Audi TT
It shouldn't come as a surprise that I have strong opinions about cars; I have filled hundreds of posts here at Car Lusts with those opinions, usually expressed in overwrought language and at obscene length. While those opinions are of questionable validity--for example, I like the Ford Maverick and dislike the Mitsubishi 3000GT--my opinions are at least pretty clear and well-defined.
That's not true in the case of the Audi TT. The TT stands apart as the one car that causes me more internal conflict than any other. Do I love the TT? Do I hate it? The answer is probably both, depending on my mood when asked.
My attitude towards the TT has not always been so torn; in fact, my relationship with the TT began in the late 1990s with blinding passion. The original 1995 TT show car had registered dimly in my consciousness at the time, but as I typically do with show cars, I dismissed it as irrelevant vaporware. That casual attitude evaporated when I saw the production 2000 Audi TT in the June 1999 issue of Car and Driver, at which point it was replaced by immediate, fierce, and unbridled lust.
I still remember the moment I saw the TT on page 54 of that magazine; it was like a sledgehammer to the skull. I was standing in my kitchen, idly flipping through the issue, and had already eagerly read the Saab Viggen road test and the Honda Civic Si/VW New Beetle comparison test, but my first glance of the TT obliterated any impression of any other car I might have held that year. (In retrospect, the June 1999 C&D was a truly excellent issue. Aside from the Viggen and Civic/New Beetle comparison, it featured a comparison of five luxury sport wagons, a preview of the new Nissan Maxima, and a short take of the Audi A6 4.2 Quattro).
Everything about the TT seemed like an answer to my fervent late-1990s dreams. The TT's styling is now so familiar that it has become commonplace, but at the time it was a revelation. After a decade of anonymous, me-too jellybean styling, the TT's styling threw off the yoke of aerodynamic subservience and brought a much-needed dose of character to car styling. The TT featured wheels pushed right to the corners of its body, with geometric curves and arches that gave it the the look and feel of a finely crafted bauble just out of the machine age of the 1930s. The intricately detailed interior further deepened the illusion that the TT was an intricate toy hand-crafted and sculpted by a Black Forest craftsman.
But unlike the retro cars that would follow, the TT didn't steal from the history of automotive styling; it advanced it. It was an entirely new look, both in profile and detailing, and it inspired copycats such as the Chrysler Crossfire and Nissan 350Z. And, setting aside for a moment academic discussions about the TT's significance, it was just flat-out gorgeous.
The hardware was similarly exciting. I had already sampled the TT's torquey 1.8-liter turbo four in the much larger and heavier Volkswagen Passat and loved it. The idea of sampling that engine in the much smaller and trimmer TT, even in front-wheel-drive configuration, was rather exciting. Stoking the fires of that excitement was the fact that versions with Quattro traction and more power were on the way.
I had grown up lusting after stylish, capable two-door coupes like the Saab 900 SPG, the Alfa Romeo GTV-6, and the Audi Quattro and believed I had finally found a true successor to those stylish 1980s sports coupes. The TT consumed my daily thoughts for at least a week, and I babbled about it to all of my coworkers. I wanted a TT; in fact, I wanted one badly.
So, given all this, you'd be justified in asking why I'm torn at all on the TT. What's with the angst? Why the love/hate relationship? Why not just love the car and be done with it? After all, I'm already the owner of a car that could be considered the TT's spiritual successor as Audi's stylish sports coupe. Why not just line up with my fellow Audi-philes and lust unabashedly for the TT?
Well, that's probably because that electric moment in my kitchen in 1999 marked the high point of my relationship with the TT. All of my subsequent interactions with it, included my time behind the wheel, eroded that unconditional lust to the point that I'm not sure I'd really even want to own a TT.
So, what happened? Well, first of all, the Audi TT quickly was exposed by comparison tests to more of a sporty cruiser than a true sports car--the TT was a fun car to drive, but in comparisons it was regularly walloped by the sublime Porsche Boxster and even, at times, the BMW Z3/Z4. In either front- or all-wheel-drive configuration, the TT didn't have quite as sharp a performance edge as its more purpose-built sports car competition.
This isn't necessarily damning. The Boxster is known as a particularly sweet handler, and not being quite as sharp a scalpel doesn't necessarily make the TT a bad car. After all, the TT was essentially a more stylish VW GTI, and the combination of that car's sweet driving experience with the TT's gorgeous styling could still make for a fun runabout. This was the impression that lingered until I actually had the chance to drive a TT.
I have actually driven two TTs--one was a FWD 1.8-liter model, and the other was a sporty high-horsepower six-cylinder Quattro. Both were good performers, and predictably gorgeous, but I found them to be best enjoyed from outside the car. I didn't like driving the TTs, and in fact I didn't even want to be inside them. One problem was that the chrome-splashed interiors which looked so stylish in magazines seemed overdone in person; the detailing was clearly more about ornamentation than usefulness.
Worse, the TT's gorgeous styling was partially a result of a high beltline and a low roofline. This meant that the driving position was a bit like sitting in a deep bathtub. This meant that I was surrounded by stylish but inhospitable controls and couldn't really see out very well. That driving experience soured me immediately; the TT was wonderful to look at, but as an unfriendly tool it spited its user. And by then, the TT's styling was so familiar that it had lost its initial impact.
And so now, years later, I'm still conflicted. Perhaps the answer is that the TT is a wonderful car about which to fantasize, but not so good to own. Yet, several of my friends, whose opinions I respect, have owned TTs and loved them. These images are so gorgeous that I find my heart melting again; but then I reread my driving impressions, and it ices back up.
And so I'm left in my eternal quandary, with two sides of my personality in conflict--love or hate? Lust or disgust? I just don't know, and I'm not sure I ever will.
These images are all from The TT Wallpaper gallery on Fotki.
--Chris H.
Anthony Cagle on July 07, 2010 at 12:32 PM
Never having been in one, let alone driven one, I can't say anything about the driving dynamics. Styling wise, I always thought it looked like a slightly squashed New Beetle, but very different from anything else on the road and, I think, it still looks fresh and interesting even today.
Seems like a gentleman's sports car, or perhaps a gentlewoman's sports car.
Sean on July 07, 2010 at 12:48 PM
I too was smitten with the TT (usually it’s with Ta Ta's but I digress) and read that same 99 issue of Car and Driver. I saw it in person at a car show and was just in love. I have never driven one and the lust has worn off but I think I know why. Beyond the styling it’s just a front wheel drive VW. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it’s just not as special as it looks. If it was rear wheel drive then game on! The newest ones with the V6, ordinary looks and the unforgivable sin of no manual transmission have definitely confirmed my opinion that the TT is a flop that sagged with age.
That Car Guy on July 07, 2010 at 02:06 PM
Chris, here's a suggestion for your TT woes. Get a good pre-assembled scale model of one. Look at it when you want, but put it up when you get tired of it. That way you can relish it, although in small scale, but won't shell out thousands of dollars to have a car that you really don't want.
Just a thought.
CJinSD on July 07, 2010 at 02:20 PM
I recall thinking when it came out that it should have been the new Scirocco. It was a Golf coupe, after all. Had they kept the spec and equipment levels low and the price around GTi money at the time, it would have been a brilliant car. Unfortunately, they priced it against premium sports cars with much better chassis fundamentals and engines. As such, it mostly sold to people who only cared about style. Nothing leads to a long term stigma as efficiently as selling a car that is mundane mechanically to fashionistas at a premium.
Rob the Audi Guy on July 07, 2010 at 04:44 PM
I like em. Classic styling, and I mean CLASSIC. I'm pretty sure it will wind up in MOMA eventually; the new ones threw away the symmetry and simplistic grace in favor of the trendy 'aggressive scowl' that is plastered on the face of so many 'wannabe' sports coupes that I think it already looks dated. I don't want the TT coupe at all.. I have a feeling my Prelude 4ws would eat it for breakfast in terms of driving dynamics... but I do want a convertible. I have a long distance cruiser (S6 avant), I have a track toy/collector car (prelude), but I am currently lacking a sexy ride that ladies like a lot, that makes people slightly jealous. I think a TT conv would fit the gap nicely. :)
Yankee on July 07, 2010 at 05:17 PM
I've always thought if VW ever made a resurrected "New Karmann-Ghia" in the vein of the New Beetle, the Audi TT would fit that role damn near perfectly. For those Karmann-Ghia fans that are longing for a spiritual replacement, the TT is your car.
Shawn on July 07, 2010 at 08:06 PM
I agree, the TT in reality is nowhere near as cool as the magazine pictures. The one thing the original TT offered that to me still makes it extremely desirable was the baseball glove-stitched leather interior option. Very unique and cool:
http://www.ttguy.com/pix/bradInterior.jpg
Alan Schwarz on July 08, 2010 at 01:28 AM
I remember these in non-metallic battleship grey looked so bauhaus retro and ultramodern at the same time back in the turn of the century.
Like a '57 Speedster for the millenium.
I sat in one at a car show and agree the interior was kinda cheesy.
I have similar feeling with the crossfire as with the TT.
Many cool elements but the whole package is a little odd.
Max Power on July 08, 2010 at 06:09 AM
Chris, the answer for you is simple...it is absolutely car lust. You can adore it from afar...want it... but deep inside know that if you possessed it, it would make you miserable. Kinda like any super hot starlet.
Rob the Audi Guy on July 08, 2010 at 07:34 AM
@ Max... wait what? Give me a super hot starlet, I won't be miserable. I mean, all women are a pain in the ass, so you might as well have a super hot starlet. :P
CJinSD on July 08, 2010 at 09:50 AM
Rob the Audi Guy,
When I saw your post previewed on the Car Lust Blog landing page, I really thought you wanted a hot rodded Toyota Starlet.
john bono on July 08, 2010 at 11:40 AM
My 928s want to talk to the guy at Audi who stole their butt.
http://i1014.photobucket.com/albums/af268/johnbono_bucket/IMG_0653.jpg
cthulhu on July 08, 2010 at 12:23 PM
Any discussion of the Audi TT has to include
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWhHCDqs1lQ
Whitehall on July 08, 2010 at 01:16 PM
Part of the solution was to buy the convertible.
That gives one much more head room, so long as it is not raining (or snowing.)
I also came to the conclusion that the TT was more a fashion accessory than a practical automobile.
But, hey, high healed shoes are in the same category and we'd miss them too.
Frank on July 08, 2010 at 01:25 PM
Have owned one since they first came out (before the spoiler was added). Great car. Hey Sean, the TT is not front wheel drive. The quattro version has existed almost from the very beginning!
Presently own a 2005 (3.2 l 6 cylinder). Fantastic power when you want it.
Rob the Audi Guy on July 08, 2010 at 01:36 PM
I'm not seeing how the rear of a TT looks anything remotely like a 928.
Todd on July 08, 2010 at 02:47 PM
When the TT was announced I lusted after it as well but my lust quickly faded as newer and seemingly more interesting cars came to market.
My lust for the Audi TT has recently been renewed with the introduction of the TT RS. The RS is more of everything I have always thought the TT should be. I love the looks of the RS, both inside and out. Additionally, sound clips of the TT RS's turbocharged five cylinder engine can be found online. For me those sound bites, whether enhanced or not, evoke an even deeper visceral response than the images. Those soundbites are downright drool-worthy. The fact that the TT RS currently remains forbidden fruit here in the U.S. probably adds a little something extra to my desire for this car. We always seem to want what we can't have.
Alas, I fear that in person the TT RS wouldn't really live up to my current perception of the car. Since I don't see myself owning one anytime soon, perhaps it's better if this car just remain a desktop wallpaper on my computer. I'll just keep imagining myself driving a superb TT RS down the Pacific Coast Highway in perfect weather with no tourists to slow down my pace.
Chris, what are your thoughts on the TT RS? Also, you call your Audi GT "the TT's spiritual successor". Don't you mean the TT's predecessor?
Keep up the good work. I enjoy your blog posts.
Da Coyote on July 08, 2010 at 05:05 PM
I'll add my vote to love it...even though I've never driven it.
Audi's styling is still the best of the Germans - although they should behead the stylist responsible for that awful front end.
BMWs may handle better, but they've only progressed from butt ugly to --- kinda ok. They'll have to get better than my beloved 320i to gain my respect again.
Da Coyote on July 08, 2010 at 05:05 PM
Forgot to mention that the "front end" I hate is on the new Audis - not the original TT.
Hucbald on July 08, 2010 at 08:42 PM
If you actually like Bauhaus styling - which I call Boo-Hoo styling (So, I don't like it) - then the TT is right up your... OK, I'll relent.
Ugly and hideous car. Plus, it's claustrophobia-inducing cramped. I was in the passenger seat of one for about fifteen minutes and had to breathe into a paper sack for five minutes after that ride. Couldn't wait to get out of the... "thing."
The Push-me/Pull-you head-looks-like-the-butt thing is just beyond ridiculous to me. An automobile ought to look like it intends to go somewhere in a forward gear, not like it wants to tear itself in half with an always-on reverse overdrive.
stanczyk on July 09, 2010 at 05:00 AM
I gen TT was a cool car - pure , simple formula..
but the new one is trying too hard..it's lamers car..
Some say : Gay car ?:)
gaylife.about.com/od/entertai...cars2010_4.htm WTF?:)
john bono on July 09, 2010 at 06:29 AM
The curvs man, the curves, it's got a 928 butt.
Mochi Mochi on July 09, 2010 at 07:07 PM
This car is an exemplar of the superficial. It promised so much and so completely under-delivered. The TT is all about the lines penned by its stylists - which are amazing - but that's where the story starts and ends.
Chris I could not agree more. I went through the same attraction/rejection cycle with the TT. I still love the lines of the original TT, but it's got a cramped nasty little interior. If a car is going to have such dismal visibility it had better be something special - really worthy of the track. The TT is nothing special. Looks great in photos, but the closer you get to it the less you like it. Lots of cheap plastic and tacky chrome. I was so excited when it appeared and so disappointed when I met it in real life, I've never subsequently been able to consider the TT anything other than a poser. The TT gets my vote for car-disgust.
The newer models are even worse. Bloated. Heavy. Ponderous. They even lost the tight original lines :P
kenny heggem on July 11, 2010 at 11:38 AM
My old teacher that had an 87 Turbo Chevy Sprint for 20 years replaced it with a TT. I thought his Sprint was way cooler, likely more fun to drive.
I see the lofty bulbous styling and just go "eh". I is what it is.
However, I think most every German car looks like a Japanese car. At least the one's we have in the USA.
Have you seen how boring the new Jetta wagon looks? The rear end reminded me of a Chevrolet.
Nautilus on July 23, 2010 at 01:59 AM
Had to choose between 20 different cars when I've bought my present day ride. Among them a FWD 1.8T Audi TT and a Seat Leon FR 1.8T (http://fondoscoches.com.es/images/wallpapers/seat-leon-fr-2004-485343.jpeg) with practically the same mechanical parts. Have chosen the Seat. After I had seen the interior and rearward visibility of the TT, I have never felt sorry for the decision :D
~Nautilus