2007 Audi TT Reviews

The Audi TT was launched to a startled world in 1998 with an ultra rounded shape based around its fascinating wheelarches.

The recent introduction of the third generation Audi TT coupe and the imminent arrival of the open-top roadster has created quite a stir of publicity about the seriously stylish sportscar. To the extent that quite a few trade-ins are already appearing in the used-car yards. So here are some hints, tips and historical

Introduced to Australia in May 1999 about a year after it first created a huge stir in Europe, the Audi TT was a hit from day one. Originally sold as a fixed-roof coupe, a TT roadster was added to the local range just 12 months later, in May 2000.The dome-shaped styling is not only radical on the outside, but also the cabin, with its circular dial and vent theme works very well. It uses a lot of aluminium highlights as Audi is a big fan of this high-tech material.The overall look is great and even those who have no intention of ever driving hard love the sporting ambience created within the TT. Audi TT is great fun to drive but, at least in the front-drive models, feels more like a hot-hatch than a true sports car. Which shouldn’t surprise anyone, because underneath that gorgeous Audi skin there lurks a Volkswagen Golf GTI. While the Golf is a fine little hatch it’s not really a pure-bred sports model. There were several tragic cases of high-speed Audi TT crashes in Europe, principally in Germany, of the earliest models. These were blamed on aerodynamic flaws that were exacerbated by the very short wheelbase of the Audi TT. Later models were modified in their suspension and have a rear wing to push the tail to the road at speed. The wing takes away some of the purity of the original shape of the TT. There had been calls for it to be a lift-up wing in the manner of a Porsche unit. But Audi says this could have been too expensive. The all-new gen-two Audi TT of November 2006 sorted out the problem of the controversial addition of the rear wing, being hidden at lower speeds and raised at moderate speeds - that is at over 120 km/h, which is regarded as a moderate speed in more enlightened countries.This second generation Audi TT had the company’s trademark single-frame grille. A sleeker bonnet line carries into the car’s shoulders and tapers out towards the distinctive rear lights. Naturally, the domed roof, the most prominent feature of the first TT, has been retained. There are some that feel the TT lost its originality in the gen-two model, saying it had become generic rather than radical. Your call...The original Audi TT was offered with 1.8-litre four-cylinder engines, in either light-pressure or high-pressure turbocharged format, the latter coming with the traction advantage of quattro all-wheel drive. The capacity of the four-cylinder unit was increased to 2.0 litres using a turbocharged with the second generation TT.In December 2004, a 3.2-litre V6 was shoehorned under the bonnet of the Audi TT coupe, but not the roadster. With all the torque that entailed, the TT 3.2 has also needed Audi’s quattro all-wheel drive. A five-cylinder 2.5-litre RS engine with quattro was added to the range just in time for Christmas 2009.Straight-line performance is pretty good in even the smaller engined models due to the TT’s relatively light weight, so don’t automatically go for the higher powered units unless you are a full-on revhead. A six-speed was used in TT quattros from their introduction in October 1999. Front-drive cars had five-speed manual gearboxes until August 2005, when a six-speed manual was introduced.Because Audi saw the TT as being a pure sports car no automatic transmission was offered until March 2003, when a six-speed torque-converter auto was offered with the low-pressure engines. Good as it was this transmission has been somewhat upstaged in the technology stakes by the six-speed double-clutch - tagged the S tronic - used in the Audi TT 3.2 quattro.The automated double-clutch automated-manual transmission has all the labour-saving advantages of a conventional automatic, and none of the disadvantages of power loss and higher fuel consumption. However, its characteristics at very low speeds can be variable and irritating at times. Test drive one to see what you think.These are complex cars that should really only be worked on by professionals. However, good amateurs can tackle some of the routine maintenance work should they be so inclined. Spare parts prices aren't cheap, but are in keeping with others in this class. It’s much the same story with the cost of servicing and repairs.Check on insurance premiums before falling too deeply in love with one of these stunningly styled German cars as premiums vary quite a bit. Your local Audi dealer may be able to offer advice. WHAT TO LOOK FORLook for signs of previous crash repairs. A ripply finish in any of the panels, or a mismatch in paint colour from one section to the other are fairly easy to spot. If there's the slightest concern over crash repairs either get a full professional inspection, or skip that car and try to find another one.Look at the floor of a roadster for signs of water entry. If there's the slightest cause for concern get permission from the seller to lift the carpets. Check the roadster’s roof seals correctly when it is closed and that it doesn’t have any tears or cuts, especially around the stitching.Make sure the engine starts promptly, even when it’s stone cold. If there are any doubts try to arrange to come back first thing in the morning to have it completely cold. Gear changes should be reasonably light, but remember the gearbox is a long way from the shift lever, with a multitude of links connecting the two. This can give it a slightly spongy feel.CAR BUYING TIPWe hear of too many people buying used cars without even going for a test drive. Crazy if you ask us, but it’s their choice... 

The powered z-fold lid tidies itself flush with the body, with one section of the roof acting as a tonneau cover, and with no encroachment on the 250-litre luggage capacity.Adding the $300 optional load-through hatch means you can also now carry skis, or a couple of lengths of DIY timber, if that's your thing, which adds to the car's practicality.But a car like the Roadster shouldn't be about function. It's for top-down cruising fun, mixed with a bit of “look at me” attention grabbing.And there are few convertibles so eye-catching. The first TT stunned the world when it was introduced in the '90s and the latest version of both coupe and drop-top have revised that design; while retaining its instantly recognisable lines.From every angle the car has style but one of our favourite views of it is from the rear. Where many other designs seem to run out of energy, the Roadster looks even better than from the front.The interior is equally gorgeous, with the Audi attention to quality showing in every detail.The flat-bottomed steering wheel not only looks sexy, but offers easier access into the driver's seat and a handy hint of how far off centre you are, if you're prone to shuffling your hands around the wheel in hard cornering.While there's more than adequate legroom, the cabin feels snug. In true roadster fashion, you embed yourself into the car rather than sit in it.Operating the power roof is one-finger easy, and its multiple layers work to keep the car surprisingly quiet for a ragtop.However, if you're tall, and inclined to sit up straight, you'll find it brushing your hair when it's up but your “do” is fairly protected by a wind deflector behind the seats when the roof is down.Standard equipment includes heated leather seats, sports suspension, electronic stability, traction and braking systems.On the options list are a DVD-based nav system, high-end audio, xenon headlights, even better leather and magnetic ride suspension that variably aligns particles floating in fluid, increasing its viscosity to adjust damping.On the road, the new TT Roadster offers more involvement and a sharper driving experience than its predecessor. The larger wheelbase, lower centre of gravity, more rigid body, tauter suspension, and the concentration of aluminium towards the front in the space frame construction all work to give the car noticeably better weight distribution and dynamics.But while it certainly feels better planted and sharper on the road, it hasn't entirely cancelled out the nose-heaviness, even in the $77,500 lighter-engined 2.0-litre TFSI turbo version.The engine develops 147kW of power and 280Nm of torque and eager to rev up close to redline, it gets the Roadster to 100km/h in 6.5 seconds and has a top speed of 237km/h (using 7.8L/100 on average).Admittedly, the $92,900 V6 version offers 184kW and 320Nm, comes with Audi's famed quattro drive as standard, beats the four to 100 by 0.6 seconds and tops out at 250km/h.But if it comes down to having to choose one, we don't need to go that fast, and the 2.0-litre with turbo is the one playing our song.Keep the roof down and enjoy the music, poking boost out of the turbo with the six-speed “S tronic” sequential transmission that kicks down readily in full auto mode, and offers close to immediate response in the sequential mode.The gearshift is a slick joy to use for chomping into corners or eating up highway traffic. Our only gripe is that you still have to push it forward to change up, and back to change down, which works against the braking and accelerating motion of the car.But even that annoyance doesn't come anywhere near to spoiling the fun. 

With a surname like mine, it's not surprising that it's the smaller things I take most notice of. The new Audi TT Roadster is definitely a compact little package despite being bigger than its predecessor.Its clean, crisp and purposeful lines are pleasing to the eye and give it bigger status on the road than first impressions suggest.The V6 version, $92,900 as tested, also exudes a bigger growl of an exhaust tune than you would expect from this punchy all-wheel-drive packet.The 3.2-litre-capacity engine delivers a healthy 184kW of power, coupled with Audi's S Tronic transmission, which has two clutches and pre-selects the next upward gear providing performance levels that are far from diminutive. The baby two-litre four-cylinder turbo version drives only the front wheels and delivers 147kW of power.So, just what were the little things about the TT that got my attention? The time it took to close the rag-top roof, the efficiency of the seat heaters, the retractable cabin wind blocker, the magnetic ride control and the retractable rear wing.Audi too, when developing the TT Roadster, certainly knew that little things count. A roof which closes in 12 seconds might seem like a little thing, not so in the fickle weather we've had in Adelaide of late.With few chances to enjoy some open-top driving last week, having the ability to confidently close the roof during a traffic light stop as rain approached became a big 'little' thing.The efficiency of the seat heaters was more a case of small things amusing small minds (yep, I'm a bit of a big kid at heart). A touch of the button on the passenger seat controls soon got the desired result, with my vertically challenged female passenger complaining she felt flushed, before asking “has this thing got seat heaters?”The retractable wind block directly behind the seats is a practical small thing, while the retractable rear wing, to aid stability at higher speeds makes a statement. Optional Magnetic Ride Control, which allows the suspension to be stiffened at the press of a button, provides more than a subtle change in the suspension and offers sportier characteristics when selected.The TT is equipped with class-leading technology. The newest generation of Audi Space Frame combines both aluminium and steel to achieve lighter weight (1295kg) and better weight distribution for better driving dynamics. Audi's S-tronic gearbox offers the performance of a manual transmission with the convenience of an automatic, and shifts faster than any driver could at 0.2 seconds per shift . However, paddle shifts behind the steering wheel provide the driver the opportunity to do it themselves if they so please. There's nothing small about the TT's long list of standard luxurious and sporty features. Standard equipment includes leather and Alcantara-covered sport seats, automatic climate control, electromechanical power steering, Audi Concert audio system with in-dash CD changer, 17in alloy wheels, keyless entry with alarm, cruise control and leather-wrapped flat-bottom sport steering wheel.In short, the Audi TT Roadster is full of little things to make it a whole lot of fun. 

Audi makes some wonderful large luxury vehicles.It makes some even better large luxury performance cars.Sadly absent from the Australian line-up since 2003, the S3 is back and it is, as Michael Jackson might say, b-a-d, bad. But that's a good bad, if you get my drift.The S3 is on sale now from $65,500 with standard 18-inch wheels, quattro all-wheel drive, xenon headlights, sports suspension, sports seats and six airbags — front, side and curtain. That is slightly less than the exit price of the previous model.You can increase that base price considerably with a range of options, including the full bucket seats at $6700 (and for that you lose the side airbags, reducing the count to four).There is also the flat-bottomed steering wheel at $700, satellite navigation at $5300, two-tone leather for the basic seats ($400) and a sunroof ($1850).“The S3 is not a car for everybody, it is one for the driving enthusiast,” Audi Australia managing director Joerg Hofmann says.“It is a sports car for everyday driving and we expect to sell around 100 a year.”There is nothing particularly mystical about the S3. It is a series of sensible, performance enhancements on VW's proven Golf GTi package that mesh together to provide a seriously fun whole.The underpinnings of the car are the “standard” McPherson front end with a multi-link rear, a good splash of aluminium components to reduce unsprung weight, a 25mm lower ride height than the standard A3 and the firmer settings of the S-Sports suspension package.Motivation is from the VW/Audi family's brilliant 2.0-litre direct injection turbo, which has been beefed with optimised injectors and an increase in turbo pressure of 0.3 bar up to 1.2 bar to give the little four V6 power of 188kW at 6000rpm and a cracking 330Nm of torque from 2500rpm through to 5000rpm. That may be 7kW and 20Nm down on the European tune for the engine, necessary according to Audi Australia because of durability issues in Australia's hot climate and 95 RON fuel, but it hardly diminishes the performance of the S3.Keeping it all together and getting the drive to the road in a manner that allows a 5.9 second sprint from standstill to 100km/h and a limited top speed of 250km/h is Audi's quattro all-wheel drive.The system utilises the electro-hydraulic Haldex clutch, modified for the S3, to distribute optimised drive through all corners.The six-speed manual is a precise box with shortened throws and well-sorted ratios.Ride quality is not plush but that is not what you would expect from this package. What the car does do is cling to corners like an obsessive octopus. The grip is something to behold and the envelope for forgiveness extreme.That mechanical grip coupled to the array of electronic minders — stability and traction control, electronic limited slip differential, anti-lock brakes and brake assist — makes the S3 both exciting and secure.Unlike many similar “hot” versions of mainstream cars the S3 does not announce its presence with wings, airdams and screaming badges. Some discreet badges, the purposeful stance and twin pipes are the limit of the car's boastingLaunching at the same time as the S3 is another of Audi's niche products, the Roadster version of the TT, which will arrive at $77,500 for the 2.0-litre turbo and $92,900 for the 3.2-Litre V6.Not as focused as the S3, the ragtop TT is nonetheless a creature of some ability and considerably more overt presence.One of the more sensible results of adding a folding roof to the TT is the absence of the two rear seats from the coupe.Utilising the Audi spaceframe construction, the TT Roadster is a nicely balanced package with extensive use of aluminium to keep weight down. Audi says 58 per cent of the TT is aluminium with a bias to the front, while the heavier steel components are used in the rear of the car.The result is a chassis 120 per cent torsionally stiffer than the previous model and 45 per cent lighter than an all-steel construction.As much as it is a car for being seen in, the TT Roadster can hold its own in most equivalent company putting the 0-100km/h sprint behind in 6.5 seconds in the 2.0-litre FSi and an impressive 5.9 seconds with the V6 fired up.All of that is with an automatic box because there is no manual option available. Not that there is anything wrong with the six-speed S-Tronic (read double clutch DSG) box.The test car benefited from the addition of the optional ($3000) active magnetic ride dampers.In essence the dampers are filled with a fluid which contains particles sensitive to electric charge.When the central control unit deems it necessary, taking input from a battery of sensors around the car, a charge is passed through the fluid, changing its viscosity almost instantly, stiffening the rebound and providing the car with a totally new character. SNAPSHOTAUDI S3Price: $65,500Engine: 2.0L 4-cyl turbo FSI, 188kW, 330NmTransmission: 6-speed manual, quattro all-wheel drivePerformance: 0-100km/h in 5.9 seconds, 250km/h top speed limited AUDI TT ROADSTERPrice: $77,500 (2.0); $92,900 (V6)Engine: 2L 4-cyl turbo FSI, 147kW, 280Nm; 3.2L direct-injection; V6 petrol, 184kW, 320NmTransmission: 6-speed manual with auto mode; front-wheeldrive (2.0), quattro AWD (V6)Performance: 0-100km/h 6.5 seconds (2.0), 5.9 seconds (V6); 237km/h top speed (2.0), 250km/h limited (V6)

Sure, he might admit he’d made her a little overstuffed in the lip department the first time around and tone that area down to something more recognisably human, but otherwise there wouldn’t be a lot of tweaking required.Improving on perfection isn’t easy, even for God, so spare a thought for the poor pencil pushers at Audi who were asked to redesign the TT.This car was groundbreaking when it arrived, back in 1998, was then awarded the highest form of praise by other companies as they tried to copy it (check out the roofline on a Nissan 350Z, for example) and still – today – looks futuristically cool.In fact, it looks like some oversized rollerskate from that excellent movie, Tron.I imagine a series of meetings with the red-eyed designers turning up time after time with a car that looked pretty much exactly like the old TT.“Seriously, we changed the colour of the indicator reflectors – it’s a totally new car,” they would plead.Actually hacking into those fluid lines to come up with something quite markedly different must have felt like sacrilege.The first few times I saw the new shape I got angry. Why on earth would anyone mess with a one-off like the TT? Why didn’t they just start again and call it something else? But after a week of intimate time with one, I must admit I’ve done a backflip of Olympic, or even Politician standard.The new TT isn’t as attractive as the old one, but viewed in isolation, it’s still a pretty sharp, hawk-beaked looking vehicle. My neighbour even described it as being “a bit too porn star” for her taste, so it’s not exactly a sleeper.It’s derivative without being damaging to the original concept and it grows on you. It may yet be seen as a classic in its own right, but that will have more to do with the way it drives than how it looks.The one area where the designers definitely got it wrong, however, is the interior. As good as the old TT looked from the outside, my favourite feature was always the cockpit, which just felt – and looked – special.It was the shiny, garage-door style cover for the stereo that topped it off, but generally there was a sense that the interior had been designed to reflect the exterior. And it worked.The new car is merely another Audi inside, with plenty of nice-feeling plastics but no character or pizzazz – with the obvious exception of the flat-bottomed steering wheel, which is a thing of boy-racer beauty.Luckily the TT has so much character elsewhere that you’re entirely willing to overlook the innards.Because, while we can debate over whether the look of the new car has matched the old one, the new TT is a far, far better thing to drive.It is one of those cars where you just know, in the first five minutes in a heavily trafficked 60km/h zone, it’s going to be special.It has a taut, on-its-toes feel for the road. Muscular, meaty steering – at last – and an exhaust note that is as different from its forebear as Kylie Minogue is from Ozzy Osbourne.The old TT had a pleasant enough rasp to it, while the new one blows raspberries at rasping and gives out an angry, howling growl, which is at its best on the over-run and when running from the horizon.On a favourite bit of road, the new TT put on a display of corner-biting, scenery blurring genuine sports-car behaviour.It handled and went and stopped like, well, almost like certain other brands that Audi just never competed with before, in such a serious way.The old TT was fun enough, but it always felt like swinging a slick, aluminium baseball bat compared with a fine piece of willow, or a sword.Driving the new one gets your pulse racing the way looking at the old one did. Impressively, the model we were driving was merely the base model, powered by a 2.0-litre turbo FSI engine with 147kW, good for a 0 to 100km/h time of 6.4 seconds.Even the fact that the engine only drove the front wheels wasn’t as annoying as it should be.And I just have to mention the steering again. Not usually an Audi strong point – they more favour the light approach than the premium lager – it really does the business here, connecting you with the road at broadband speeds.So, with the inherited looks of the old TT, but a good 30 per cent more fun, this new Audi is one of the company’s best efforts ever.Even a pricetag of $68,900 starts to look like reasonable value.Most people will spend $72,500 instead and get the S-tronic flappy paddle auto box. The fools.I’ll admit I’m keen to try the top-line V6 quattro version, for $88,900, not so much for the 3.2-litre V6 engine (reportedly it weighs the nose down too much and takes some of the free spirit away), but for the all-wheel-drive gripfest – and the 0 to 100km/h time of 5.7 seconds sounds like fun, too.

Driving Audi's TT exudes style, luxury and performance, in a cute, elegant, little package. We first met the TT in Melbourne on its Australian launch at the end of 2006 and it was one memorable rendezvous, stretching her legs on Phillip Island Racetrack.Here we saw she could handle her own at speeds of up to 200km/h.But this time, the base model TT got to spend some time in our garage and prove she's more than just a sporty car. She's one that can handle busy Sydney roads as well.Equipped with a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbo engine, the entry level TT is priced at $68,900. Ours came with extra touches such as fine Nappa leather upholstery for $800, storage package, $400, and Audi's magnetic ride for an extra $3000.The turbo TT has much to offer and is reasonably priced for its segment.From the word go, the turbo TT responds. You ask it a question with the accelerator and it answers with an impressive growl.Constantly working hard, the turbo dazzles you with its charm even at cruising. It won't stop there, digging deeper when you reach higher up the tacho. Its 280Nm of torque comes on as low as 1800rpm, remaining strong through to 5000rpm. In terms of power, there's 147kW at 5100rpm to 6000rpm. The front-wheel-drive TT races 0-100km per hour in 6.6 seconds, in the six-speed manual guise.Now that's not going to break any records, but it will give you an enjoyable ride, accentuated by her low sportscar dynamics.The ride is bumpy and gets too firm at lower revs, more so when you or your passenger find that sport suspension button near the gearstick. It makes sure you feel every pot hole in the road, yet it ensures better handling around corners, providing greater control and minimising body motion.Once your foot's on the throttle and you give it decent oomph, the TT excels.She's economical to run with fuel consumption figures of 7.8-litres per 100km on our test.It comes with impractical rear seats, unless you only intend to transport children under 10. A trip into the city with an adult seated in the back provided comic relief for those in the front, but not so much for the unfortunate soul testing out her contortionist-like moves.With a hunched back and crooked neck, it was an uncomfortable ride.In terms of design, the TT has the stunning looks from when it first came onto the market in 1998. But other brands seem to have caught up with the futuristic-like appeal of the Alfa Brera, Nissan 350Z and other offerings from the likes of BMW and Mercedes.The TT possesses typical Audi character and class but with some enhanced styling changes, including a longer, wider body. The roof has been repositioned further to the rear. Because of lighter aluminium technology called the Audi Space Frame, the TT is lighter than its predecessor.A small spoiler that is activated when reaching 120km/h automatically or by the touch of a button, adds to the sporty appeal and enhances performance by increasing negative lift at the rear wheels.The design, influenced by the Bauhaus style of the 1920s, is sexy with its glamorous appearance, eight years after we first saw it.While the inside may be uncomfortable for the back passenger, those in the front will enjoy comfort, luxury and sophistication. The circle theme of the brand is accentuated on the air vents, air conditioning and radio knobs, and the speedo and tacho. Silver trim adds a contrast on the black console, as you slide into the side-hugging leather seats.With a high window line starting above your shoulder, low ceiling, snug environment and a racing steering wheel with a flat bottom, like that in the RS4, there's no doubt you'll feel low and sporty in the TT.But there are some things that could be improved, such as a spare tyre as standard. Instead it gets a tyre mobility system, an aerosol can of goo that repairs any damage. And it doesn't have a great deal of boot space, although, as one passenger said: "At least it had more space than the back seat."Caution is needed in car parks, with typical coupe long doors. And when in underground car parks with low roofs, be extra careful when opening the boot.

The TT also drew deeply from Audi's history, particularly on the styling front, and set a bold direction for the company, which is about to lead on to the R8 mid-engine supercar.Now the TT has been renewed and Audi has taken the same basic recipe but added new ingredients to develop a model claimed to be better in every area.The body is slightly bigger than the 1998 original but comes in lighter thanks to 140kg of aluminium, the cabin is roomier, there is more sophisticated rear suspension, more technology and more safety.Detail changes include a speed-activated rear spoiler and a sports steering wheel with the same squared-off bottom edge first seen in Audi's brilliant RS4.The numbers say it is 137mm longer and 78mm wider than its predecessor, but only 6mm taller, with power up from 147kW to 184kW and torque from 280 to 320Nm.The basic 2.0-litre turbo can sprint to 100km/h in less than seven seconds.The shape still shouts TT, but the detailing is a little more angular, the wheels are bigger and the roof is set back further over a body which is still pumped out to the corners.The effect is slightly more muscular and the TT will sit comfortably in a line-up with a growing sports emphasis through the S and RS models.Audi Australia expects the new TT to beat the benchmark set by the original with three models — at least at first, with the TT cabrio coming later this year — priced from $68,900.The TT line-up starts with the 2.0-litre front-wheel-drive turbo manual, moves up to the 2.0-litre automatic (above) at $72,500, and tops out with the 3.2-litre V6 Quattro auto at $88,900.These are value prices in a class where the Audi coupe goes up against the smooth, new BMW 3-Series two-door and the Benz SLK, as well as a range of other hero cars including the Nissan 350Z and Mazda's RX8.The Audi contender comes with the strength of its styling and a sports car package, but is let down — in Australia — by a boot not as roomy as it looks and no spare tyre.Still, it will be a winner and Audi Australia is reporting a full order book and asking for extra cars beyond its 2007 allocation of 400 TTs.The company's managing director, Joerg Hofmann, says the car will help give the German brand another showroom record Down Under."The new Audi TT is a clear leader in terms of its design and its sporty performance. It will be a very important model for Australia and we expect the arrival of the new TT to boost both our sales and our image in this country," he says.Deliveries have already begun and Audi is expected to reveal the next step in its TT plan at the Melbourne Motor Show in March, with a preview of the new Cabriolet. ON THE ROADTHE new TT could still only be a TT. It has the same head-turner looks of the original, the same individualistic cabin and the same performance.We spent our test time in the basic car with the 2.0-litre turbo motor, and believe it will be the pick of the litter.It might not have the hit of the V6 or its Quattro all-wheel-drive, but it is a nice drive and delivers on its promises.It is a sporty coupe that can answer your calls, but is not taking itself too seriously.That sounds a little condescending, but it's important to put the TT into context.It is not as hard-edged as a Nissan 350Z or as quick as the new BMW 335i coupe, but it will have more than enough go and grip for most people who have the car on their shopping list.It is a car that is enjoyable all the time, gives you a smile, and has plenty of luxury and equipment for the price.We like the turbo motor in the TT because it has a stunning drive all the time, yet still has a remarkable top end.It is easy to keep cooking, even from idle, with excellent overtaking power and the ability to flow along twisty roads with a solid surge between corners that does not turn the car into a bucking nasty.On the suspension front, the new TT feels a lot more composed than the original.You can feel the extra numbers in the footprint in the way it copes with bumps, stays composed through corners and bites during braking.Not once did we feel the TT was trying to get away from us. The original often bounced or kicked through the steering, or just felt it was closing on the ability of its suspension to cope with the car's power and position.The new car's fully independent rear suspension obviously makes a difference, but the TT also shows the general progress that Audi has made in the front suspension of all its recent models.We have driven a lot of second-generation prestige cars over the past 18 months and, almost without exception, they feel more mature and refined.That includes everything from the new Benz CLK to the latest BMW 3-Series.It also applies with the TT, which is the same but different. More composed, more fluid and more relaxed.We liked everything from the response of the turbo engine to the smooth shift in the six-speed manual and the ability to put a couple of (small) people in the back seat.But the car is still horrendous to park, there is lousy three-quarter vision, and the boot is not nearly as roomy as you expect from the increased length.And we have to register a complaint about the absence of a spare.There is no doubt the new TT is a very, very good car and it is one we could easily choose and recommend.It is not a sharp-edged sports car, but it drives very nicely and there is something special about driving a coupe that has the ability to attract so much interest. THE BOTTOM LINE82/100A GOOD car is even better — it even looks better and sharper than the original.