Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Audi TT 1.8T Quattro Roadster 6-Spd manual Report
Audi TT 1.8T Quattro Roadster 6-Spd manual Report.After all these years and all the other roadsters, it’s still the TT that knocks us out with its matchless styling (see also the TT coupe). Although the TT roadster may not be the fastest, the most comfortable, or the most affordable, it’s the best looking. Along with the coupe, the TT roadster becomes available in 2004 in a 250-hp, 3.2-liter V-6 Quattro version, with a double-clutch DSG (direct-shift gearbox) automatic transmission with a manual shift lever and steering-wheel-mounted controls. The Quattro system on the V-6 has been fortified to keep up with the power boost; Audi clocked the V-6 TT roadster’s 0-to-60 time at 6.6 seconds. Audi’s turbocharged 1.8-liter four-cylinder, in 180- and 225-hp versions, is still offered on the TT. A six-speed manual is standard with the 225 hp. And, regardless of powertrain, all versions of the TT look fabulous. The new TT shares some of its architecture with the latest Golf, but it now shares less with its VW sibling than the first- generation car. Like the Golf, it has grown up in the intervening years and now measures 164.5 inches long and 72.5 inches wide, up by 5.4 and 3.1 inches, respectively. The most radical change is that it uses a combination of a unit body and aluminum space-frame construction, with 69 percent of the structure being aluminum and the remainder steel. As a result, the ’08 TT is about 200 pounds lighter than its predecessor. The new TT is certainly a lot more stable than the old one. It even feels better than a Porsche Cayman at high speed, especially in side winds. All TTs have strut-front and multilink-rear suspensions, but there is now an optional adjustable suspension system with magnetic shock fluid. There are two settings, sport and comfort. The sport setting certainly firms up the shocks and limits roll, but the comfort setting feels more natural in this car. There’s plenty of grip from the 245/40 Michelin Pilot Sport tires that are fitted on 18-inch rims, the steering is sharper, and you can feel what all four tires are doing. But the TT still tends to understeer at the limit, and that limits. here
