Audi TT

The Audi TT is an automobile produced by Audi in Győr, Hungary.

TT concept

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.

TT Design

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.

The success and popularity of the TT's iconic design gave many automotive designers (and manufacturers) greater latitude to experiment with bold, distinctive design. The TT's influence can be seen in the design elements of many vehicles released after the TT.

The TT is often regarded as the vehicle that made people take a second look at Audi. No longer just a second-tier European maker (in the vein of Saab, Volvo et al.), Audi emerged as a serious competitor for the likes of BMW and Mercedes-Benz. The then-new B5-platform A4 model was a substantial improvement on its Audi 80 predecessor; these two models firmly secured Audi's position as a prestige marque.

First generation

The production model was launched as a coupé in September 1998, followed by a roadster in August 1999, based on the Volkswagen A platform used for the Volkswagen Golf, Skoda Octavia and others. The TT uses a transversely mounted engine with front or quattro all wheel drive. It was first available with a 1.8L turbocharged inline four cylinder 20-valve engine. For the first two years of production (1999-build cars were sold as 2000 models), both front wheel drive and Quattro models featured a 180hp (134kW) version of this engine. In 2001, a more powerful Quattro model was released which was equipped with a 225hp (168kW) engine which shares the same basic design but features a larger turbocharger, an additional intercooler on the driver's side, forged connecting rods, a dual exhaust, and a few other internals designed to accommodate the increase in turbo boost from roughly 10 psi peak to 15.