Audi TT 2.0 TFSI S-tronic

[EXTRACT]#EANF# What is new? By now it ought to be clear : the second-generation Audi TT coupé is an fine car. The range-topping 3. 2 quattro has an appealing mixture of looks, technology, performance, handling and quality ; its talents are sufficient to place it above key rivals for example the BMW Z4 Coupé and Nissan 350Z. But what of the bottom model, the front-wheel-drive 2. 0T, a car Audi officials expect to bring as much as 60 per cent of UK TT sales? Provided your priority Isn‘t Porsche Cayman S-slaying performance, the reply is a resounding yes. Undercutting the 3. 2 quattro using a cool £6060, the 2. 0T appears well poised to carry on the success from the old 1. 8T, that has bought from bigger numbers here compared to other country, producing the UK the TT’s largest market. On looks alone, there’s every reason to recommend the cheapest from the new TT line-up. This really is one good-looking car, brimming with tension and endowed with brilliant detailing, although the conventional 16-inch wheels look somewhat undersized beneath those heavily flared arches. Purists will insist it is definitely an inferior imitation of the initial, however the altered dimensions provides it a nicely balanced appearance while simultaneously adding to its overall versatility. The new Audi looks better on an open road compared to photographs, and it’s beautifully made – inside and out. What is it like? The 2. 0T’s turbocharged 197bhp 2. 0-litre direct injection four-cylinder TFSI engine may lack the cachet and refinement of the wider, naturally aspirated 3. 2-litre V6 inside the 3. 2 quattro, however it gives the TT a powerful turn of speed if you’re prepared to stay it percolating inside the mid to upper reaches. It’s an outstandingly flexible engine, having a lovely, linear delivery that’s devoid of any perceptible lag. The only real real criticism is really a momentary pause on the lifted throttle until the revs commence to descend. Tipping the scales with a trim 1260kg with Audi’s optional S-tronic twin-clutch gearbox, as fitted to our test car, the 2. 0T undercuts the range-topping 3. 2 quattro using a substantial 150kg, helping it achieve a power-to-weight ratio of 156bhp per tonne, against 173bhp to its considerably more costly sibling. At 6. 4sec, the 2. 0T’s claimed 0-62sec time can’t match that from the 3. 2 V6, but it’s just 0. 7sec behind – almost all it lost inside the initial burst from the line, where its front-wheel-drive layout isn‘t any match for additional advanced four-wheel-drive hardware. Once into second gear, though, it really hustles because of the seamless nature of their turbocharger and also a generous 206lb ft of torque. That pulling power is spread across an extraordinarily wide choice of revs that starts at 1800rpm and extends all of the method to 5000rpm, just 100rpm below the point where peak power is developed. The new two-door is really a full second quicker during the benchmark sprint than its much-admired predecessor is testament to Audi’s claim the latest TT plays on the far higher performance plane compared to the first-generation model. What’s more, average consumption is brilliant at 36mpg. Top speed is 149mph, with that pop-up spoiler helping to feature downforce in the rear, stability isn‘t in doubt. Another factor playing inside the Audi’s favour is its lighter engine, which places less mass during the front axle, providing it having a nicely balanced nature over snaking sections of blacktop. True, it mightn’t possess a similar kind of drive from corners or all-weather security from the 3. 2 quattro, however the 2. 0T proves a nicer car to drive when you’re not operating at ten-tenths out in your favourite back road early on the Sunday morning. It features a more delicate feel and sharper responses – a minimum of, as much as the limits of adhesion generated by its 225 / 55 R16 tyres, of which point its dynamic talents are likely to fall away rather quickly. Understeer is that the prevailing trait whenever you arrive with a corner too fast, however the chassis is sufficiently adroit to let you change your line via the throttle. Should I buy one? Good-looking, fast – otherwise rapid – and fun to drive ; it’s everything we actually value inside the 3. 2 quattro, but at £24, 625 the 2. 0T represents even less expensive. EXTRACT#EANF# Audi TT 2. 0 TFSI S-tronic