The Audi TT, a car synonymous with performance and distinctive design, has carved a niche for itself in the automotive world. This article delves into the history, evolution, and enduring appeal of the Audi TT, highlighting its impact on Audi's trajectory and its place as a future classic.
In its most benign form, it is a timelessly attractive grocery getter you can park in your garage for a third of the cost of the average used car in America. The range-topping version, however, represents five cylinders and four wheels of turbocharged muscle wrapped in aggressive bodywork that can hit 60 miles per hour in just 3.6 seconds.
Between those diametrically opposed bookends rest a slew of coupes and roadsters designed to appeal to performance-minded drivers who value distinctiveness over practicality. The Audi TT is, and one that looked so much like the concept that preceded production that the motoring public could hardly believe Audi wasn’t pulling a fast one on them. The 1998 Audi TT shared much of its chassis with the humblest of hatchbacks: the Volkswagen Golf. But if a few tweaks can turn a Beetle into a Karmann Ghia (not to mention the Porsche 356, though that was admittedly more than a subtle overhaul), so can fresh duds and a bevy of bolt-ons borrowed from the GTI turn a Golf into an Audi. If the TT’s unpretentious bloodline bothers you, consider that the contemporary Golf actually used underpinnings that debuted with the Audi A3. Origin story aside, the Audi TT deserves its spot on our list of future classics if for no other reason than its place in history as a design darling. Here are five more reasons you may want to park a TT in your garage for safekeeping. The original TT was a looker, but the redesigned version for 2008 was a better car. A desirable 250-horsepower 3.2-liter V6 carried over from the first generation, and the 2009 TTS brought with it a 265-hp turbocharged four. But it was the TT RS that combined the nameplate with Audi’s legendary five-cylinder turbo engine, which spun out a healthy 340 hp in this generation. For the ultimate Audi TT experience, look no further than the third-generation RS that came in 2017. Lighter than before, the final version of the TT was a perfect place to put Audi’s ultimate 394-hp 2.5-liter engine. Its run to 60 in 3.6 seconds is impressive, its 174-mph top speed is overkill, and its high-tech and stiff chassis is a delight to throw around both racetracks and backroads alike. Audi’s love for the five-cylinder runs deep. The original Quattro featured a 2.1-liter inline-five that divided its 172 horsepower evenly to all four wheels. It was a rallying revelation and certified collectible today, and the atypical engine format made its triumphant return in the TT RS.commemorated the Ur-Quattro with five heritage colors inspired by its forebear. It was a fitting farewell to two cars intrinsically linked by five plumb pistons.— DirektSchaltGetriebe or Direct Shift Gearbox — is today a well-known quantity. But when it was first introduced to the world bolted to the VR6-based engine in the 2004 Audi TT, it was practically black magic. The idea of twin clutches that take turns sending torque through a single output shaft makes perfect sense on paper and works just as well in the real world. In recent years, automakers such as BMW, Chevrolet, Ferrari, Ford, Hyundai, McLaren, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and Porsche (the Doppelkupplungsgetriebe, or PDK for short) have jumped on the dual-clutch bandwagon, and for good reason. It’s almost universally acclaimed as an excellent transmission design for performance cars. But it’s Audi (and parent company VW, of course) that got to production first. The Isle of Man Tourist Trophy is known as one of the greatest and most dangerous racing spectacles in the world. Each year, brave riders take to the island’s notorious Snaefell Mountain Course in search of victories and lap records … on two wheels, not four. So why would Audi choose to name one of the most exciting cars it had produced in years after a motorcycle race? Audi traces its history back across a wide array of vehicle manufacturers, two of which were NSU and DKW. Back when Audi was part of the Auto Union foursome, NSU and DKW earned their two-wheeled competition stripes with motorcycles that daredevils piloted at the TT. In fact, NSU notched trophies as early as 1907. While the Audi TT ma
AUDI TT Performance Cars Design Classics Future Classics Automotive History Direct Shift Gearbox Five-Cylinder Engines
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