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By
EWAN KENNEDY
17 November 2008
Drive a car like this hot Audi roadster in the right conditions
and your outlook on life immediately changes for the better.
Obviously it’s great if the driving is done on your favourite
roads with a favoured partner, preferably with no other cars in
sight. But even if you’re sitting in traffic, perhaps on the way
to a show or your favourite cafe the TT still provides miles of
smiles.
All Audi roadsters are nice places to be, but the one we have
been testing for the last week has received the ‘S’ treatment
from the engineers and stylists. Thus it has even more distinctive
appearance, extra engine performance and a hard-edged sporting
feel in the suspension and steering.
The
Audi TTS features added bright highlights in its single-frame
grille and also uses LED daytime running lights, similar to those
in the its hot big brothers, the Audi S5 and R8. These are a
string of LEDs underlining the bi-xenon headlamps whenever the
engine is running. The line of lights is matched by the turn
indicators contained in the silver side mirrors.
TTS
uses an uprated version of the company’s well respected
2.0-litre turbo engine. Extra turbo boost lifts peak power to 200
kW and torque to 350 Nm. That latter figure is on tap all the way
from 2500 to 5000. Combine that power with the car’s use of
lightweight aluminium and the TTS Coupe can jump from zero to 100
km/h in just 5.2 seconds.
Part of the secret to that excellent acceleration is the quattro
all-wheel drive system. Thus there's virtually no wheelspin unless
you get brutal with the throttle on a wet surface. Even then the
car is fully under control within moments.
Acceleration is fast and
smooth with the turbocharger kicking in early and with virtually
no lag. It’s not quite as responsive as a non-turbo engine, such
as the Audi 3.2-litre V6, but is pretty close to it.
Our test car for the past
week had the Audi S tronic transmission system. This is a
direct-shift, dual-clutch automated manual with six forward
ratios. Gear changes can be made using either the gear lever or
steering wheel mounted shift paddles. Adding to the enjoyment of
the S tronic is the distinctive pop from the exhaust when moving
up the gears.
Such is the speed and
precision of the S tronic gearshifts that its 0-100 km/h
acceleration is actually 0.2 seconds faster than with manual
shifts in the conventional manual ‘box. However, there's some
hesitation off the line in normal driving conditions that can be
irritating at times.
Fuel consumption was
disappointingly high during our test period with the car. Even
running easily on motorways it was using about nine to ten litres
per hundred kilometres, and suburban driving saw this climb to 11
and 12 litres fairly routinely.
Magnetic-ride
active damping control modifies the shock absorbers to give a good
compromise between handling and comfort. The TTS suspenion can be
set in
Standard or Sport mode. The latter lowers the body by 10
millimeters for more dynamic handling. Resulting in a ride which
can verge on being uncomfortable at times, but the true drivers
won’t mind this as the added grip is simply wonderful.
The
brakes are larger than in the standard Audi TT models and are
reassuringly strong, with a minimum of fade even under the hardest
of test conditions. A few months ago we were able to test the TTS
at the Phillip Island circuit and it handled the big stops there
with ease.
Inside
the TTS there’s good space in the front seats with reasonable
headroom because of the low seat position. The boot of the
Roadster can take 250 litres regardless of whether the roof is up
or down. The roof is fast acting and is raised or lowered in just
12 seconds, this can be done at speeds up to 30 km/h.
The
roadster is strictly a two-seater, though you can also buy a
fixed-head coupe with small (repeat, small) back seats.
Interior
styling includes leather-trimmed sports seat. In our black
roadster these were finished in black leather with red inserts and
colour in that latter colour. The effect was excellent and there
were times we found ourselves simply standing beside ‘our’ car
looking at it.
The
distinctive flat-bottomed three-spoke steering wheel isn’t to
our tastes, though, as it can be awkward when you’re working it
fast. Such as in parking situations.
The
Audi Symphony Bose sound system includes a six-disc CD player that
is MP3-compatible. We didn’t spend a lot of time listing to it,
the mechanical sounds of the S are much to our liking and
weren’t to be missed, but there plenty of quality of sound
output, and a lot of quantity too if that’s your thing.
As
tested, the top-of-the-range TTS Roadster S tronic costs just over
$100,000, which is a pretty reasonable outlay for a car that’s
almost a purebred sports model and which provides so much
pleasure. Pleasure not only in the driving but also in the visual
stimulation it provides.
AT A GLANCE
MODEL
RANGE
TT TFSI 2.0-litre two-door coupe - $68,900 (manual), $72,900
(automatic)
TT 3.2-litre quattro two-door coupe - $89,400 (automatic)
TT TFSI Roadster 2.0-litre two-door convertible - $77,900
(automatic)
TT Roadster 3.2-litre quattro two-door convertible - $93,300
(automatic)
TTS TFSI 2.0-litre two-door coupe - $95,003 (manual), $98,816
(automatic)
TTS TFSI Roadster 2.0-litre two-door convertible - $99,452
(manual), $103,265 (automatic)
FEATURES
ABS Brakes: Standard in all models
Air Conditioning: Standard in all models
Automatic Transmission: Standard in TT Roadster and 3.2-litre
coupe, optional in all other models
CD Player: Standard in all models
Central Locking: Standard in all models
Cruise Control: Standard in all models
Dual Front Airbags: Standard in all models
Front Side Airbags: Standard in all models
Stability Control: Standard in all models
Traction Control: Standard in all models
SPECIFICATIONS (Audi TTS TFSI Roadster 2.0-litre two-door
convertible)
ENGINE
Engine Capacity: 1.984 litres
Configuration: Four cylinders in line
Head Design: DOHC, four valves per cylinder
Compression Ratio: 9.8:1
Bore/Stroke: 82.5 x 92.8 mm
Maximum Power: 200 kW @ 6000 rpm
Maximum Torque: 350 Nm @ 2500-5000 rpm
DRIVELINE
Driven Wheels: AWD
Manual Transmission: Six-speed
Automatic Transmission: Six-speed S tronic
Final Drive Ratio: 4.235:1
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND
CAPACITIES:
Length: 4198 mm
Wheelbase: 2468 mm
Width: 1842 mm
Height: 1350 mm
Turning Circle: 11.0 metres
Kerb Mass: 1455 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 60 litres
Towing Ability: Not recommended for towing
SUSPENSION
AND BRAKES:
Front Suspension: Independent, MacPherson struts, lower wishbones,
anti-roll bar
Rear Suspension: Four-link, separate spring/shock absorber
arrangement, anti-roll bar
Front Brakes: Ventilated disc
Rear Brakes: Ventilated disc
PERFORMANCE:
0-100 km/h Acceleration: 5.6 secs
FUEL CONSUMPTION/EMISSION
RATINGS:
Type: Petrol 98RON
Combined Cycle (ADR 81/01): 8.0 L/100km
REEN VEHICLE GUIDE RATINGS:
Greenhouse Rating: 6.5/10
Air Pollution Rating: 6.5/10
STANDARD
WARRANTY:
Three years / unlimited km
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Marque Publishing Company
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