Monday 25th November 2002

Hot New TT

250bhp TT gets fancy new gearbox as Audi turn up the heat

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[Froth]

It's still just a Golf

[Roadrunner]

My girlie has the 225 version. For the money it's very comfy inside and not a bad all round car. No, it's not a sports car, but it is a good car.

[ultimasimon]

Good car accepted; but still reminds me of the associations with "Yuppies" and Porsche 911's in the 80's

[Roadrunner]

Yuppies my arse. It only costs 26k ffs. It's not a 360 Modena is it.

[hertsbiker]

why the put downs? the current 225 seems to handle well, is pretty quick - not dynamite, but 100% useable. It's light, looks *ok*, but not in the TVR league. And practical -ish. Eg, I can fit in a TT, but not a TVR !! also economical to run.

But you lot don't like it? BTW it has zero resemblance to a Golf. Beetle maybe, but no way is it a Golf. The chassis seems way beyond that.

Dunnow, maybe it's just that I like all types of car, and can appreciate them all on their own merits. Not everyone wants the same cars, thankfully. Or we'd all have people carriers. Urgh !

Perhaps this is similar to the "porshe dislike" attitude I keep reading about?

Shame on you! atleast it's not a Metro.

Carl.

[shadowninja]

hertsbiker said:
Not everyone wants the same cars, thankfully. Or we'd all have people carriers. Urgh !

um do people WANT mpvs? I thought they bought them because they are forced to (by the lifestyle they lead)... Surely everyone WANTS a ferrari 360 spyder. or something

personally I wish everyone bought a Chimaera. Roads would look so much nicer, and as for the sound of a traffic jam... I'd just sit by the M25 somewhere between junction 11 and 14 every day

[Fatboy]

BTW it has zero resemblance to a Golf. Beetle maybe, but no way is it a Golf. The chassis seems way beyond that.

Actually Carl it is a MkIV Golf underneath - it even uses the 4Motion 4 wheel drive system as in the Golf V6 4Motion rather than the usual quattro torsen cenre diff...

[v8thunder]

I hope they've dialled some of the lifelessness out of the steering. Each to his own and all that, but the TT always remended me of a jellymould.

[Roadrunner]

Dear old dear. You can't buy anything new that's any better for 26k these days. As an all round package nothing touches the quality / design etc. Maybe the new Alfa 147 GTA will be an option when it's out. This price bracket is pretty limited though, when buying NEW.

[clubsport]

I took a demo 225C for a fast test drive on roads I know well.I was more than impressed with the handling particularly as it was raining.It was the first car I have driven in a long time where it's handling exceeded it's power,I guess they had to make it over safe after the problems with the earlier cars.

[searsy]

Not bad at all, We Cerb boys give everyone in a TT a hard time, but I s'pose if a 250bhp one caught me napping, he'd be skinning me rather than just giving me a cut & blow dry!

[Graham.J]

shadowninja said:I wish everyone bought a Chimaera. Roads would look so much nicer.

Well for about 5 mins, and after you'd seen every colour, then you'd get bored

[Froth]

No offence, but I just don't like the Audi TT. To me it's all style and no substance. Much like the Z3 it looks great but, after spending all the budget on the design they stuck it on an old chassis. Plus in Audi's case they then borrowed the 4-wheel drive transmission and the engine from the VW parts dept.

I'd just have prefered it if it had a great engine and chassis and only average looks.

Having said that if you offered me one I wouldn't say no -

[hertsbiker]

I stand corrected ! wans't aware of it's close family members. Ok, I still think it's pretty good - impressed me on a soaking wet road, and fast enough to get past numptys.

[pdv6]

Now that's what I call a 'Hot TT'!

[Roadrunner]

Right, you have 26k to spend on a NEW car, like my girlfriend, what do you buy then?

[manek]

Have to say that if it's like any of the other recent Audis I've driven (and I gather it is), it will be lifeless at te steering wheel. No sense of how fast you're going, no feedback from the front wheels and certainly no sense of how much grip you've got left.


And while it was rare (here I take the JC amendment), its looks stood in good stead but, now they're two a penny, it looks more like a fashion statement than a car.

That said, I'm about to take delivery of a Focus ST170, so what do I know?

[Roadrunner]

So it's common yet your getting a Focus. All righty then. So what would you lot by for 26k new then? Havent heard any better suggestions yet, just whinging.

[iguana]

Roadrunner said: Right, you have 26k to spend on a NEW car, like my girlfriend, what do you buy then?

Why does it have to be new? does she like throwing money away?
What sort of cars does she like? sports comfort looks?I would look at the S2000, but its rather wasted if all it does is pootle around inside the M25 every day. Mind you with the extra saving by getting an S2000 she could get a Smart too

[Mark Benson]

I had £26k to spend on a car eaqrlier this year - I tested all the alternatives (Z3, SLK, Elise, TT, S2000) and came out with an S2000.

It was the closest of all the above to a 'proper' sports car (apart from the Elise, which was too much of a 'proper' sports car for heavy daily use).
The TT is fine if you commute every day and not much else, but it's handling is lifeless, the steering doesn't give you a clue what's happening and the AWD system is biased towards numpty drivers, preferring to exhibit FWD tendencies rather than RWD like the Integrale I moved from. I had an Audi S3 also, which handled better than the TT (they're supposed to be the same platform too).
In fact, I also tested the Jag X-Type which was more fun in the wet than the TT by far.