Audi TT Roadster 2.0 TFSI

 

What’s new? The chassis, for just one. The old roadster was never an inspiring drive. Its Mk4 Golf platform was too flexible for the. So Audi has turned conventional thinking on its head to the new version, combining different materials and construction methods on a single platform : the inner wings, suspension towers, front chassis rails and section of the front bulkhead are made of light and rigid cast aluminium ; huge, multi-walled aluminium extrusions are employed for the sills, floorpan reinforcements and for any bracing bar involving the front suspension towers ; and stamped aluminium sheet is employed for the inner wing mounts, windscreen surround, floorpan and rear wings. The really clever bit is steel is incorporated too : the rear floorpan and inner wings are made of conventional pressed steel, and there’s a massive steel bulkhead behind the seats.

The upshot is really a 120 percent improvement in torsional rigidity and an appealingly low weight – while the usage of heavier steel enables for a far more even distribution. Skin-wise, the new roadster lacks the visual discipline from the outgoing model ; Audi TT Roadster 2.0 TFSI has gone later on of styling instead of pure design. Nevertheless, it can get a pavement-side reception usually reserved for Porsches : it‘s very expensive and it is clearly beautifully made. Inside, Audi has dispensed using its long-established design language and switched coming from the old extruded, slab-face dashboard to at least one that‘s a lot more driver orientated. (It would appear that Audi and BMW have swapped philosophies, because type of ‘cockpit’-style dash once defined BMW. ) A design enthusiast could spend a very long time in here activating and deactivating to his heart’s content. What’s it like? When we pulled far from Nice airport, it was eventually clear that it car includes a wonderful all-of-a-piece feel. The 197bhp engine, while not having the foremost appealing exhaust note, is decently smooth and also has the lungs to carry two people with a brisk motorway speed, and deliver a decent pace on steep mountain passes. Its six-speed manual has a very good, clean action, with just the tiniest hint in an obstruction like the cogs engage.

Our car was equipped using the magnetic-ride damping option. Developed for UK conditions, it uses a fluid containing microscopic magnetic particles. Each time a voltage is applied inwith it, the viscosity is altered and damping firmed in milliseconds. Using the ‘sport’ setting transitioned, the Audi TT Roadster was satisfyingly compliant. Even by it switched on, the extra firmness is well judged. Not therefore the DSG-equipped 3. 2 V6 247bhp quattro version. In both settings, its ride was harsher and fewer settled. Nor was this car appreciably faster than its front-drive cousin – especially inside the mountains, in which the lighter (the quattro drivetrain adds 175kg towards the 3. 2’s all-up weight ), more effortless 2. 0 came into its own. Its steering, even when on full lock for hairpins, retained a way of delicacy and also the loading in the rim never wavered. This caused it to be simple to place, another benefit of an inferior engine inside a transverse-engine car.

A trip to the wheel of the new lidless TT wouldn’t be challenging, and It‘s far greater potential like a long-distance runner compared to the old car. Rain or shine. Just an hour or so after leaving the airport We‘re treated to some full-scale downpour. And also the TT never felt anything lower than unruffled. Inside or out. Travelling through this weather inside a roadster might previously meant having to become hardy, committed even. Not anymore. Should I buy one? The new roadster’s easygoing nature belies the innovative engineering under its skin, however that shouldn’t be seen like a criticism. Considering its quality and specification – automatic hood, leather-and-alcantara upholstery, 17in alloys and high-end stereo – £27, 000 on an open road looks like real value.