Audi TT Coupe
Audis TT Coupe Has Become Something Of A Style Icon. June Neary Tries It For Size
To be quite frank, I wasnt too sure about the
Audi TT. Yes, I knew that it was a must-have car amongst many media types and the number of celebrity owners merely reinforced my opinion that it was best viewed as a slightly predictable choice. Despite this, Ive always liked Audi products, the badge appealing to the label snob that I frequently remind myself Im not. When the TT arrived in 225bhp coupe form I must admit to being more than a little smitten.
The compact dimensions and styling that still looks great several years down the line gave me the urge to get in and drive it. Any car that can do that has to get a thumbs up.
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The TT is very much a case of swings and roundabouts in this respect. Viewed from one perspective the TT is a very practical car insofar as its based on humble
Volkswagen Golf running gear, uses a reasonably straightforward four-cylinder turbocharged engine and wont cost an arm and a leg to run. The other side of the story isnt quite so happy. Lever anybody over five feet tall in the back
seat and then shut the tailgate hard and the back of their heads will hit the glass a sticker on the tailgate lid reminding you of this fact.
Even if they could duck to get in, theres no room for their legs and the back seat is very claustrophobic. The plus side is that theres plenty of room up front for the driver and front seat passenger although the high flanks of the car and turret like windows again make shorter drivers feel a little overwhelmed. The bonnet disappears out of sight very sharply and visibility around the rear quarters of the car is very bad. I tried nosing out of an oblique T-junction and it was very much a case of fingers crossed.
The interior finish is beautiful, the much-copied chrome, rubber and leather finishes still ranking amongst some of the best in the business. The quality is excellent and if you use the rear seats as a place to throw your bag it works out pretty convenient. The hatchback is handy and the TT can carry a fair amount of luggage in its long, shallow load bay.
With 225bhp, four-wheel drive and a six-speed gearbox to play with, there was no way I wasnt going to have a little fun with the TT. At first the acceleration was a little unnerving it will after all accelerate to 60mph in 6.4 seconds and I at first treated the accelerator a little gingerly, pointing and squirting the cars along straight sections of road, but before too long the TT will egg you on to giving it some through corners. With ESP stability control to help if you do get a little too enthusiastic, the TT feels very stable and the steering is very lively for an
Audi.
Another Audi trait are the very sharp brakes. The first time you drive a TT go easy with the braking as it may surprise you quite how quickly the pedal firms up. I was a little less happy with the visibility problems especially in town. At one point I pulled up alongside a hot hatch at some traffic lights.
The youngster in the baseball cap eyed the TT and started gunning his engine but I was confident that with 225bhp and the quattro four wheel drive system that hed soon be receding in my rear view. Unfortunately it didnt work out that way. With such a narrow field of view from slit-like windscreen I realised I couldnt see the lights! Craning my neck forward merely made me resemble a Galapagos tortoise straining for a plant and I had to give best to Saxo boy.
The TT Coupe opens at £21,090 for the front wheel drive 180bhp version that Id have probably been quite happy with, but the quicker 225bhp car that I sampled was priced at £27,940. Should you want the ultimate TT Coupe, you can get a 3.2-litre V6 model or the stripped out 245bhp quattro Sport but these seem a little unnecessary. Audi have released a front-wheel drive 150bhp version of the TT Roadster and this looks like a more profitable way to go for the company.
Even if I never drove it, Id like an Audi TT Coupe on my driveway just to look at. Now all I need is £28,000 and the price of a glass case.
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