How do you deal with an iconic but aging design? With plenty of care and caution. Such is the case with the Audi TT, which has existed basically unchanged since its debut in 1998. The new car, introduced on a live internet video feed on April 6, looks very similar to the outgoing model. It maintains the circle and dome motifs that made the little coupe famous, but proportion changes make the car look lower, sleeker, and more aggressive. The same is true of the interior, which, while completely redesigned, looks like a smoothed over version of the last edition.
Under the skin though, this car is all-new. It uses a new aluminum and steel space frame (the first time both materials have been used in tandem) with 69 percent of the structure being of aluminum and the other 31 percent of steel. The steel sections are all found at the rear, serving as a counterweight to the engine and resulting in better weight distribution over the two axles.
Engine choices range between Audi's loveable 200-hp 2.0-liter FSI turbo and the 3.2-liter V-6 that was available in the last TT, rated at 250 hp. Traditionalists will spec their TTs out with the six-speed manual gearbox, but we might go with the optional ultra-slick dual-clutch gearbox. While both engines get both transmissions, only V6 models will feature Quattro all-wheel drive, and four-cylinder cars will be front-driven. Wheels will range from 16 to 19 inches.