The New Audi TT Coupe 3.2 Quattro
What is it with Audi cars that leave you speechless, well in my case simply lost for words? Talk about a car to blow away the cobwebs; this little monster could blow away Hurricane Katrina as she powers her way proudly around the roads.
This is the car that took a staggering 15 seconds off the time its predecessor achieved on the toughest test track in the world - the North Loop of the Nurburgring and this is really where she should have stayed for the Audi TT 3.2 quattro is a car guaranteed to lose points on licence.
She is so quick off the mark reaching 62 mph in only 5.7 seconds and it was so effortless. Thankfully top speed has been limited to 155 mph but the power under her lightweight bonnet is so huge, I actually ended up feeling this car is totally wasted on the UK roads. In order to really appreciate her and the driving dynamics let alone the unbelievable amounts of technology gone into her making, she should stay on the race circuit for the ‘weekend play’. However, after successfully reigning her in which took more effort than my horse on a frisky day, I got to know her more gentle and accommodating side.
Her luscious new looks was the talk of our village all week even the milkman got involved admiring her new sleek rear! Or was it Mrs what’s her name two doors down.. Her beautiful styling appears seamless as if made from one piece of metal with the glass design accentuating this along with body coloured door handles, and heated/electrically adjustable door mirrors. The long bonnet gives a hint what is concealed along with the huge 18inch alloy wheels and of course, the twin exhaust piles to the rear, cements this further.
Surprisingly the interior was far more specious than the exterior eludes and dare I say this, the children fitted quite comfortably in the back, Rebecca still in a booster seat. Ah, I have spoiled it, for the TT can, if one imagines very hard, convert into a family car. But lets not go there; lets only get to the school gates. The smell of leather wafts up your nostrils when you open her up and snuggling into the extremely comfortable drivers seat that is heated and as an option can be electrically adjusted is so exciting. The three spoke ‘flat bottom’ steering wheel which is a fabulous design especially for me with quite long legs, the wheel does not brush against them, is also height adjustable, with remotes for the audio system - MP3 compatible, cruise control and as I was driving the Automatic S Tronic transmission variant, has the paddles for the shift gear changes. (Optional extra). Standard equipment comes in the form of electric windows, electronic climate control, and Drivers Information System, while my test car had the CD-ROM satellite navigation system, CD changer, BOSE surround sound and storage package as optional extras.
Drive wise; she was perfect in the ride and handling which complemented the excellent speed dependent power steering. Being of quattro breed meant she was driving permanently in a four-wheel capacity, which explains the outstanding acceleration as well as providing extreme driving pleasure, and has the added benefit of service intervals now doubled than that of its predecessor, standing in at 37,000 miles. The Audi TT also comes with a high performance brake system, a new generation of ESP with sports settings and wet weather brake disc wipe function. On top of this is another option is the Audi Magnetic Ride which continually adapts the car’s damping characteristics to the type of road and the drivers gear shifting habits within just a few milliseconds. Operated in two modes, if ‘normal’ is selected, the TT rides smoothly making this ideal for long distance driving or uneven road surfaces while in ‘sport’ mode the TT takes on a far firmer grip on the road surface, steering responses are tightened and each wheel stabilised thus maintaining the best possible contact with the road surface at all times resulting in the best composure during more sporting driving.
The S Tronic transmission can be operated by a one-touch lever or manually via the shift paddles on the steering wheel. Basically it changes gear so quickly and is ready for the next gear change before you are as a driver thus optimising the power. Now don’t be put off when driving at higher speeds, you look in the rear view mirror and believe that the boot has somehow come ajar. It’s the rear spoiler coming up and boy, did that turn a few heads on the motorways.
Safety wise the and list in positively endless and includes driver and passenger airbags, side airbags for front seats, ABS Anti-slip Regulation plus copious amounts of body reinforcements securing not just the car but all occupants. Securing the TT is a Thatcham Category 1 approved alarm thus she falls into insurance group 18E. However pennies can be clawed back in respectable fuel consumption of 30.1 mpg on a combined cycle but taken away again with CO2 emissions of 227. Watch out also for those optional extras that soon add up. For instance the TT Coupe 3.2 quattro has a recommended OTR of £29,285 but this rose to £37,130 as my test car had quite a lot of extras fitted.
It is not often I get sad or emotional when a press car goes back after a weeks test drive, but I will admit I shed a little tear when this one returned back to Audi. Not just because I had a drive of my life with the option of children or not, nor just the admiring glances I received or rather the car did. No I shed a tear from relief that I had not lost any points off my licence that week. If I owned a TT, I would have to belong the owners club whereby they hold track days so you can whiz the TT around the circuits, because I would get increasingly frustrated at having to reign her in time and time again in order to keep my licence clean.
Jackie Violet FemaleFirst Motoring Correspondent