Audi TT exists 25 years and says goodbye

25 years of Audi TT, the driving sculpture of Audi retires! From the early eighties, Audi worked hard to boost its image. Not that the German brand was bad, on the contrary, but it did not have the appearance of compatriots Mercedes and BMW. Audi wanted to establish itself alongside these two brands as a technical topper in the premium car market. That philosophy came to be called 'Vorsprung durch Technik'.

For this, the Quattro principle was taken out of the closet. And they developed a spectacular, four-wheel drive Coupé in Ingolstadt. That went very well because he became rally world champion several times. You don't just become that. So the whole world had seen in the late eighties that Audi could indeed be that topper. But afterwards you saw them in Ingolstadt asking themselves: "What now?"

A successor to the rugged Quattro

This must have been the run-up to the next legendary Audi: the TT! In the early XNUMXs, Audi wanted a successor to its rugged Quattro. He didn't have to be the same beast. If only he was extravagant. And it was in this scenario that the Audi TT was born.

The American Freeman Thomas, led by the then head of design Peter Schreyer, drew the new Audi image builder. They were driven by the desire to create a pure sports car with very dynamic lines. The new coupé was presented in September 1995 at the IAA in Frankfurt in the form of a show car/concept. Three years later (1998) the time had come. The TT was launched without too much fuss.

"Less is more"

Less is more was the motto. Inspired by the Bauhaus style from Germany. Innovation, idealism, ambitions and creativity were the core concepts of the Bauhaus style. The movement started in 1919 and aimed to connect all art directions into one ideal unity. Painting, sculpture and industrial design had to form a whole.

This “less is more” philosophy was followed in the creation of the Audi TT. Each line of the Audi TT had a specific purpose according to the designers, each form a function. Well thought out and even better executed. The TT model name refers to the legendary Isle of Man Tourist Trophy, one of the oldest motorsport events in the world. But he also recalls the NSU TT from the sixties. A sports car derived from the NSU Prinz. And with that, the Audi TT also showed the world from which family it came. Well thought about all.

A moving sculpture

In December 1995, it was decided to mass-produce the Audi TT Coupé. Torsten Wenzel, the exterior designer at Audi who helped introduce the concept car into series production, recalls: “For us, the highest praise was when the trade press appreciatively noted that not much had changed from the study model to the series model. Although we would have anyway. We had to adjust many details due to the technical specifications for the series version, including the proportions.”

Most notable was the integration of a rear side window, which extended the profile of the car and increased the dynamics of the sports car. For Wenzel, the Audi TT remains “a moving sculpture. The body of the Audi TT appears to be made in one piece, he says, and the front without traditional bumper overhangs emphasizes the clean form.

Another design element also contributes to the unmistakable silhouette of the Audi TT Coupé: the circle – “the perfect graphic shape”, as Wenzel describes it. Numerous round elements were the inspiration for the exterior and interior design of the sports car. A special mention also goes to Romulus Rost, who provided the groundbreaking interior. Twenty years later, the TT often appears on lists of the most influential car designs. The TT is described by many as the most influential design Audi has made in the past 25 years.

Unique cross site production

Series production of the Audi TT Coupé began in 1998 (combined fuel consumption in l/100 km: 8,2-6,6; combined CO₂emissions in g/km: 185-151). A year later, Audi launched the TT Roadster. Like the show car and the Audi A1996 launched in 3, the sports car was based on the transverse engine platform of the VW Golf IV.

From the beginning, the TT was produced by Audi Hungaria Motor Kft. in Győr in Hungary. The painted TT bodies were transported overnight by train from Ingolstadt to Győr, where final assembly took place. This method of 'cross-site production' between Ingolstadt and Győr was unique in the automotive industry at the time.

Increasingly extensive options program

The engine range of the first generation Audi TT was wide and, of course, sporty. This is how the first generation TT with four-cylinder turbo engines appeared on the market. Power was available from 150 to 225 hp and a V6 engine was available with 250 hp. A highlight of the engine range was the four-cylinder in the Audi TT Quattro Sport, which was boosted to 240 hp. Of these, 1168 copies were eventually delivered.

First-generation TT customers had a lot of choice when it came to selecting special equipment. In addition to exclusive colors such as Papaya Orange or Nogaro Blue, customers could equip the TT with many special factory options. During the first eight years of production, 178.765 first generation Audi TT Coupés (Type 8N) rolled off the line. Between 1999 and 2006, exactly 90.733 Audi TT Roadsters were built.

The Audi TT was a fast boy

When it was introduced in 1998, it was most important to Audi that with the TT, the brand with the four rings once again had a sports car in its range. The angular Quattro Coupé of the early eighties had to have a successor that appealed to the public. It was not an obligation that motorsport successes were achieved with his successor. If only he "smelled nice". So a new Quattro rally program was not on the factory's wish list.

Still, the Audi TT turned out to be a fast boy on the track. So fast, in fact, that it raced in the DTM from 2000 to 2003. Since the DTM was about production touring cars (sedans with two or four doors and a boot), the Coupé shape of the Audi TT was actually not allowed. But he was still allowed by the DTM organization.

Since Audi was not allowed to use their quattro four-wheel drive in the DTM, the manufacturer itself was not interested in participating. That is why Abt Sportsline developed a racing version of the TT. This TT-R got a 4,0 liter V8 with about 460 hp and rear-wheel drive. That was a great success! The Audi TT was basically aerodynamically a weak car. And so the car had no chance in its first DTM year (2001). But when Abt was allowed to make adjustments, it resulted in a DTM Championship win in 2002. Cheers TT!

Champion Dutch Supercar Challenge

After driving for another year (2003), the Abt TT-Rs were sold to the Brinkmann Motorsport team from Essen, near Venlo. Owner Olly Brinkmann used the Audis according to the 'Arrive & Drive' principle. And so we suddenly saw the two TTs of Abt Sportsline appear in the Dutch Dutch Supercar Challenge. One Audi TT was driven by Ardi van der Hoek and Arjan van der Zwaan. They even became DSC champions with it in 2007. The other car was for Robert van der Zwaan and the German Elmar Grimm. They had mixed success, but managed to climb the highest step of the podium a few times.

It was an exciting time. Also for your AMK editor Peter Vader, who took care of the public relations for the three Dutch drivers. It meant the necessary weekend trips to the circuits of Assen, Nürburgring, Spa-Francorchamps, Zandvoort and Zolder. The furthest destination, however, was the Oschersleben circuit. Located near Magdeburg on the Elbe, in former East Germany. The whole story took two years. Owner Olly Brinkmann then used the two TTs for other drivers on other circuits in Europe. With that, the Audi TT participation disappeared in the history book of Dutch motorsport. But it remained a remarkable project.      

The Audi TT was eand race innovator

Series production of the Audi TT Coupé began in 1998, remarkably faithful to the concept car. Only a year later, Audi launched the TT Roadster. The power of the Audi TTs came from simple Golf engines, tuned to 180 hp or 225 hp. Over time, a V6 and the choice of four-wheel drive or front-wheel drive were all on the menu. And from 2003 the TT had the first DSG dual-clutch gearbox. Developed by the parent company Volkswagen.

The TT was in many ways a breed innovator. Though it wasn't all smooth sailing. The first production cars had a smooth, spoiler-free hull. After several high-speed highway crashes, Audi scrambled to fit a form-busting ducktail spoiler. This created more downforce on the rear. That went well. During its eight-year life cycle, 178.765 first-generation Audi TTs were produced.

Audi TT, a groundbreaking, stylish sports car

In 2006, the second generation, the Audi TT Mk2, arrived. It had even more powertrains and even a diesel! While the striking design was maintained, the TT Mk2 did not have the same visual impact as the original. A common problem with a second version. Just ask Min…

The third generation of the Audi TT was introduced in 2014. A contemporary-looking Audi TT, with the designers reinterpreting the unmistakable lines of the original 1998 TT for the modern era. The TT also became more and more potent. In 2016 even a TT RS followed with a 2,5-liter five-cylinder turbo engine with 400 hp! This engine was named “International Engine of the Year” nine times in a row.

But after 25 years, production of the Audi TT will end this year. It will be quietly removed from the delivery program. The market just evolves. Automakers prefer to focus on electrification at the expense of niche body styles and low-volume sports cars.

The Audi TT Final Edition is the last series in a series of 655.000 Audi TTs sold in the past quarter of a century. The Final Edition is not available in the Netherlands, by the way. But it does mean that this groundbreaking, stylish sports car will have its place in the history books.

The revolutionary Audi TT

The model name “TT” is reminiscent of the legendary Tourist Trophy on the Isle of Man. One of the oldest and most spectacular speed events in the world. A place where NSU and DKW achieved great success with their motorcycles. With the NSU TT, the car manufacturer from Neckarsulm had already established a link with the racing successes of the brand on the island in the XNUMXs. Audi then used this double reference when choosing the Audi TT name.

Homage to the Audi TT

As a tribute, there is an exhibition in the Audi museum until September 24 under the name 'State of the ArtTT'. Various studies and coupes from all three generations of the Audi TT are on display. Think of the Audi TT Quattro Sport from 2005, the Audi TTS Pikes Peak from 2009 and the Audi TT ultra quattro concept and the winner of the Audi TT Cup 2017.

Curator Stefan Felber: “In our summer exhibition we also show some special models from this part of the TT history. For example the 1954 NSU Rennfox, the motorcycle that won the TT Ulster and gave its name to the later NSU models Quickly TT and NSU Prinz TT. Because of this line, it is ultimately also a forerunner of the Audi TT, a model that was both revolutionary and brand-defining.” And that is the best typification of the Audi TT. It was definitely revolutionary!

Photos and other images come from Audi Press.be and Peter Vader.