the aluminum, the leather… All quality, a perfect driving position… and a certain initial disappointment because the delivery of the 180 CV 1.8 T was so linear that it seemed that the expected “kick” was missing. A slightly slow gear change with too long ratios in the first three gears did not help either… It seemed too civilized, too “bourgeois” in relation to what was expected of its silhouette. But then came a mountain road, with many curves. and everything changed. There I already enjoyed an excellent, healthy chassis that hardly swayed, with a rear end that accompanied the front end perfectly, effective brakes and excellent ABS management. In the arms the effects of the 180 CV transmitted to the steering wheel were noticeable, but, in any case, the car was easy to place in the turns. A well-known lover of the classics told me not long ago that his unit, which had not been taken to the review call and did not incorporate ESP, produces “very funny sensations”.
In this year of 2022 that is ending, I have also had the opportunity to test a TT, a 245 CV 45 TFSI with a quattro transmission and the 7-speed S tronic transmission. During our test, a summer downpour fully appreciated the very high level of active safety of our coupé. The latest generation quattro all-wheel drive combined with ESP can send all the torque to the front or rear wheels to provide optimal grip. The soft but precise and direct steering accentuates the incisive side of the front end that agrees to turn what we ask of it with the steering even if we go too far with the wheel. The rear axle offers enough mobility to enter the sports car in sharp turns without clenching your teeth. With the excellent lowered S Line suspensions, this very rigid sports chassis dramatically reduces body roll. The brakes also give complete satisfaction.
Despite the presence of a particulate filter, the 2.0 TFSI continues to sing in the cabin. The low-pitched music isn’t as noble as that of an old 3.2-liter V6, but it still sends chills. At 245bhp, performance is serious, but we’d like the S Tronic gearbox in this TT, which reaches its limits in manual use, where it automatically upshifts when approaching cut-off and refuses to downshift beyond 4000 rpm, would allow full control of manual mode as in the TT RS. That said, the Audi TT 45 TFSI was very nice and fun to drive in a sporty way, and at the same time easy to drive in a calm way and with a consumption that is laughably low in a 245 hp car (how progress has been made in this field…), a versatility behind the wheel that we also find in daily use thanks to its extra rear seats and its spacious trunk. A true adult toy, as the TT has always been.
Unfortunately, the adventure that began in the 1990s will soon come to an end for the little coupe with the four rings. Audi CEO Markus Duesmann announced in late 2020 that the TT would not be replaced, at least not directly. If there is a replacement, it should take the form of a 100-percent electric mini e-tron GT. In other words, if we want to see it in our garage, if we want to enjoy this 3-door coupé with its almost virgin curves -although today the line is a little more incisive- and recognizable among a thousand since its launch in 1998, we have to decide now, or either for a classic of the first or second batch, or for the latest units of the third generation.
And don’t forget that, at certain stages of life, whims are urgencies….