16 Jun 05
Audi's TT is one of the most instantly recognisable cars on the road, a landmark in automotive design and a classic in the making. Thing is, there's rather a lot of them around these days, and familiarity has bred, if not contempt, then a feeling that the TT isn't quite as special as it once seemed. Now its styling has less power to override all other considerations, Audi needs to keep up interest in the range, maintain a sense of exclusivity and address the criticisms that although it looks fantastic, the TT has never been the most engaging or focussed driver's car, and it has now come under fire from newer challengers such as the wonderful Nissan 350Z, the utterly unique Mazda RX-8 and the much-improved new-generation Mercedes-Benz SLK.
The TT quattro Sport coupe is the proposed answer to the dilemma: just 1000 will be made, which means that there won't be one on every block in West London, for a start. Distinguishable from common-or-garden TT coupes with its two-tone paint scheme (black panels for the roof, pillars and mirror housings in combination with either Avus Silver, Phantom Black, Mauritius Blue or Misano Red paint) and unique 18-inch, 15-spoke alloy wheels, plus the same body kit as fitted to the TT 3.2 V6, it's also been tweaked and tuned for sports-minded drivers. Suspension settings have been revised for sharper and better-balanced cornering, V6-spec brakes fitted and the new wheels are wider at the rear for improved grip - not that the four-wheel drive quattro TTs are short on this.
The headline-grabbing changes to this TT, however, are the increase in power from the 1.8-litre turbocharged engine - now giving 240bhp and 236lb ft of torque - and the reduction in weight by 49kg to 1416kg. This has been achieved by replacing the spare wheel with what Audi euphemistically terms a "tyre mobility system" (a can of get-you-home sealant spray) and by taking out the rear parcel shelf and rear seats. The area behind the driver gains a silver-painted bracing bar to enhance rigidity - which looks the part, too - and two racing-style Recaro bucket seats fitted for the driver and front passenger.
