Cosmic coupe

The ongoing race to produce the best sports coupé is one of meteoric proportions. Competition is fierce among marques such as Porsche, BMW, Audi, Nissan and Toyota. In fact the coupé scene is hotter than a big ball of gas burning billions of miles away.

Audi’s iconic TT was out of this world when it was first introduced in 1999 – a design classic of the present and future and a car that revolutionised the market for small, fast coupes.

Appealing to everyone, this unique little car with a big heart captured an audience of men and women that spanned generations. But technology and design have moved on considerably in the last six-and-a-half years and so has Audi.

Late last year saw the evolution of the TT into a bigger and more serious coupé. It’s goodbye to the trolley-dolly quirks that gave the Audi its ‘hairdresser’s car’ reputation and, hello to the masculine, square-jawed good looks that define the latest TT.

Famed for its use of strong, lightweight aluminium in its car bodies, Audi has further developed its Space Frame technology and is incorporating lightweight steel in certain parts of the chassis and bodywork, thus creating a bodyshell weight that is almost half that of an equivalent all-steel bodyshell.

We all know the weight of a sports car is very important in keeping agility and speed at its best, and nobody achieves this better than Audi. Nasa, I hope you are taking notes.

As with all new ‘generations’, this TT is bigger and more spacious than the outgoing model. There are still four seats but the rear two are pretty useless, I have to admit. There is more legroom in the back of a Nissan Micra C+C.

However, there’s plenty of space upfront for legs and heads thanks to the wider cabin, which has become more fluid with the rest of the car. The windscreen rake is less steep, flowing better with the roofline, which in turn stretches back further and almost to the tip of the boot. This gives the car better aerodynamics and more inter space, without losing the obvious TTness.

The hips aren’t as bulbous as the older model and the front end, with its new distinctive face, is not as rounded as before . It has a few more crisp angles and the wide body panels are flatter and very flush with the huge alloy wheels.

I love the high waistline with a distinctive crease that flows from wheel arch to wheel arch. It is very much in keeping with the style of the day.

There are lots of coupés of this nature on the road, the slick Porsche Cayman, sculptured BMW Z4, sleek Nissan 350Z muscle and the gorgeous Gucciesque Chrysler Crossfire. So, why choose the Audi?

It’s so well screwed together for one thing. On opening the large door you instantly feel the quality. Once you have negotiated the fairly high sill – typical of sporty coupés – and are sitting in the comfortable sports seat you will notice the RS 4-style flat-bottomed leather steering wheel, a quirky feature.

I think TT’s typical Audi interior, with classy chrome trim and tasteful instrument panel, will please any driver. The light and airy cabin is welcoming and the quality of materials is high. Visibility is normally bad on many coupés. On the TT, though, it is better than I was expecting.

There is so much more to this TT than meets the eye (and the visual form is a feast on its own). When spending thousands of pounds on your car, you want to know exactly what you are paying for, and this includes the technology.

I was test driving the range-topping 3.2-litre V6 quattro, with Audi’s famous four-wheel drive system. I found the car smoother than the twitchy Z4, softer than the Nissan, generally more solid than the Chrysler Crossfire and light years cheaper than the Porsche Cayman S.

On turning the key the V6 engine roars into life, and once it hits 3,600 rpm the engine rasps wonderfully.

The TT certainly doesn’t feel like a featherweight to drive. It feels solid and weighty – a perfect combination of power to weight. It is definitely a driver’s car and you can’t help but love the way it holds on to the road regardless of your driving style or the weather.

Handling is just what you would expect of a four-wheel drive sports car. Throw it about and it begs for more. You can feel the power of 250 horses harnessed at each corner as the torque catapults you to 60mph in 5.5 blissful seconds.

Audi Magnetic Ride (extra) is a must, as it aids the quattro system and gives the coupé superb balance in corners. Plus, an aerodynamic rear spoiler pops up at the back to hold you to the road better when you’re driving at speeds of more than 74 mph.

The test car was fitted with the popular S-Tronic automatic transmission. However, given the choice, I would opt for the short-shift, six-speed manual gearbox in this instance. I don’t like the delay with the automatic transmission (despite it having a twin-clutch). Six manual gears gives you better control. The compromise, however, is economy as the automatic gives better figures.

I found the new coupé an improvement on its predecessor. It’s still the TT yet it has come of age and will undoubtedly prove itself both on the road and the track. TT has a sensible edge over the competition. It doesn’t need to try hard to impress and I was hooked on its good looks and great handling, both of which are out of this world.

The range starts with the two-wheel drive 2.0T FSi manual version, which, at £24,625 represents superb value for money.

AUDI TT 3.2 V6 QUATTRO

six-speed S-Tronic twin-clutch automatic (petrol)

Top speed: 155 mph (limited)

0-62 mph: 5.7 seconds

Max power: 250 hp @ 6,300 rpm

Max torque: 320 Nm @ 2,500 rpm

Urban economy: 21.9 mpg

Extra urban: 38.7 mpg

Combined: 30.1 mpg

CO2 emissions: 224 g/km

Price £29,285 OTR