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Audi TT
The TT was first shown
as a concept car at the 1995 Frankfurt Motor
Show. The design is credited to J Mays and
Freeman Thomas of Volkswagen's California
design studio. The name is an abbreviation
of "Tourist Trophy", an annual road
race on the Isle of Man (see: Isle of Man
TT), not "twin turbo" as is sometimes
assumed. Turbocharged models only feature
a single turbocharger. The
TT's styling is regarded by many as a watershed
moment in automotive design. From its introduction
as a concept car in 1995, and as a production
car in 1998, the design was regarded by many
as bold, innovative, and evolutionary. While
the car borrowed a few design elements from
earlier vehicles, the overall design was considered
by many to be truly unique. With its distinctive,
rounded bodywork, bold use of bare aluminum
(actually anodized aluminum), and a lack of
defined bumpers, the TT represented a departure
from much of the styling that dominated the
car market at that time.
Second generation
2003 Audi TT roadsterAudi is expected to reveal
the second-generation TT in September 2006.
In August 2004, Audi announced that the next-generation
TT will be made of aluminum and would go into
production in 2007.
A
TT concept (the Audi Shooting Brake) was
shown at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2005. This
concept featured angular styling and a "shooting
brake" 2-door hatchback body style.
The production car is expected to continue
the use of the 3.2 L V6 engine, with 250
PS (184 kW), as well as a 200 PS (147 kW)
version of Audi's direct injection 2.0 L
four. A 6-speed manual transmission is expected
to be standard, with the DSG as an option,
and Quattro all wheel drive is likely to
be standard with the V6. It is expected
again to be offered in coupé and
roadster forms.
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