With 905 000 Audis sold worldwide last year, the German manufacturer has achieved 13 years of consecutive growth.
This global trend is echoed in South Africa, where Audi sold 1 584 vehicles in 1994, and slightly more than 13 000 last year. Audi SA believes the company’s international success can be attributed to its focus on sportiness.
Audi’s accolades include winner of the 2006 Le Mans in the diesel R10TDi, it was named automotive manufacturer of the year internationally and, locally, it won car of the year for the Audi Sportback 2,0l TFSi.
The launch of the second generation of the TT sportscar sees the start of a year in which sporty Audis take centre stage, with the arrival of the S3, S6, S8, RS4 avant, TT roadster and the phenomenal R8.
The new TT coupé is beautiful from every angle — from the muscular front, through to the flared wheel arches and the squat behind.
While is doesn’t look dramatically different from its predecessor, the new TT is wider and longer than the older version.
The TT comes with two engine options: the 147kW 2,0lT FSi and the 184kW 3,2l V6 in manual or automatic.
While the V6 has an infectious growl that you would never tire of, the smaller-engined vehicle steals the show with the sort of enthusiasm one would expect from a turbo-charged vehicle.
It doesn’t make sense for lovers of performance vehicles to choose the less powerful car, but the 147kW version seemed the more sensible and alluring option. Sensible because it costs about R100 000 less than the V6 and alluring because it is such an exciting drive. Of course, for the extra R88 000, the V6 does benefit from Quattro all-wheel drive, fatter takkies, a higher specification list, and on the 0-100kph sprint it is one second faster than the 2,0lT.
Both vehicles are available in manual and S-tronic mode, the latter being what we would call an automatic that features a dual-clutch gearbox.
Inside, the cabin is roomy up front, and the fit and finishings are of a high standard. Leather sports seats and a multifunction steering wheel are standard, as are climateÂcontrolled air conditioning and a front-loading CD/radio.
Standard safety equipment includes ABS with brake assist, electronic brakeforce distribution, ESP, stability control and six airbags.
The 3,2l V6 comes with the option of bi-Xenon headlights, electrically-operated front seats and 18-inch alloys. And, for the first time, both the 17-inch and 18-inch tyres on both the TTs are runflats so the TTs feature an enhanced tyre pressure monitoring system.
The TT also comes with the option of “magnetic ride” suspension that increases the stiffness of the dampers in response to the driving style and road conditions. And just in case the TT didn’t look stylish enough in its current guise, Audi designers added a boot spoiler that automatically rises when the car reaches 120kph to increase the downforce on the rear of the vehicle.
On the road, both cars offer the sort of excitement you feel slightly guilty experiencing. You get out of the V6 grinning like an idiot because it’s such a fun car to drive.
The manual 2,0lT FSi goes from 0-100kph in 6,7 seconds and costs R352 000. The S-tronic 3,2l V6 sprints from 0-100kph in 5,7 seconds and costs R453 000.
The roadster version of the TT will be available from June, and you don’t have to be a gifted foreseer to be able to predict that both the coupé and the roadster are going to become common sights on our roads.