The Audi TT is dead; long live the Audi TT. In a recent shareholder meeting, Audi CEO Bram Schot laid out a roadmap for the brand’s upcoming models. No surprise, it’s full of EVs and crossovers—but to make space for those, some things had to go. One of those things is the TT, the iconic coupe that, at its 1998 debut, arguably set the stage for the brand’s success today. Over three generations, the TT showcased technology that would spread across the industry, and design elements no other car could match. Even if the TT is reborn as an electric sports car, there are things about the original we’ll always miss.
Style for style’s sake
In the 1990s, Audi needed to find its niche among German manufacturers. BMW had a hold on driving dynamics, while Mercedes was established as a luxury leader. The TT’s breakout design set Audi apart as a brand focused on style; a company that builds cars for people who value crisp aesthetics. In period, the original TT’s Bauhaus-influenced shape looked fresh and futuristic, and it still appeals today. Later generations added aggression and angularity, but none quite made the impact the first-gen car did.
Baseball-stitched seats
Few cars are remembered for how their seats are stitched, but the TT was an exception. First shown on the 1995 TTS Roadster concept, optional baseball-stitched leather seats used thick leather fibers to bind panels together, giving the interior a tailored, handcrafted look. Plenty of car seats offer contrast stitching, colored piping, embossing, or other adornments, but the TT’s robust leather stitching is and always has been unique.
Dual-clutch innovation
The TT was the second-ever road car to use a dual-clutch transmission (honors for first go to its Volkswagen Golf R32 stablemate). In 2003, Audi made a six-speed dual-clutch gearbox with paddle shifters available over the standard manual, adding performance credibility to the style-focused coupe. Today, dual-clutch transmissions are commonplace among sport and supercars, but who knows how prevalent they’d be without the TT blazing the trail.
All-wheel drive traction
Audi eschews rear-wheel drive Germanic tradition by fitting its cars with all-wheel drive. The TT was no exception. It showed how all-wheel drive enhanced grip and stability in sporty driving, with improved traction and livability in daily use. True, the TT was based on a front-wheel-drive platform, but its success put pressure on competitors to expand offerings that power all four wheels.
Inline-five glory
Five-cylinder engines are an unusual Audi tradition that stretch back over 40 years. Therefore, an I-5 seemed a natural choice for the TT’s most performance-oriented variant. The TT RS uses a turbocharged 2.5-liter I-5 with up to 400 horsepower, enabling 0–60 times as quick as 3.4 seconds. The five-banger makes a great noise, too. In a First Test we wrote that as speeds increase its “raspy growl smooths out and blossoms into a gorgeous whirr of harmonics, finally building to a keening fortissimo that’s as melodic as it is mechanical. The turbo adds to the symphony with a joyous whistle.” There’s no chance the TT’s potential EV replacement will sound anywhere near as good.
The post RIP, Audi TT: 5 Things We’ll Never Forget About the Sporty Two-Door appeared first on Motortrend.
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