There are 2 body styles that the TT is offered in. The coupe has the best performance creds simply because of its rigid body structure. But the roadster/convertible’s near immediate access to top down driving is really hard to resist.
The styling on the TT is both striking and elegant. One glance communicates what the car is all about. Its sporty, its fun but it’s also festooned with up-scale design details and cues. There are many interesting and entertaining elements to this car. Everything from the brushed metal fuel filler cap to the dual looped functional roll bars sets the car apart.
The interior is also a study in design. The steering wheel’s racecar-like flat bottom is actually very nice feeling. The Bose audio system is optimized for top down driving. The optional baseball-glove leather interior is truly unique. It’s like sitting in a giant catcher’s mitt and yes it is comfortable.
Our test TT Roadster was the base model, Quattro all wheel drive, S-Tronic transmission and Prestige trim level with the ball-glove interior. With the convertible top up, the car offered a very comfortable driving experience. With the press of a button, the power top folded into its storage space and the open air party begins.
The base model TT is powered by a 2.0 liter turbocharged 4 cylinder engine good for 200 horsepower. This is a high efficiency direct injection motor that also yields an EPA highway economy rating of 29 miles per gallon. Audi has a leading edge 6 speed S-Tronic transmission which is an automatically shifting manual transmission. It uses dry clutches like a manual transmission rather than a torque converter but the shifting is done either automatically or with paddle shifters. There is no clutch pedal. The result is very efficient transmission with no slippage and excellent fuel economy.
The TTS is the performance variant of the TT. It is more athletic and its turbocharged 2.0 liter engine produces 265 horsepower and can rocket the car to 60 miles an hour in a mere 5.1 seconds. Amazingly, it also gets the coveted 29 mpg fuel economy rating.
The TT is both fun and elegant. With its efficient power train and miserly consumption, it’s guilt-free sporting at its best.
