TT [Official] Audi TT Cabrio
- Thread starter Gianclaudio
- Start date
donkeykong
Track Technician
He's serious....
Who needs AC when you buy a convertible? You have the top down most of the time when it's nice sunny days only maybe in traffic will you need it if it's sweltering but otherwise it's great to have wind in your hair! That's why they called hairdressers cars! Haha
Rainer271
Kraftwagen König
Audi TT Roadster goes into production in Hungary
Audi TT Roadster production
The 2015 Audi TT Roadster has gone into production at the company's plant in Gy?r, Hungary.
Set to become the forth model built at the plant, the TT Roadster has a stylish exterior with a power folding fabric roof which opens and closes in 10 seconds and can be operated at speeds up to 50 km/h (31.1 mph).
Under the hood, three different engines will be available. The 2.0-liter TFSI produces 230 PS (169 kW) and 370 Nm (273 lb ft) of torque, while the 2.0-liter TDI cranks out 184 PS (135 kW) and 380 Nm (280 lb-ft) of torque. If that's not powerful enough, the TT S has a turbocharged 2.0-liter TFSI four-cylinder engine that develops 310 PS (228 kW) and 380 Nm (280 lb-ft) of torque. It enables the roadster to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in as little as 4.9 seconds before hitting an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph).
In a statement, Audi CEO Rupert Stadler said “The start of production of the new Audi TT Roadster underscores Audi Hungaria’s position in our worldwide production network." He added, “The Gy?r site makes a significant contribution to our growth and strengthens our international competitiveness.”
Source: Audi
Audi TT Roadster production
The 2015 Audi TT Roadster has gone into production at the company's plant in Gy?r, Hungary.
Set to become the forth model built at the plant, the TT Roadster has a stylish exterior with a power folding fabric roof which opens and closes in 10 seconds and can be operated at speeds up to 50 km/h (31.1 mph).
Under the hood, three different engines will be available. The 2.0-liter TFSI produces 230 PS (169 kW) and 370 Nm (273 lb ft) of torque, while the 2.0-liter TDI cranks out 184 PS (135 kW) and 380 Nm (280 lb-ft) of torque. If that's not powerful enough, the TT S has a turbocharged 2.0-liter TFSI four-cylinder engine that develops 310 PS (228 kW) and 380 Nm (280 lb-ft) of torque. It enables the roadster to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in as little as 4.9 seconds before hitting an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph).
In a statement, Audi CEO Rupert Stadler said “The start of production of the new Audi TT Roadster underscores Audi Hungaria’s position in our worldwide production network." He added, “The Gy?r site makes a significant contribution to our growth and strengthens our international competitiveness.”
Source: Audi
JHF
Driving Dynamics Pro
Audi TT Roadster Tornado rood exclusive
http://www.audiblog.nl/2014/12/audi-tt-roadster-tornado-rood-exclusive/
http://www.audiblog.nl/2014/12/audi-tt-roadster-tornado-rood-exclusive/
Berlin.
Rainer271
Kraftwagen König
JHF
Driving Dynamics Pro
Audi TT Roadster 2.0 TFSI quattro review
New Audi TT Roadster is the lightest, fastest and cleanest car in its class
Verdict
4
The Audi TT Roadster is another beautifully designed package from Audi, inside and out. There’s a feeling of solidity to everything you touch and cutting edge technology wherever you turn. The addition of a folding fabric roof, hasn’t damaged the coupe’s handling too much, but it’s still no match for a Porsche Boxster. Drive swiftly but sensibly though and the TT’s smooth turbocharged engine and four-wheel drive grip let you carry effortless speed through the corners, and makes you look and feel fantastic while you’re doing it, which is what a sports car is all about.
Audi isn’t taking any chances with the third-generation Audi TT Roadster. It’s the lightest, fastest and cleanest car in the premium roadster class – blowing away both the BMW Z4 and Mercedes SLK in a game of top trumps - and after casting our eye over its chiselled bodywork, we can confidently say it’s the best-looking, too.
We know the new TT’s design isn’t revolutionary, but it’s hard not to be seduced by its perfect proportions and angular surfacing. The Roadster loses the Coupe’s two cramped rear seats, and gains a flatter boot deck and a pair of rollover hoops, but retains the Coupe’s precision-sculpted bodywork, sharp front grille and criss-cross LED light signature for the headlights and taillights.
With the fabric roof in place the TT will still turn heads, but the real magic happens when you remove it. The slimmed-down, twin-motor mechanism weighs 3kg less than its predecessor and takes just 10 seconds to pile itself neatly behind your head, where it doesn’t cut into the shallow 280-litre boot - just 25-litres less than the Coupe). You can drop it at speeds up 31mph, too; do so and it shows off the TT’s greatest asset – its incredible interior.
New additions to the cabin include a £1,695 ‘open-top driving package’ consisting of head-level seat heating that blows warm air down the back of your neck, an electric wind deflector and heated ‘Super Sports’ seats. We’d recommend opting for it if you plan on getting the roof down any time other than the height of summer.
The rest of the interior is carried over from the Coupe, but its worth reiterating sheer quality of the materials, plus the brilliance of the 12.3-inch ‘virtual cockpit’ behind the wheel and the air-con controls integrated into the vents – both of which form the backbone of an interior design with less clutter than anything else on the road.
There’s a reassuring depth of engineering, too. Thanks to the adoption of the steel and aluminium MQB platform, it’s roughly the same weight as its predecessor, despite a load of extra equipment. Reinforcements along the sills and across the rear bulkhead add 90kg over the equivalent Coupe, but at 1,395kg for the 2.0 TFSI, front-wheel drive, manual version it’s still impressively light.
Engine choices include the 181bhp 2.0 TDI ‘Ultra’, only available with a six-speed manual gearbox and front wheel drive and capable of returning 65.7mpg and 114g/km of CO2. At the other end of the scale is the quattro-only 306bhp TTS, while the entry-level 227bhp 2.0 TFSI come with front or quattro four-wheel drive and the choice of a manual or six-speed dual-clutch S tronic gearbox.
We drove the 227bhp 2.0 TFSI S tronic quattro– a combination that caught our eye on the Coupe, and once again it didn’t disappoint. Four-cylinder turbocharged engines don’t get any freer-revving than this, or sound any better for that matter - there's a throaty bark every time you prod the throttle, especially in Dynamic mode - the sportiest of five ‘Drive Select’ settings for the throttle, steering, gearbox and suspension if adaptive magnetic dampers are fitted. The gearbox is beautifully intuitive, too, shifting right on cue in auto mode and pinging instantly up and down the gears when you use the paddles behind the wheel.
With 370Nm of torque, only 10Nm less than the TTS, it can be driven in a variety of ways: either by riding the torque in a higher gear and keeping things smooth or unlocking the engine’s full potential higher up in the rev range. We also grabbed a go in the TTS to compare the two states of tune, and while the TTS punches significantly harder down the straights, it’s the lower-powered version that feels sweeter on public roads, because it lets you deploy more of its performance more of the time.
The updated four-wheel drive system, which can send up to 100 per cent of torque to the rear axle if needed, is a nice security net to have, especially is the road surface is greasy. But don’t think because Audi claims ‘safe, controllable drifts are possible on low-friction surfaces,’ that it’s now a match for the Porsche Boxster dynamically. The handling is secure, stability in corners is superb, but it still tends towards understeer on the limit and always feels best being driven at seven-tenths, rather than on the ragged edge.
The variable ratio steering, which quickens up the more you turn the wheel, helps the TT Roadster to feel more agile than either of its predecessors, but there’s barely any feedback on what the front wheels are up to. Despite the 19-inch wheels on our S line test car, the ride wasn’t nearly as punishing as Audis of old - that’s because firmer and 10mm lower sports suspension is mercifully a no-cost option, and wasn’t added. As a result it rode with a reassuring firmess for a sports car, but didn’t crash over every crack and hollow.
With the three-layer hood up, refinement is good but not perfect. There was an annoying whistle from wind passing over the driver-side wing mirror (although we didn’t have the same problem on the TTS), while over rough motorway surfaces there’s more tyre roar than you get with the Coupe. Drop the roof and with the windows and wind deflector in place the cabin is remarkably calm, you can even make a hands-free call using the microphone built into the seatbelt.
Only two trim levels will be offered to UK buyers – Sport and S line – both of which come with the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster as standard. The former costs £2,550 less than S line, but still comes with Alcantara and leather sports seats, 18-inch wheels and LED running lights, while S line adds 19-inch rims, LED headlights and chunkier bodywork.
Key specs
New Audi TT Roadster is the lightest, fastest and cleanest car in its class
Verdict
4
The Audi TT Roadster is another beautifully designed package from Audi, inside and out. There’s a feeling of solidity to everything you touch and cutting edge technology wherever you turn. The addition of a folding fabric roof, hasn’t damaged the coupe’s handling too much, but it’s still no match for a Porsche Boxster. Drive swiftly but sensibly though and the TT’s smooth turbocharged engine and four-wheel drive grip let you carry effortless speed through the corners, and makes you look and feel fantastic while you’re doing it, which is what a sports car is all about.
Audi isn’t taking any chances with the third-generation Audi TT Roadster. It’s the lightest, fastest and cleanest car in the premium roadster class – blowing away both the BMW Z4 and Mercedes SLK in a game of top trumps - and after casting our eye over its chiselled bodywork, we can confidently say it’s the best-looking, too.
We know the new TT’s design isn’t revolutionary, but it’s hard not to be seduced by its perfect proportions and angular surfacing. The Roadster loses the Coupe’s two cramped rear seats, and gains a flatter boot deck and a pair of rollover hoops, but retains the Coupe’s precision-sculpted bodywork, sharp front grille and criss-cross LED light signature for the headlights and taillights.
With the fabric roof in place the TT will still turn heads, but the real magic happens when you remove it. The slimmed-down, twin-motor mechanism weighs 3kg less than its predecessor and takes just 10 seconds to pile itself neatly behind your head, where it doesn’t cut into the shallow 280-litre boot - just 25-litres less than the Coupe). You can drop it at speeds up 31mph, too; do so and it shows off the TT’s greatest asset – its incredible interior.
New additions to the cabin include a £1,695 ‘open-top driving package’ consisting of head-level seat heating that blows warm air down the back of your neck, an electric wind deflector and heated ‘Super Sports’ seats. We’d recommend opting for it if you plan on getting the roof down any time other than the height of summer.
The rest of the interior is carried over from the Coupe, but its worth reiterating sheer quality of the materials, plus the brilliance of the 12.3-inch ‘virtual cockpit’ behind the wheel and the air-con controls integrated into the vents – both of which form the backbone of an interior design with less clutter than anything else on the road.
There’s a reassuring depth of engineering, too. Thanks to the adoption of the steel and aluminium MQB platform, it’s roughly the same weight as its predecessor, despite a load of extra equipment. Reinforcements along the sills and across the rear bulkhead add 90kg over the equivalent Coupe, but at 1,395kg for the 2.0 TFSI, front-wheel drive, manual version it’s still impressively light.
Engine choices include the 181bhp 2.0 TDI ‘Ultra’, only available with a six-speed manual gearbox and front wheel drive and capable of returning 65.7mpg and 114g/km of CO2. At the other end of the scale is the quattro-only 306bhp TTS, while the entry-level 227bhp 2.0 TFSI come with front or quattro four-wheel drive and the choice of a manual or six-speed dual-clutch S tronic gearbox.
We drove the 227bhp 2.0 TFSI S tronic quattro– a combination that caught our eye on the Coupe, and once again it didn’t disappoint. Four-cylinder turbocharged engines don’t get any freer-revving than this, or sound any better for that matter - there's a throaty bark every time you prod the throttle, especially in Dynamic mode - the sportiest of five ‘Drive Select’ settings for the throttle, steering, gearbox and suspension if adaptive magnetic dampers are fitted. The gearbox is beautifully intuitive, too, shifting right on cue in auto mode and pinging instantly up and down the gears when you use the paddles behind the wheel.
With 370Nm of torque, only 10Nm less than the TTS, it can be driven in a variety of ways: either by riding the torque in a higher gear and keeping things smooth or unlocking the engine’s full potential higher up in the rev range. We also grabbed a go in the TTS to compare the two states of tune, and while the TTS punches significantly harder down the straights, it’s the lower-powered version that feels sweeter on public roads, because it lets you deploy more of its performance more of the time.
The updated four-wheel drive system, which can send up to 100 per cent of torque to the rear axle if needed, is a nice security net to have, especially is the road surface is greasy. But don’t think because Audi claims ‘safe, controllable drifts are possible on low-friction surfaces,’ that it’s now a match for the Porsche Boxster dynamically. The handling is secure, stability in corners is superb, but it still tends towards understeer on the limit and always feels best being driven at seven-tenths, rather than on the ragged edge.
The variable ratio steering, which quickens up the more you turn the wheel, helps the TT Roadster to feel more agile than either of its predecessors, but there’s barely any feedback on what the front wheels are up to. Despite the 19-inch wheels on our S line test car, the ride wasn’t nearly as punishing as Audis of old - that’s because firmer and 10mm lower sports suspension is mercifully a no-cost option, and wasn’t added. As a result it rode with a reassuring firmess for a sports car, but didn’t crash over every crack and hollow.
With the three-layer hood up, refinement is good but not perfect. There was an annoying whistle from wind passing over the driver-side wing mirror (although we didn’t have the same problem on the TTS), while over rough motorway surfaces there’s more tyre roar than you get with the Coupe. Drop the roof and with the windows and wind deflector in place the cabin is remarkably calm, you can even make a hands-free call using the microphone built into the seatbelt.
Only two trim levels will be offered to UK buyers – Sport and S line – both of which come with the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster as standard. The former costs £2,550 less than S line, but still comes with Alcantara and leather sports seats, 18-inch wheels and LED running lights, while S line adds 19-inch rims, LED headlights and chunkier bodywork.
Key specs
- Price: £37,555
- Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
- Transmission: Six-speed S tronic, four-wheel drive
- Power/torque: 227bhp/370Nm
- 0-62mph: 5.6 seconds
- Top speed: 155mph
- Economy/CO2: 42.2mpg/154g/km
- On sale: Now
JHF
Driving Dynamics Pro
2016 Audi TT Roadster
Open-top goodness.
The original Audi TT was shown first in coupe form, but its iconic shape has always worked especially well as a roadster. Now Audi is launching the top-down variant of the third-generation TT. We drove the coupe at the Ascari racetrack last summer, and now we’re just back from the mountains on the island of Mallorca, perhaps the most perfect setting for the topless TT.
The TT roadster’s exterior design is evolutionary and shares its proportions with the two preceding generations. The sheetmetal is slightly more chiseled and angular, and with the Audi rings moved to the hood, R8-style, the grille becomes even more dominant and aggressive than before. At the rear, the third brake light spans the entire width of the vehicle, connecting the taillamps. The Audi is still compact overall, a welcome trait in congested places like New York City and San Francisco.
Greater changes have taken place under the skin, which is stretched over the Volkswagen Group's weight-saving MQB architecture. There is an impressive range of assistance and telematics systems, but the show-stealer is the new dashboard, which reduces clutter to a minimum (although distraction may increase). The 12.3-inch TFT display in front of the driver renders a central screen superfluous, and with the controls on the steering wheel, even the MMI controller and touchpad on the center console are redundant. (Audi has retained the knob and pad for the benefit of the front-seat passenger.)
Under the hood, Audi has packed two versions of the ubiquitous EA888 2.0-liter TFSI engine. In the TT roadster, it makes 220 horsepower; the TTS roadster gets 292 horsepower, but don’t get too excited, as only the regular droptop TT is coming to the U.S. market. The 2.0-liter is paired with the VW Group's DQ250 "wet" six-speed dual-clutch automatic. It provides ultraquick and seamless shifts, and the powertrain is tuned to bark delightfully when shifting at full throttle. In normal operation, the TT's soundtrack is pleasantly silky and free of unwanted vibrations.
Most customers will be served perfectly well by the 220-hp engine. We expect it will zip from zero to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds, with the top speed governed at 155 mph. Although it’s not yet EPA-rated, we predict the TT’s window sticker will trumpet fuel-economy figures of 24 mpg city and 32 mpg highway.
The MQB architecture is front-drive-based, but the TT comes standard with all-wheel drive and the car eagerly rotates in corners. The electromechanical power steering is on the light side, but it offers sufficient feedback, and driving the roadster fast is absolutely effortless. It’s as playful as it is forgiving—in marked contrast to the first-generation TT, which was prone to lift-off oversteer at high speeds.
The TT roadster loses the virtually unusable rear seats of the coupe, instead using the space for the folded fabric top, which opens and closes in a scant 10 seconds. Even with the top lowered, the trunk retains a capacity of 9.9 cubic feet. The interior is protected from excessive wind buffeting, and you will find yourself lowering the top a lot, even in cool weather. The driver and passenger enjoy sufficient space and plenty of comfort; as you’d expect from Audi, the cabin materials and workmanship are impeccable.
When it reaches U.S. shores sometime this summer, the TT roadster will face stiff competition from the likes of the BMW Z4, the Mercedes-Benz SLK, thePorsche Boxster, and the Nissan 370Z. If it's sheer power you're after, you might even want to cross-shop the new Corvette. But the TT roadster continues to masterfully blend style and sophistication, refinement and sportiness in ways many of its competitors don’t—even if Audi seems to prefer the car in coupe form.
SPECIFICATIONS
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door convertible
ESTIMATED BASE PRICE: $45,000
ENGINE TYPE: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, iron block and aluminum head, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 121 cu in, 1984 cc
Power: 220 hp @ 6200 rpm
Torque: 258 lb-ft @ 1600 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed dual-clutch automatic with manual shifting mode
DIMENSIONS (German market):
Wheelbase: 98.6 in
Length: 164.4 in
Width: 72.1 in Height: 53.3 in
Curb weight (C/D est): 3200 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST):
Zero to 60 mph: 5.2 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 13.0 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 13.7 sec
Top speed: 155 mph (governed)
FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST):
EPA city/highway: 24/32 mpg
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2016-audi-tt-roadster-first-drive-review
Open-top goodness.
The original Audi TT was shown first in coupe form, but its iconic shape has always worked especially well as a roadster. Now Audi is launching the top-down variant of the third-generation TT. We drove the coupe at the Ascari racetrack last summer, and now we’re just back from the mountains on the island of Mallorca, perhaps the most perfect setting for the topless TT.
The TT roadster’s exterior design is evolutionary and shares its proportions with the two preceding generations. The sheetmetal is slightly more chiseled and angular, and with the Audi rings moved to the hood, R8-style, the grille becomes even more dominant and aggressive than before. At the rear, the third brake light spans the entire width of the vehicle, connecting the taillamps. The Audi is still compact overall, a welcome trait in congested places like New York City and San Francisco.
Greater changes have taken place under the skin, which is stretched over the Volkswagen Group's weight-saving MQB architecture. There is an impressive range of assistance and telematics systems, but the show-stealer is the new dashboard, which reduces clutter to a minimum (although distraction may increase). The 12.3-inch TFT display in front of the driver renders a central screen superfluous, and with the controls on the steering wheel, even the MMI controller and touchpad on the center console are redundant. (Audi has retained the knob and pad for the benefit of the front-seat passenger.)
Under the hood, Audi has packed two versions of the ubiquitous EA888 2.0-liter TFSI engine. In the TT roadster, it makes 220 horsepower; the TTS roadster gets 292 horsepower, but don’t get too excited, as only the regular droptop TT is coming to the U.S. market. The 2.0-liter is paired with the VW Group's DQ250 "wet" six-speed dual-clutch automatic. It provides ultraquick and seamless shifts, and the powertrain is tuned to bark delightfully when shifting at full throttle. In normal operation, the TT's soundtrack is pleasantly silky and free of unwanted vibrations.
Most customers will be served perfectly well by the 220-hp engine. We expect it will zip from zero to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds, with the top speed governed at 155 mph. Although it’s not yet EPA-rated, we predict the TT’s window sticker will trumpet fuel-economy figures of 24 mpg city and 32 mpg highway.
The MQB architecture is front-drive-based, but the TT comes standard with all-wheel drive and the car eagerly rotates in corners. The electromechanical power steering is on the light side, but it offers sufficient feedback, and driving the roadster fast is absolutely effortless. It’s as playful as it is forgiving—in marked contrast to the first-generation TT, which was prone to lift-off oversteer at high speeds.
The TT roadster loses the virtually unusable rear seats of the coupe, instead using the space for the folded fabric top, which opens and closes in a scant 10 seconds. Even with the top lowered, the trunk retains a capacity of 9.9 cubic feet. The interior is protected from excessive wind buffeting, and you will find yourself lowering the top a lot, even in cool weather. The driver and passenger enjoy sufficient space and plenty of comfort; as you’d expect from Audi, the cabin materials and workmanship are impeccable.
When it reaches U.S. shores sometime this summer, the TT roadster will face stiff competition from the likes of the BMW Z4, the Mercedes-Benz SLK, thePorsche Boxster, and the Nissan 370Z. If it's sheer power you're after, you might even want to cross-shop the new Corvette. But the TT roadster continues to masterfully blend style and sophistication, refinement and sportiness in ways many of its competitors don’t—even if Audi seems to prefer the car in coupe form.
SPECIFICATIONS
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door convertible
ESTIMATED BASE PRICE: $45,000
ENGINE TYPE: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, iron block and aluminum head, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 121 cu in, 1984 cc
Power: 220 hp @ 6200 rpm
Torque: 258 lb-ft @ 1600 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed dual-clutch automatic with manual shifting mode
DIMENSIONS (German market):
Wheelbase: 98.6 in
Length: 164.4 in
Width: 72.1 in Height: 53.3 in
Curb weight (C/D est): 3200 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST):
Zero to 60 mph: 5.2 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 13.0 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 13.7 sec
Top speed: 155 mph (governed)
FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST):
EPA city/highway: 24/32 mpg
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2016-audi-tt-roadster-first-drive-review
JHF
Driving Dynamics Pro
2015 Audi TTS Roadster review
Fastest drop-top Audi offers rabid pace and open-air thrills, and now comes with decent handling and comfort, too
What is it?:
This is the fastest open-top TT around, so if you get your kicks from rorty acceleration and lots of fresh air, but still want a civilised daily driver in less thrill-seeking moments, the TTS Roadster could well be for you.
Other than tweaked settings for the standard adaptive dampers and the folding fabric roof that, together with structural stiffening measures, has added around 90kg, the Roadster is mechanically identical to theTTS coupe we tested last year.
That means a 306bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol motor, adaptive dampers and active four-wheel drive that can send 100% of available torque to either axle. A manual gearbox is standard, but our car came with the optional S tronic dual-clutch automatic.
What's it like?:
The pertinent question is whether taking the metal roof off has jellified the TT's body, and the good news is that it hasn’t.
There is a bit of flexing in really harsh direction changes, but it’s not enough to spoil the sharp, keyed-in sense of agility that characterises the TTS. The variable-ratio steering feels satisfyingly aggressive in hard cornering, yet doesn’t feel nervous in normal motorway or urban pottering, and the quattro magic keeps the TT feeling monstrously grippy and neutral.
It’s perhaps a bit of a shame that there isn’t a touch more sparkle to the handling near the limit. The TTS is still inclined to understeer first, and there’s not quite the willingness to be steered on the throttle that you’ll enjoy in the Golf R, which shares many of this car’s oily bits. Still, you can turn the car in with a bit of lift-off oversteer fairly easily, and body control is well-sorted enough that weight-transfer doesn’t get in the way.
Even better, this spirited handling hasn’t come at the cost of jarringly uncomfortable ride. Granted, even with the suspension set to 'maximum-cosset' the TTS Roaster shivers over patched-up roads and thumps over expansion joints and the like, but it's supple enough to keep you happy most of the time.
Only when you ratchet the settings up to Dynamic do you get even more patter and fairly sharp initial bump absorption, and even then it’s nowhere near as harsh-riding as previous fast TT convertibles, let alone the TT RS that we suspect ran on solid granite suspension.
In essence, if you stick everything in auto then you’ll have a car that is both calm and easy-going for the daily slog, and satisfyingly exhilarating in those moments when you want white-eyed, sweaty-palmed sports car fun.
The cabin is undoubtedly a huge part of the TT’s appeal, too. There are only two seats, but the decent-sized boot, which stays the same size when the roof is folded, will be more than enough for the needs of most typical roadster users.
The dashboard is unchanged from the coupe's, which means you get something of a minimalist masterpiece, complete with a huge digital readout that fills the driver’s binnacle. You can toggle through various different layouts on the screen, which includes your speedo and rev counter. This is how you access all the car’s systems, whether via the voice control, MMI rotary controller or steering wheel buttons.
It’s all a bit overwhelming initially, but it's undeniably a stunning interior.
You get loads of kit, too, including heated, electrically adjustable seats and leather upholstery. You’ll still have to pay to add sat-nav, though.
Should I buy one?:
There is one thing that suggests you probably shouldn’t, and it’s called the Porsche Boxster. It’s not as quick and it doesn’t have the same level of standard equipment as the TTS, but hey, it’s a Boxster. Enough said.
Our other qualm is that, frankly, a four-wheel-drive 2.0 TFSI TT Roadster is more than £7000 cheaper and yet is still enticingly rapid, offers the same all-weather peace of mind and in anything but track use (hardly the natural playground of the soft-top TT) will be just as much fun.
Either of those alternatives make more sense than the TTS Roadster, but if you can still see reasons why this scorchingly rapid cabriolet makes sense for you, there's no doubting that it is eminently capable on every front.
Audi TTS Roadster S tronic
Price £42,455 Engine type 4cyls, 1984cc, turbo, petrol Power 306bhp between 5800-6200rpm Torque 280lb ft between 1800-5700rpm Gearbox Six-speed dual-clutch automatic Kerb weight 1545kg Top speed 155mph (limited) 0-62mph 4.9sec Economy 40.9mpg CO2 159g/km/24%
http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/audi/tt/first-drives/2015-audi-tts-roadster-review
Fastest drop-top Audi offers rabid pace and open-air thrills, and now comes with decent handling and comfort, too
What is it?:
This is the fastest open-top TT around, so if you get your kicks from rorty acceleration and lots of fresh air, but still want a civilised daily driver in less thrill-seeking moments, the TTS Roadster could well be for you.
Other than tweaked settings for the standard adaptive dampers and the folding fabric roof that, together with structural stiffening measures, has added around 90kg, the Roadster is mechanically identical to theTTS coupe we tested last year.
That means a 306bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol motor, adaptive dampers and active four-wheel drive that can send 100% of available torque to either axle. A manual gearbox is standard, but our car came with the optional S tronic dual-clutch automatic.
What's it like?:
The pertinent question is whether taking the metal roof off has jellified the TT's body, and the good news is that it hasn’t.
There is a bit of flexing in really harsh direction changes, but it’s not enough to spoil the sharp, keyed-in sense of agility that characterises the TTS. The variable-ratio steering feels satisfyingly aggressive in hard cornering, yet doesn’t feel nervous in normal motorway or urban pottering, and the quattro magic keeps the TT feeling monstrously grippy and neutral.
It’s perhaps a bit of a shame that there isn’t a touch more sparkle to the handling near the limit. The TTS is still inclined to understeer first, and there’s not quite the willingness to be steered on the throttle that you’ll enjoy in the Golf R, which shares many of this car’s oily bits. Still, you can turn the car in with a bit of lift-off oversteer fairly easily, and body control is well-sorted enough that weight-transfer doesn’t get in the way.
Even better, this spirited handling hasn’t come at the cost of jarringly uncomfortable ride. Granted, even with the suspension set to 'maximum-cosset' the TTS Roaster shivers over patched-up roads and thumps over expansion joints and the like, but it's supple enough to keep you happy most of the time.
Only when you ratchet the settings up to Dynamic do you get even more patter and fairly sharp initial bump absorption, and even then it’s nowhere near as harsh-riding as previous fast TT convertibles, let alone the TT RS that we suspect ran on solid granite suspension.
In essence, if you stick everything in auto then you’ll have a car that is both calm and easy-going for the daily slog, and satisfyingly exhilarating in those moments when you want white-eyed, sweaty-palmed sports car fun.
The cabin is undoubtedly a huge part of the TT’s appeal, too. There are only two seats, but the decent-sized boot, which stays the same size when the roof is folded, will be more than enough for the needs of most typical roadster users.
The dashboard is unchanged from the coupe's, which means you get something of a minimalist masterpiece, complete with a huge digital readout that fills the driver’s binnacle. You can toggle through various different layouts on the screen, which includes your speedo and rev counter. This is how you access all the car’s systems, whether via the voice control, MMI rotary controller or steering wheel buttons.
It’s all a bit overwhelming initially, but it's undeniably a stunning interior.
You get loads of kit, too, including heated, electrically adjustable seats and leather upholstery. You’ll still have to pay to add sat-nav, though.
Should I buy one?:
There is one thing that suggests you probably shouldn’t, and it’s called the Porsche Boxster. It’s not as quick and it doesn’t have the same level of standard equipment as the TTS, but hey, it’s a Boxster. Enough said.
Our other qualm is that, frankly, a four-wheel-drive 2.0 TFSI TT Roadster is more than £7000 cheaper and yet is still enticingly rapid, offers the same all-weather peace of mind and in anything but track use (hardly the natural playground of the soft-top TT) will be just as much fun.
Either of those alternatives make more sense than the TTS Roadster, but if you can still see reasons why this scorchingly rapid cabriolet makes sense for you, there's no doubting that it is eminently capable on every front.
Audi TTS Roadster S tronic
Price £42,455 Engine type 4cyls, 1984cc, turbo, petrol Power 306bhp between 5800-6200rpm Torque 280lb ft between 1800-5700rpm Gearbox Six-speed dual-clutch automatic Kerb weight 1545kg Top speed 155mph (limited) 0-62mph 4.9sec Economy 40.9mpg CO2 159g/km/24%
http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/audi/tt/first-drives/2015-audi-tts-roadster-review
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Audi
Audi AG is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles
headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. A subsidiary of the
Volkswagen Group, the company’s origins date back to the early 20th
century and the initial enterprises (Horch and the Audiwerke) founded
by engineer August Horch (1868–1951). Two other manufacturers (DKW
and Wanderer) also contributed to the foundation of Auto Union in 1932.
The modern Audi era began in the 1960s, when Volkswagen acquired Auto
Union from Daimler-Benz, and merged it with NSU Motorenwerke in 1969.
Official website: Audi (Global), Audi (USA)
Official website: Audi (Global), Audi (USA)
