First Drive Review
Not many cars are icons right from the moment of introduction, but Audi's TT definitely belongs to this select club. From the moment the media and the public set eyes on Audi's dramatic Bauhaus styling, they drooled all over it. And if the exterior shape got them all a-quiver, the ground-breaking interior design helped blind most critics to the fact that the TT was built on a Golf platform of no particular distinction. The first cars were front-drivers and definitely lacked something in the refinement stakes. When Quattro versions appeared, they did much to civilize the steering, but it took the installation of the 3.2-liter V-6 and Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) to elevate the TT to a position of near parity in the premium European sports-coupe league.
Without losing its instantly recognizable on-road presence, the 2008 model addresses many of the shortcomings in the now-aging predecessor; it now has aluminum structures, more-powerful engines, and a revised DSG, now called S tronic. Although the car is instantly recognizable out on the road for what it is, almost everything about it has been revised and upgraded. You really need to park the two models side by side to appreciate the extent of the makeover.
