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Yesterday, I had the chance to test drive the new Audi TT 3.2 litre V6 Quattro. I have been looking at the TT for the past few years, and was intending to order the old design 3.2 Quattro Roadster, but then Audi announced a new design.

I was planning to see what I thought of the new design and order based on that. If I liked the new design, I would wait for it to be released, if I didn’t, I would order straight away. However this did not go according to plan, Audi actually stopped taking orders on the old design shortly before the new one was released. Then I saw the first pictures…

I thought it looked ugly, I couldn’t believe that Audi had taken a very nice looking car and turned it into something that hideous. The picture, adorning the front of a motoring magazine, turned out to be one of the original concept designs, and not the final model. However, the final model still featured the imposing grille. The same grille that has been worked into the design across the Audi range.

However, in the flesh, the grille isn’t as imposing as it appears on pictures.

The final car also features softer lines than the concept, giving more of a nod to the smooth shape of the original. However, with the sharper features, the new TT is a much more imposing beast on the road. From the Peugeot-like ‘cat eye’ headlights, to the square lights in the rear cluster - the new TT is more of an agressive looking vehicle.

So how does it drive?

Well, the car is pretty low, not as low as the Lotus Elise, but it still struck me how low it was as I fell into the driver’s seat. It is perhaps a little lower than the Nissan 350Z (which is probably the closest direct competitor to the TT). However, the electronically adjustable seats (optional) make it very easy to find an optimum driving position.

The flat-bottomed ‘racing’ steering wheel takes a little bit of getting used to, feeling the corners as it ran through my hands was a little strange. The leather steering wheel is comfortably chunky, and extremely light. In fact the car as a whole feels extremely light. Breathing on the accelerator is enough to make the car jump, and the key is smoothness. Less forgiving than my present car, the bite is very high.

The first 30 mph are hardly noticable, the V6 extremely quiet and smooth. It is very easy to break the speed limit in this car, and you have to be extremely cautious. Having said that, the power in 1st gear is rather disappointing. The car does not ‘launch’ off the blocks, and it is only when you shift up to 2nd that you really get the feeling you’re in a sports car. 3rd is where the fun starts though… putting your foot down in 3rd launches you up to 60mph and forces you back into your seat. 4th and 5th have adequate power to take you above and beyond 70mph, while 6th, even though it is a fuel-saving cruising gear still has enough grunt to escape hazards, or push you past that slow-moving car on a duel-carriageway or motorway.

Audi has made much of the retractable spoiler. The previous model was unstable at the rear at high speeds, and necessitated a spoiler being attached to the rear. The spoiler broke the smooth lines of the car. So with the new design, the spoiler has been incorporated into the design from the start. The retractable spoiler means that at slow speeds, or while the vehicle is parked, its smooth appearance is maintained. While at higher speeds, the rear-end stability is assured. The spoiler is programmed to deploy at 74mph, which on UK roads means that it can never legally be extended automatically… However, the spoiler can be extended manually by a switch behind the gearstick. Depolying the spoiler has no real effect at the slower speeds, and I believe it will only automatically extend after a period of driving at higher speeds. I did accelerate to 80mph at one stretch (naughty…) but it did not extend immediately, and I slowed down as I approached traffic shortly after hitting 80. However, again, the engine was still pretty quiet.

The manual gearbox is extremely good - the gear changes feeling natural, even with large block-changes such as 6th to 3rd. Despite the bite being a little higher than I liked, it is not so high that you don’t get used to it after an hour.

The interior is smart, very reminiscent of its predecessor - however, instead of the small circles being replicated from the fuel cap to the interior air vents, the new design draws from the rectangular exterior openings for the foglamps, and the bottom of the front grille. The same design is present on the top of the gearstick. The dials are pretty much unchanged, still red displays, and a nice TT logo on the Tachometer. Onboard trip computer is pretty much as you’d expect: average speed, current & average fuel consumption, time spent driving, range…

The cabin is larger than the original TT, with a slightly larger boot space, but still not as large as the 350Z. You could fit one large suitcase in there, but a golf bag would only be possible if the rear seats are dropped. The rear bench is split, however, making it more practical than my current vehicle.

The biggest disappointment was the sound system. This particular model was fitted with the BOSE sound system (an optional extra, at over an extra £1000). Given the BOSE name, and the extra expense, the bass response was very poor. Even the salesman agreed that it was not worth the extra expense. Also, the radio cover hasn’t made the transition to the new model. I liked the old one, a smart brushed metal cover emblazoned with TT that covered the radio when not in use.

Overall, a great car, and a worthy successor to the original. Would I order one? certainally… although I’m still going to hold out for the roadster, which is to be released in the UK in March (ordering available from December).

Pics below: I didn’t have much time, as I wanted to be driving for as long as possible, and with the low winter sun, the shots are a little overexposed. Click on the thumbnails for larger images.