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AUDI TT

End of the Road: Audi TT

May 24, 2019 by admin 5 Comments

The TTS is one enhanced version of the Audi TT.

Car models come and go, although there are a few with staying power. The Chevrolet Suburban, Toyota Corolla, and the Ford F Series are among those models that have been around for a half century or more.

The Audi TT launched nearly 20 years ago, a 2+2 sport coupe and roadster that’s sold in small numbers. In fact, according to company data, it has been a year since Audi sold more than 200 per month in the U.S. Among its strongest sales years were 2007 and 2008, when Audi could regularly count on sales of 400 to 600 units per month. Yet, those numbers remain quite small, which is why the current TT will be the last one.

But it isn’t just low sales contributing to the TT’s demise. Audi is in the midst of a historic shift, one which will bring more than 20 electrified vehicles to the market in the next few years, including several pure-electric vehicles. Audi is betting big that the EV market will be both desirable and sustainable, thus the TT will eventually be replaced by one of these new models reports Automotive News Europe.

As a tribute to the Audi TT, we’ve assembled the following key facts about this car.

1. At first, it was a concept. Like every other production vehicle, the Audi TT was first a concept vehicle. Volkswagen’s California design studio developed the car, the same team that gave us the VW Concept One, which became the Volkswagen New Beetle. In 1995 at the Frankfurt Auto Show, the TT made its debut.

2. It has an Auto Union connection. Audi enthusiasts know that the four interlocking rings of the company’s logo point to this company’s history. Four separate marques united in 1932 to form Auto Union, which later was renamed Audi. The TT was inspired by the Auto Union racing cars of the 1930s (which featured unpainted aluminum bodies) as well as the Porsche RSKs of the 1950s. It also took inspiration from the Audi Avus concept supercar, which itself was never built.


An exquisite design and beautiful materials mark this model’s interior.

3. The first generation rolls out. It may seem hard to believe, but as the new millennium rolled in, Audi offered just three models in the U.S. The 2000 TT became its fourth model, a front-engine and front-wheel-drive model based on Volkwagen’s Group A platform (also shared by the VW Golf, Jetta, and Scirocco). All models have a turbocharged 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine making 180 horsepower paired with a five-speed manual gearbox. From the onset, Audi’s quattro all-wheel-drive system was optional. It came with extra boost too — 225 horsepower.

4. The roadster rolls out. Shop for a used 2000 TT and you’ll find the coupe only. That’s because the roadster rolled out in 2001. The drop-top version has accompanied the hard-top coupe since then.

5. More power, larger engine. Audi kept the base engine throughout this model’s first-generation run. But it also introduced a second engine with a displacement of 3.2 liters. This V6, introduced in 2004, produces 250 horsepower and comes with the quattro model only. A six-speed dual-clutch transmission sends power to the wheels. Also that year, the standard engine now works with a six-speed manual gearbox.

6. The second generation rolls out. No 2007 Audi TT was produced as the automaker readied the introduction of the all-new and second-generation 2008 Audi TT. This model is longer and slightly wider than its predecessor and comes with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine generating 200 horsepower and paired with a six-speed dual-clutch transmission. The V6 continues with the same performance numbers as before. A TTS version debuted in 2009, boosting the base engine’s power to 265 horsepower.


The TT is best used as a two-seater with the rear seat folded for extra storage space.

7. Let’s try five cylinders! Beginning in 2013, a turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-five-cylinder engine launched the performance TT RS variant. This one produces 360 horsepower and 343 foot-pounds of torque and works with a six-speed manual transmission.

8. The final generation. Audi released the third-generation TT for the 2016 model year. A turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 220 horsepower is standard for this all-wheel-drive model. A six-speed dual-clutch transmission sends power to the wheels. The TTS variant makes 292 horsepower from the same engine. In 2018, the high-performance RS made its debut, producing a whopping 400 horsepower.

The End is Nigh

Audi hasn’t officially confirmed the end date for the TT and its variants, but the eulogies are already being written. What was originally a sport coupe and roadster with token performance has arguably become a performance maven, especially in RS guise.


See Also — Audi Q7: Benchmark for the Luxury Set

2016 Audi TTS coupe photos copyright Audi AG.

Filed Under: Special Tagged With: AUDI, AUDI TT, Audi TTS, Auto Union, CONCEPT VEHICLE, manual gearbox, Quattro, RS, SPORTS CAR, turbo

Fun Factor: 2014 Nissan 370Z Roadster Touring

October 18, 2013 by admin 2 Comments

If top-down fun is your thing, then the Nissan 370Z pegs the fun-o-meter. This model, available in coupe and roadster variations, simply gets it by delivering a handsome body, a sporty interior and a powertrain that will make you and everyone else take notice. The Nissan 370Z Roadster Touring edition was a recent weekly driver, an inviting two-seater that left me alone and wanting more.

2014 Nissan 370Z Roadster Touring

The Z in Solid Red

It is never a good practice to assign a gender to an inanimate object such as a ship, a boat or to an airplane. And it is not too often these days that you will hear car owners calling their rides she although it is understood that many guys fall in love with their four-wheeled conveyances. Many women also adore their cars and I am talking about sports cars, not the family hauler.

The guest Z was dressed in a Solid Red finish, an entirely dangerous color for any media fleet vehicle. Its give me a ticket, officer red accentuates a robust body that has a bold face, sculptured lines, a black cloth roof and a curvaceous tail. If you’re considering any of the European models (i.e., BMW Z4, Audi TT, Mercedes-Benz SLK), the Nissan 370Z comes in at the lowest price point although there are some trade-offs in noise and refinement.

Yes, you can hear the air seeping in between the cloth roof and the windows, but that is only with the top up. Get a roadster, drop the top and off you go. Outside noise intrusion is part of the convertible experience regardless of the roofs position.

2014 Nissan 370Z Roadster Touring

The Beast Within

The 370Zs signature is the beast under the hood. That beast is a 3.7-liter V-6 engine that growls when awakened and roars the moment you step on the gas pedal. It also supplies power for several Infiniti models including the Q50, but it is tuned to deliver slightly more horsepower (332-hp at 7,000 rpm) and makes 270 foot-pounds of torque.

Credit variable valve event and lift (VVEL) technology and a back pressure reducing exhaust system with increasing the roadsters high-end performance. The dual aluminum pipes deliver a rumble when idled and a roar when pegging its redline.

You can get the Z with a six-speed manual transmission or a seven-speed automatic. The engaged driver within was initially disappointed when he discovered the automatic was present, but soon found that placing the shifter in manual mode and clicking the paddle shifters erased much of that disappointment. Unlike some other clutchless shifters, the Zs seemed optimally synchronized to control engine revs.

Joystick thrills are attained by high-revving your way through the gears, nailing 60 mph within five seconds. Youll probably still be in 3rd gear when you reach your base speed indicator threshold with much higher speeds to quickly follow when permissible.

2014 Nissan 370Z Roadster Touring

Nissan 370Z Highlights

Among the more interesting exterior characteristics of the roadster are its boomerang headlights and similarly styled tail lamps, what enhances this models menacing look. Vertical LED daytime running lights flank the outside edges of the front fascia, while the Z badges on the sides near the front wheel wells light up when you unlock the car. Aluminum alloy wheels encased within summer tires and red brake calipers provide much eye candy.

Inside, the Z wont drop your jaw, but it does provide an overall sporting look. Across the dash is much plastic of the hardened and styled variety with chrome and plush trim elsewhere. Behind the sport steering wheel are three analog dials with the tachometer sitting right where it belongs: in the middle. On the dash itself is a three-bay cluster for engine oil temperature, voltmeter and a digital clock. That driver-tilted layout hearkens to the original Datsun 240Z design.

The Touring edition comes equipped with leather-trimmed sport seats, offering good hip, back and thigh support with power and manual adjustments plus lumbar support. The passenger seat features four-way power adjustment. In-door storage with beverage holders, a center cup holder, an eight-speaker Bose audio system, climate control, a navigation system and a rear view camera are included.

2014 Nissan 370Z Roadster Touring

 

Nissan Z Roadster Delivers Thrills

View manufacturer details and pricing

On the Road

Too many damp gray days limited my top down fun, but I did manage to squeeze in one 18-mile leg with the roof down and country roads beckoning. Hold the center console switch in place for about 20 seconds and the trunk opens up to receive the roof. Take off and you get a real feel for this machine and the lively tour that it provides. The steering is precise, handling is good, but with any convertible there is a loss of body rigidity that seems even more apparent with the sport tuning package.

As tested, the 2014 Nissan 370Z Roadster Touring was priced at $51,365, pushing this model into BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi territory. Thats still $4,635 less than the Corvette Stingray Convertible, but well above pricing for the Chevrolet Camaro Convertible and the Ford Mustang Convertible, models that offer excellent straight line performance, a larger interior and roomier trunks.

2014 Nissan 370Z Roadster Touring

  • Sticker price from $45,470
  • Price as tested: $51,365
  • Seats 2 occupants
  • 3.7-liter 24-valve V-6 engine
  • 332 horsepower @ 7,000 rpm
  • 270 foot-pounds of torque @ 5,200 rpm
  • 3.76 inches bore by 3.39 inches stroke
  • Engine compression ratio: 11.1-to-1
  • Seven-speed automatic transmission
  • Wheelbase: 100.4 inches
  • Length: 167.2 inches
  • Width: 72.8 inches
  • Height: 52.2 inches
  • Passenger volume: 52.3 cubic feet
  • Storage volume: 4.2 cubic feet
  • Payload capacity: N/A
  • Towing capacity: N/A
  • EPA: 18 mpg city, 25 mpg hwy.
  • Premium grade gasoline recommended
  • Fuel tank: 19 gallons
  • Curb weight: From 3,510 pounds
  • Vehicle assembly: Japan

See Also — 2017 Nissan GT-R Premium: $109,990

Photos copyright Auto Trends Magazine. All rights reserved.

Filed Under: New Car Reviews Tagged With: AUDI TT, BMW Z4, BOSE, convertible, MERCEDES-BENZ SLK, NISSAN 370Z ROADSTER TOURING, SPORTS CAR

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