2011 Audi TT, TTS Get Updated

• Competes with: BMW Z4, Mercedes-Benz SLK, Infiniti G37
• Looks like: Mild exterior changes hide a nice engine upgrade
• Drivetrain: 211-hp, turbocharged four-cylinder or 265-hp, turbocharged four-cylinder; all-wheel drive; dual-clutch automatic transmission
• Hits dealerships: TT in early 2011, TTS in fall 2010

We’re big fans of the underachieving Audi TT. It’s a unique, small, luxury sport coupe and convertible. It’s nimble and light, and the cockpit is a marvel in sports car styling. Its main drawback was the engine choices, with the base turbo being a bit too slow and the 3.2-liter six-cylinder sporting more power but adding weight.

The 3.2 was dropped for 2010, and it doesn't return for 2011. Instead, the base model’s engine gets some serious updating and now produces 211 horsepower and 258 pounds-feet of torque, a major bump from the outgoing model’s 200 hp and 207 pounds-feet of torque. It’s mated to a dual-clutch transmission, which should boost mileage over the outgoing TT’s 21/29 mpg city/highway.
 
These changes should make the base TT noticeably faster. No zero-to-60 times have been determined, but the zero-to-62 mph figure for Europe clocked in at 5.6 seconds, so the zero-to-60 time should be shorter by a few clicks. The 2010 TT recorded a zero-to-60 time of 5.9 seconds.

A magnetic ride suspension will be offered as an option, which will allow for adjustable suspension settings.
 
The TTS’ engine remains unchanged at 265 hp and 258 pounds-feet of torque. Both models only come with all-wheel drive. The TTS also returns mileage figures of 21/29 mpg.
 
The exterior changes are slight but bring the model up to date with the rest of the Audi lineup and streamline the previous generation's bulbous bumpers.
 
No pricing was announced, but the outgoing TT starts at $37,800 for the coupe and $40,800 for the roadster. The 2010 TTS starts at $45,900 and $48,900 for coupe and roadster, respectively.
 
More photos are below.

Recall Alert: Audi A3, TT, TT Roadster

Audi is recalling 2,500 A3s, TTs and TT roadsters from the 2009 model year equipped with S tronic transmissions. A very small number of 2010 A3s are also included. The recall involves models built between September 2008 and August 2009.  

The recall is due to a fault in the transmission that leads to warning lights going off in the dashboard. In severe cases, the transmission will shift into neutral while driving. Audi will inspect and repair all models included in the recall.

Audi will begin contacting owners over the next few weeks, but you can contact Audi’s help line at 1-800-253-AUDI (2834).

2009|Audi|A3

2009|Audi|TT

2009 Audi TTS Video

What difference can one little letter make? With better gas mileage and more power than the Audi TT, the 2009 Audi TTS proves the answer is, quite a bit. Cars.com’s Joe Bruzek had the chance to take the TTS out for a spin on the back roads of Georgia, and while we won’t give away the entire video review, the words “turbo-fun” do leave his mouth. Watch the full video to find out his other impressions of the TTS.

Audi Unveils New Diesel Sports Car

Audi already had a fairly good claim to innovative diesel engine technology. After all, this is the company that invented the turbo-charged, direct-injection diesel engine, and the one that debuted a 12-cylinder diesel R8 Supercar concept at the Detroit auto show.

Now, Audi’s bringing diesel to a production-series sports car with the TT 2.0 TDI in both coupe and roadster versions, making it the first automaker in this field. The 2.0-liter engine paired with a six-speed manual transmission can achieve zero to 60 mph in about 7.5 seconds and a top speed of 140 mph. The engine generates 170 hp and 258 pounds-feet of torque.

Not to say that any of those numbers are pedestrian, but the real eyebrow-raiser is this: Audi says the coupe gets 44 mpg and the roadster 42 mpg.

Of course, the TT 2.0 TDI is meant for diesel-hungry Europe, but it’s not outside the realm of possibility that Audi might bring it stateside if diesels begin to crack the U.S. market. Audi already has plans to bring its diesel SUV, the 2009 Q7, to the U.S. this year.

Audi Puts a Diesel in the TT; First Diesel-Equipped Series-Production Sports Cars (Green Car Congress)
Audi Discovers Diesel’s Sporty Side in the TT 2.0 TDI (Autopia)

Up Close: 2009 Audi TTS

While other journalists ogled over Audi's 500-hp R8 TDI concept, I stole some time snooping around the two-door TTS. The cabin has the same rear-to-the-ground feeling of the regular TT, though the two-tone leather in the show car livens things up a bit. It's even wrapped around the inboard side of the footwells. Nice. Like with other S cars, the exterior changes — among them new wheels and custom brake calipers — make for a subtly menacing look. It works until you get to the silver side mirrors, which seem like an unnecessary embellishment. Maybe it was the lighting.

2008 Detroit Auto Show: 2009 Audi TTS

• Competes with: Porsche Cayman S, BMW M, Mercedes-Benz SLK AMG
• Looks like: The new Audi TT coupe and convertible, but a little meaner — if that’s possible
• Drivetrain: 272-hp, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder with six-speed manual or six-speed automatic
• Hits dealerships: November 2008

The Audi TT was redesigned for 2007, getting an impressive 250-hp six-cylinder version that’s available as both a coupe and a convertible. That kind of pedestrian power is slightly overshadowed, however, by the TTS, which will sport a pumped-up version of the base TT’s 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder. The resulting 272 hp — which is a preliminary number — and 258 pounds-feet of torque should be quite nice.

The TTS also gets new 18-inch wheels and new headlights with LED daytime running lights. Interior materials include Alcantara and leather in four color combinations.

What we’re not sure about is whether there’s really a huge demand for such a vehicle. Considering the fact that the top-of-the-line TT coupe comes in at $41,500 — and other S variants in Audi’s lineup command a $10,000 premium over their regular counterparts — the TTS may have a pretty hefty price tag; we’re not sure we’d part with $50,000-plus for one. A Porsche Cayman S starts at $59,100 and a BMW M coupe is $50,100. Will the TTS find a place between the two? Check out more photos below and let us know what you think about the pumped-up TT.

2008 Audi TT: Cars.com Video

Joe Wiesenfelder gives another in-depth look at a significant new 2008 model. This time we get to check out the 2008 Audi TT. Were you wondering how the spoiler pops out of the rear of the car? Wonder no longer. Were you hoping to see a red TT on winding country roads and on the track? Wait no more. Then, tell us what you think below.

Related
The Urban DINK: 2008 Audi TT (KickingTires)
Don't Call it a Concept: Audi TT Clubsport Quattro (KickingTires)
Audi's DVR-Focused TT Ads (KickingTires)
More Audi TT News (KickingTires)
Research 2008 Audi TT (Cars.com)

Don't Call it a Concept: Audi TT Clubsport Quattro

We don’t know why they did it, but Audi has designed a new concept car based on the all-new TT roadster. They call the TT Clubsport Quattro a “study,” and it sports a radical look, a 300-hp turbocharged four-cylinder engine and a DSG transmission. There’s obviously significant new body work and a new suspension, too. We’re just wondering what the heck this is supposed to be.

Will Audi release a radically styled S or RS trim for the TT, something it didn’t do for the past model? Is it just a flight of fancy? We’re not sure. For now, check out our image gallery.

Audi TT Clubsport Quattro Study

Audi's DVR-Focused TT Ads

Audi launched a new television ad campaign yesterday for its TT coupe and roadster that features a slew of .02-second-long video shots that, when viewed normally, go by in a flash. The commercial then asks you to rewind to see what the heck you just missed.

It’s an intriguing idea considering Audi’s target audience is likely to be watching TV on a DVR. You can check out the ad here. Now, the big question we have for our savvy readers is this: If you use a DVR, don’t you just skip all the commercials anyway?

Sometimes you might fast-forward past a commercial that catches your eye and go back, but it looks like no one will be able to even catch a glimpse of the Audi ad at all. We’ll have to wait and see if it has its desired effect.

This ad is part of Audi’s new campaign, “Truth in Engineering.” Not exactly “The Ultimate Driving Machine,” is it? Don’t these car companies get it? Wouldn’t something like “Style and Substance” resonate more, or even at all? What would your Audi tagline be?

The Urban DINK: 2008 Audi TT

As you may have read, some of the Cars.com editorial staff got up-close-and-personal with a number of new cars this week. One I was really impressed with, and that fit the Urban DINK mold, was the all-new Audi TT coupe. The TT will also come in a convertible roadster body style later this year, but we just had the coupe on hand.

The old TT never appealed to me aesthetically. The lines were too bulbous and rounded, and it didn’t look like it was a performer. The new TT adds the big-mouth grille and aggressive head and taillights, though, and in red I’d have to say it was a looker.

Unlike most test drives I do, which last a full week of daily driving on normal roads, I was able to take the Audi TT on a real race track at Road America in Wisconsin. Then I took a decent jaunt out onto the relatively empty roads nearby, and then I even got to try the TT in an autocross setting. There might not have been a week of driving involved, but there was certainly enough to know that this car has some chops.