2009|Audi|A3
2009|Audi|TT
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 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)
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.
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.
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)
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 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?
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.
Audi’s all-new TT coupe and roadster debuted in the U.S. at the L.A. Auto Show last fall, but now we know when they’ll hit dealerships and how much they’ll cost. When the coupe arrives at U.S. dealerships in April it will carry a base sticker of $34,800, followed by the roadster in May with a base price of $36,800.
Both base prices are for the 200-hp, 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that is shared with the current A3 and A4 models. A 250-hp, 3.2-liter six-cylinder engine is also available and is matched to Audi’s Quattro all-wheel drive. It’s the only model offered with a six-speed manual standard. All other models feature a five-speed automatic with a manual shift feature; it’s a $1,400 option on the 3.2 Quattro.
Full prices are below.
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