It was never the fastest, flashiest or more dynamic sports car, but the Audi TT was still one of the most iconic vehicles in modern motoring history.
I speak in past tense because the TT is about to head for the big car park in the sky, but not before the brand gives it a final moment to shine with the TT Final Edition. While it isn’t a performance hero like the ur-Quattro or R8, the TT defined a generation of Audi models with its bold and daring looks.
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The original model was designed by a young team that would go on to become design legends, such as former Ford styling chief, J Mays, and the man credited with Kia’s ‘glow up’, Peter Schreyer (among others). Its design would help shape Audi models from the later 1990s and into the 2000s with the iconic Bauhaus theme, which would create arguably Audi’s most stylish line-up of vehicles in its history and accelerate its pursuit of Mercedes-Benz and BMW.
There were three generations of TT and while the look evolved with each new example and kept up with Audi’s overall design evolution, the TT remained unmistakably a TT. This is a car that will be studied by creative types for decades to come, showcasing what good design can do for what is, ultimately, a pretty straightforward car underneath.
That’s because each generation simply borrowed from Volkswagen Group’s giant bin of parts to create a relatively affordable sports car for a premium brand. The TT is sometimes derided as a ‘Volkswagen Golf in a more stylish body’, but that misses the point. Namely, there’s nothing inherently wrong or bad about a Volkswagen Golf, it’s actually one of the best small cars in the world from a dynamic point-of-view.
Over the years Audi even pushed the limits of the TT, creating the genuinely rapid and aggressive TT RS, powered by the equally iconic 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine; which can trace its roots back to the ur-Quattro.
To send it off in style, Audi has produced the TT Coupe 45 TFSI quattro Final Edition, the last of which already rolled off the production line way back at the end of 2023. There are still some available but you’ll need to act quickly.
The key appeal of the TT Final Edition is the same thing that has appealed about every version of the TT – it’s a design masterpiece atop a sensible platform. In this case it has the 180kW/370Nm version of the VW Group’s 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and all-wheel drive. That’s enough to make it sporty without being a true performance car, with 0-100km/h taking a respectable 5.1 seconds.
But it doesn’t need to be super quick when it looks this good, especially when it isn’t an Audi Sport model. It still drives nicely, with the same good manners and sharp response that anyone who has driven a VW Golf/Audi A3/Skoda Octavia will be familiar with.
Instead this is a car for people that don’t want the ordinary or the mundane, but rather something exciting and creative. The Final Edition receives 19-inch Audi Sport black alloy rims finished in gloss black, as well as the S line exterior package and a fixed rear spoiler, to create a more purposeful look.
Sadly, though, the TT appears to have fallen victim to a combination of Audi’s need to rationalise its line-up to invest more into electrification as well as the simple fact that it is ultimately a low-volume model that has a diminishing audience.
While I can certainly understand the logic behind the move, it’s still disappointing to think that cars that the world will have one less interesting car. Something that isn’t an SUV or something similarly sensible and cost-effective for the company.
The TT marked a high point for Audi, showing it was willing to aim high, take risks and ultimately have fun. With the TT joining the R8 in retirement, I hope Audi has something in the pipeline worthy of succession.
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