More information, a brief history and our verdict on the Audi TT

The Audi TT is a stylish sports car that helped put this German brand on the map. The original is now thought of as a design icon, and the latest car ensures Audi still has a head-turning alternative to the BMW Z4, Alpine A110 and Porsche 718 Cayman and Boxster. 

The Audi TT is a hard-top 2+2-seater sports car. It’s also sold as the Audi TT Roadster, a soft-top two-seat convertible. Both models have proven popular for many years. 

It’s all thanks to the fact that Audi essentially put a concept car into production back in 1998. The reaction to the TT was overwhelmingly positive, and people flocked to Audi showrooms to see the new car. The original had a 1.8-litre turbocharged engine, but Audi later added a 3.2-litre V6 with the world’s first DSG dual-clutch automatic gearbox. 

A second-generation TT arrived in 2006, with a more sophisticated interior and more precise driving dynamics. Audi used this as an opportunity to progressively push power outputs upwards, culminating in the 340PS TT RS. 

The latest Audi TT arrived in 2014. It uses aluminium-intensive construction to save weight and boost performance. It’s also the most high-tech Audi TT ever inside, with the Audi Virtual Cockpit digital instrument display a notable highlight. 

Despite its rear seats, the Audi TT isn’t the most practical of cars. Still, you don’t buy a sports car for that – you buy one for driving excitement wrapped in a good-looking body, and here the TT certainly does deliver. Reasonably affordable pricing makes it a compelling choice for those looking to buy or lease a svelte new sports car. 

Audi TT models, trims, specs, engine sizes and more

The Audi TT model range is focused around turbocharged engines. Most of them are four-cylinder TFSI turbos, with the range-topper being an exotic and very powerful 2.5-litre five-cylinder. Get it while you can, because cars like this won’t be around forever…

For the core range, Audi uses numbers to denote the individual TT models. The 40 TFSI is the least powerful, with the 45 TFSI offering more oomph. The numbers refer to the power range in which the car sits; at the top of the TT range, it gets more straightforward, with the TTS and TT RS. 

Audi used to offer a diesel-engined TT, but now the range is purely petrol. If you want the high-mileage fuel efficiency of a diesel, you’ll need to look for a second-hand Audi TT. There is always a good selection of models available on Carsite. 

• Audi TT 40 TFSI S tronic petrol: A 197PS 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine is paired with a seven-speed DSG dual-clutch auto gearbox in the entry-level TT. It drives the front wheels and 0-62mph takes 6.6 seconds. Impressively, it also averages up to 42.2mpg. 

• Audi TT 45 TFSI quattro S tronic petrol: The 2.0-litre turbo engine is boosted to 245PS in the 45 TFSI, while quattro four-wheel drive is included to handle the extra power. The 0-62mph time drops considerably, to 5.1 seconds. 

• Audi TTS quattro S tronic petrol: The exciting Audi TTS is the top-spec four-cylinder TT. A high-output 320PS engine accelerates it from 0-62mph in just 4.5 seconds, making it as quick as a Porsche. 

• Audi TT RS quattro S tronic petrol: The 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine in the wonderful TT RS puts out a howling 400PS, which serves up 0-62mph in just 3.7 seconds. Given this potency, average fuel economy of 31.7mpg is understandable. 

Audi TT features as standard & optional extras

The Audi TT model range opens with Sport trim, which features 18-inch alloy wheels, Alcantara (man-made suede) and leather upholstery, heated front seats, manual air conditioning and the 12.3-inch Audi Virtual Cockpit. Xenon headlights are also standard, with LED daytime running lights. 

The Audi TT Sport Edition is a version with more style-focused features as standard. It brings in many of the optional extras from the regular Sport into the standard spec. These include 19-inch alloys, the black styling pack and black door mirrors. 

Plenty of people looking to buy or lease a new Audi TT like the S line trim, which features as standard 19-inch alloys, S line body styling and 10mm lowered Sport suspension. The front Super Sport seats have bespoke S line upholstery, while a black headlining adds a moody feel. 

Want to go even moodier? The Audi TT Black Edition takes the S line standard spec and adds 20-inch Audi Sport alloys, rear privacy glass and a black styling pack that extends to cool black chrome tailpipes. There are matt brushed aluminium interior inlays as well. 

The TT that features it all as standard is the Vorsprung. This has matrix LED headlights, auto-dimming exterior mirrors and a rear-view camera. Inside, the Sport Sports seats are trimmed in Nappa leather, while there’s a B&O premium audio systme, MMI Navigation Plus sat-nav and the Audi smartphone interface. Optional extras? Very few – it’s all fitted as standard. 

The Audi TT’s exterior dimensions are:

• Length: 4,191mm
• Width: 1,832mm
• Height: 1,353mm 
• Ground clearance: 135mm