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New Models
DRIVEN: Audi Sharpens TTS Roadster
Designer sports car upgraded with more power and edgier handling, along with dual-clutch automatic shifting.
Audi TTS gets a significant boost in horsepower over the standand TT. (Photo: Audi)
The Audi TT has always been more a work of art than a sports car.
Though the head-turning German auto has always been quick and fun to drive, its art-deco curves and high-concept looks rightfully get most of the attention.
But hitting the accelerator on the 2012 Audi TTS Roadster, European design was the furthest thing from my mind. Not that the TTS is the fastest car on the road, but it is completely fun to drive, while its sophisticated looks keep it at museum-piece quality.
While I do miss the extreme curviness of the original design, the second-generation TT body style (which has been around since 2006) is still a model of Bauhaus styling. With angry headlights peering out from aggressive, stylized fenders, along with those tell-tale spoked wheels, the TT echoes its original incarnation while keeping the look fresh and modern.
Beneath that fine-looking hood sits a 2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, capable of cranking out a pleasing 265 horsepower. The regular TT gets the same engine, toned down somewhat to 211 horsepower. The TTS gets up to 60 mph in a reported 4.9 seconds, and it still manages to pull in a decent fuel mileage at 23 mpg city and 31 mpg highway, according to the EPA.
The TTS is also equipped with quattro all-wheel drive, allowing the fairly heavy car to hug the corners effortlessly, along with Audi’s remarkable magnetic semi-active suspension system, which constantly adjusts to the road and driver. The suspension also offers a sport setting, which makes the ride stiffer and all that much more fun.
And while the engine is certainly worth talking about, it’s the S tronic six-speed dual-clutch automated manual transmission that’s the real star of the show. While not a total replacement for a stickshift, it’s certainly the next-best thing, with perfectly timed downshifts and super-quick upshifts that lead to very satisfying exhaust notes. Especially with the top down.
Did I already mention it was a convertible? And while its surprising that Audi sticks with the cloth top now that retractable hardtops rule the roads, the roof retains the car's clean lines while up, and folds flawlessly into the bodywork.
Inside, the TT extends Audi’s tradition of brilliant understatement, with each interior feature as well thought-out as it is designed. Nothing about the dash is fussy or overly techy, and everything is well within reach. And while most sports cars cut things pretty close in the space department, the interior of the TT had plenty of room to stretch out and a decent trunk. (The same cannot be said for the miniscule backseat of the coupe edition.)
My test model came in at around $50,000, which seems a little steep. For that you can get a nicely loaded BMW 3-series or a jazzed-up Ford Mustang. But while the TTS isn’t as fast or flashy as some of its competitors, it’s a more sophisticated fashion statement that still packs plenty of fun under the hood.
Details
Vehicle type: Two-passenger, two-door convertible, four-wheel drive.
Engine: 2-liter turbocharged 4, 265 horsepower at 6,000 rpm, 258 pound-feet of torque at 2,500 rpm.
Transmission: S tronic six-speed dual-clutch automated manual transmission.
Wheelbase: 97.2 in. inches.
Overall length: 164.5 inches.
Curb weight: 3307 pounds.
EPA mileage rating: 23 city, 31 highway.
Though the head-turning German auto has always been quick and fun to drive, its art-deco curves and high-concept looks rightfully get most of the attention.
But hitting the accelerator on the 2012 Audi TTS Roadster, European design was the furthest thing from my mind. Not that the TTS is the fastest car on the road, but it is completely fun to drive, while its sophisticated looks keep it at museum-piece quality.
While I do miss the extreme curviness of the original design, the second-generation TT body style (which has been around since 2006) is still a model of Bauhaus styling. With angry headlights peering out from aggressive, stylized fenders, along with those tell-tale spoked wheels, the TT echoes its original incarnation while keeping the look fresh and modern.
Beneath that fine-looking hood sits a 2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, capable of cranking out a pleasing 265 horsepower. The regular TT gets the same engine, toned down somewhat to 211 horsepower. The TTS gets up to 60 mph in a reported 4.9 seconds, and it still manages to pull in a decent fuel mileage at 23 mpg city and 31 mpg highway, according to the EPA.
The TTS is also equipped with quattro all-wheel drive, allowing the fairly heavy car to hug the corners effortlessly, along with Audi’s remarkable magnetic semi-active suspension system, which constantly adjusts to the road and driver. The suspension also offers a sport setting, which makes the ride stiffer and all that much more fun.
And while the engine is certainly worth talking about, it’s the S tronic six-speed dual-clutch automated manual transmission that’s the real star of the show. While not a total replacement for a stickshift, it’s certainly the next-best thing, with perfectly timed downshifts and super-quick upshifts that lead to very satisfying exhaust notes. Especially with the top down.
Did I already mention it was a convertible? And while its surprising that Audi sticks with the cloth top now that retractable hardtops rule the roads, the roof retains the car's clean lines while up, and folds flawlessly into the bodywork.
Inside, the TT extends Audi’s tradition of brilliant understatement, with each interior feature as well thought-out as it is designed. Nothing about the dash is fussy or overly techy, and everything is well within reach. And while most sports cars cut things pretty close in the space department, the interior of the TT had plenty of room to stretch out and a decent trunk. (The same cannot be said for the miniscule backseat of the coupe edition.)
My test model came in at around $50,000, which seems a little steep. For that you can get a nicely loaded BMW 3-series or a jazzed-up Ford Mustang. But while the TTS isn’t as fast or flashy as some of its competitors, it’s a more sophisticated fashion statement that still packs plenty of fun under the hood.
Details
Vehicle type: Two-passenger, two-door convertible, four-wheel drive.
Engine: 2-liter turbocharged 4, 265 horsepower at 6,000 rpm, 258 pound-feet of torque at 2,500 rpm.
Transmission: S tronic six-speed dual-clutch automated manual transmission.
Wheelbase: 97.2 in. inches.
Overall length: 164.5 inches.
Curb weight: 3307 pounds.
EPA mileage rating: 23 city, 31 highway.
The Lyonheart K
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