Cool to look at, and a great parade
looker, but the real purpose of the drive was to learn how the
new Audi TT performs.And in the case of the TT, perform is the operative word.
The
"TT" designation on the car is the abbreviation of one
of the greatest automotive racing events of all time, for which
the car is named - paying homage to the "Tourist Trophy."
The road race was held from 1905 until 1922 on the Isle of Man.
The difficult, daring road course was the perfect name for Audi's
sporty, compact sprinter with a high top speed - all characteristics
that link the TT models of yesterday and today.
In looking for words to aptly describe the car, I came up with
these: Pure. Unabashed. Authentic. Attainable. Simple, powerful words that best describe the car that
embodies all of these ideas. The car itself is the birth of something new
at Audi, a sports car tradition. Though Audi has raced successfully
over the years in various classes of production cars, this is
the carmakers' first flirting with genuine, all-or-nothing sports
machines. And they've entered the world of sporting production cars with
the loud bang of the new TT.
This well-bred German sports car comes immediately with the best
credentials. Its résumé starts with a 180 horsepower,
1.8 litre intercooled turbocharged dual overhead-cam, four cylinder
engine with 5-valves per cylinder and direct ignition. That's
a complicated, efficient powerplant that scoots the lightweight
car around quite nicely. Front-wheel drive with quattro, the five speed gearbox is amazingly
sharp, the hydraulic clutch is smooth. Other mechanical systems are standard fare - full anti-lock disc
brakes, independent suspension, sixteen-inch aluminum alloy wheels.
While performance in a car of this nature is a given and easily
competitive, its design promises and delivers an experience like
few other sports cars on the road can compare. I liken the car in the class of the recent Mazda RX7 and even
the Porsche Boxster. Even the new 2000 model Mitsubishi Eclipse
bears a striking resemblance to the TT except for price and performance.
The cover story of the current issue of Automobile magazine features
"the coolest cars for $30,000," among which is the Audi
TT quattro, BMW 323Ci, Ford SVT Mustang, Honda S3000 and oddly
enough, the Toyota Tundra pickup. The TT base price is $32,250
which is about $4,000 more expensive than the BMW, and it's the
BMW and Audi TT that are the only two German cars, and the two
coolest of the lot in my opinion.
The TT is devoid of decorator touches, wood trim and luxury car
stuffing. The interior celebrates the forgotten pleasure of functional honesty.
With materials of aluminum, leather and stainless steel used throughout,
it is a visual and tactile feast where everything looks and feels
screwed together by hand. And it all probably was.
What's most exciting about the TT is actually driving it. Equipped
with the optional quattro system, things get real fun. Its forgiving
nature allows for more aggressive driving on road courses and
free use of the throttle and brakes to correct late or early turn
entry or exit. It's less likely to get upset under full throttle
or braking, and body roll is tamed by it's superior suspension.
At just over $32,000 its more sports car than the price suggests,
and a real hoot to drive.
