After our exclusive design analysis and comparison with the predecessor model, we report an excerpt of the new official press release together with a selection of pictures.

From the official Press Release:

Design

The 1998 Audi TT Coupé became a true icon in automotive design, an icon. The design adhered to pure geometric lines, embodying a functional purity and austerity harking back to the Bauhaus style of the 1920s. Its core motifs were the circle – embodied especially strikingly in the wheel arches – and the curves of the roof line, front end and rear.

This timeless architecture imbued the Audi TT with the character of a genuine driving machine, attracting approval and admiration from all quarters. It also proved to be a major driving force for the brand as a whole – both in terms of design and in enhancing its sporty and emotional profile.

Whereas the design of the predecessor model was still additive, on the new TT the geometric shapes merge fluidly into a uniform whole. A low, narrow greenhouse is supported by slim pillars sitting on muscular, rounded shoulders; viewed side-on, it accounts for around one-third of the height. Compared with the previous model, the roof has been repositioned further to the rear, and the tail end extends further back.

The panelled body beneath it, accounting for the remaining two-thirds of the height, looks compact, poised and powerful. The convex and concave curvatures of its surfaces imbue the car with a sense of tension and motion, accentuating the character of an athletic body ready to sprint from the blocks.

Substantial bracket-type handles and sizeable exterior mirrors with LED turn indicators complete the picture; the mirrors, designed to conform to the latest statutory requirements on size, provide a particularly wide field of view. The wheel arches, which describe perfect semicircles like their predecessor model, enclose wheels 16 or 17 inches in diameter, depending on the engine version. The striking design of its rim centres is again a distinguishing feature on the new TT. The tyres have grown in size to 225/55 R 16 and 245/45 R 17. Sizes of up to 19 inches in diameter are available as an option.

True to character: the interplay of light and shadow

The shoulder line, which runs parallel to the lower edge of the windows, and the strikingly rising dynamic line above the sill stretch the body visually and underscore its dynamic character through a subtle interplay of light and shadow. Above the rear right wheel is the legendary aluminium fuel tank cap, embedded in the shoulder section. It now sports a web running cross-wise, displaying the TT logo; the visible screws in the surround have disappeared.

There are ten metallic and pearl-effect colours to choose from for the bodywork's paintwork: Silver, Condor Grey, Sahara Silver, Dolphin Grey, Phantom Black, Mauritius Blue, Deep Sea Blue, Petrol Blue, Garnet Red and Dakar Beige. Then there are three solid colours by the names of Ibis White, Brilliant Red and Brilliant Black.

The drag coefficient of the new Audi TT Coupé is just 0.30 – a remarkable advance on that of its predecessor, which had a drag coefficient of 0.34. Although the frontal area has grown in size from 1.99 m 2 to 2.08 m 2 as a result of the added width, the overall drag of the new TT clearly undercuts that of its predecessor.

The front end of the new TT has been made more expressive and resolute in appearance. Its defining element is the single-frame radiator grille surrounded by a narrow chrome strip, singling out the TT at very first glance as a member of the Audi family; on the V6 models, it has a high-gloss black finish. Starting at the grille, two pronounced contours extend across the front lid to the A-posts. The front end's design responds to the need to protect pedestrians; the same applies to the deformation properties of the engine compartment lid.

The spoiler of the new Audi TT Coupé blends lithely into the contour of the rear end, and when the car is at a standstill the only evidence of it is a barely noticeable lip.

At 120 km/h it automatically moves upwards in a two-dimensional arching movement, driven by an electric motor via a four-link kinematic device, thus increasing negative lift at the rear wheels. It is automatically retracted again when the speed falls below 80 km/h. The driver can also operate it via a switch.

Headlights design

The slits beneath the single-frame grille and the large air inlets positioned at either side, in front of which the standard fog lights are located, hint at the potential of the new Audi TT's engines.

The lights sloping to a point – with chrome-look trims that are standard on the V6 versions and, in conjunction with xenon lights, optional on the 2.0 TFSI – underscore the mature presence of the TT Coupé.

Their upper edges visually intersect with the light units, thus reinforcing the impression of resolve. Novel, reverse-curve plastic elements below the tubes, known as the "wings", accentuate the spatial effect.

Xenon plus headlights combined with daytime running lights are available optionally (standard on 3.2 quattro) instead of the standard halogen lights, and the adaptive light dynamic cornering light system is also available.

In contrast to the predecessor model, which adhered to the principle of symmetry, the rear end of the new TT is a distinctive structure, entirely separate from the front end. The trapezoidal cut-out around the number plate visually prolongs the flow of the rear lid.

The clearly visible, powerful exhaust tailpipes, the wide diffuser and the centred rear fog light echo the world of motor sport, to which the predecessor model added an illustrious chapter in capturing overall victory in the 2002 German Touring Car Masters.

Audi likewise uses tubular reflectors with free-form technology at the rear. Thanks to their visual depth, they produce a strikingly three-dimensional effect, appearing to hover freely in their housings. Rectangular shields on the reflectors mean that other drivers following on behind perceive square light cubes.

As with the headlights, horizontal turn indicator strips delineate the bottom edge of the light units. On the TT with four-cylinder engine, the inner housing inserts are red, and on the V6 quattro they are of a dark colour (option on 2.0 TFSI). The third brake light features light-emitting diodes, as do the side turn indicators in the exterior mirror housings.

Technology tested in motor sport: smooth underbody

Thanks to engine encapsulation and the space frame design of the body, the TT's underbody is smooth throughout almost its entire length, like on a racing car; this, too, reduces lift. The interaction of a wide variety of precision details is brought into play here, such as the way the underside of the rear silencer is sloped by seven degrees so that it acts as a diffuser.

The engineers implement cutting-edge technology in the development work performed in the Audi wind tunnel.

The facility is equipped with a belt that runs at the speed of the wind, allowing the wheels to rotate when the measurements are being taken. The balanced aerodynamic properties of the new TT represent the basis of its excellent road behaviour and stability right up to top speed.

The interior

The original TT was itself one of the few coupés on the market to offer genuine sports car design in its interior.

In the new model, too, the fluid dynamism of the exterior is echoed in the interior.

A sweeping line provides a transition between the interior trim of the door and the instrument panel. It embodies the classic circles motif of the TT in a number of ways, such as in the three centre air vents. All lines converge in the instrument cluster, with its two large scales for speed and revs. New features include a large digital speedometer in the display of the driver information system.

The new standard-spec sports steering wheel fits snugly in the hands. Its solid rim, trimmed in high-grade Nappa leather, is flattened at the bottom, similarly to the Audi RS 4 and the Le Mans quattro sports car study.

The driver's and front passenger's sports seats are fitted even lower down than in the predecessor model, providing a truly sporty seating position allied to firm side restraint. Like the steering column, they can of course be adjusted longitudinally and in height, offering a perfect sporty seated position for every driver.

Body Proportions and Dimensions

The new Audi TT, like its predecessor, is initially available as a 2 + 2-seater coupé; a roadster model is scheduled for later launch. The dynamic impression that it creates stems from its modified proportions. The coupé is 137 mm longer and 78 mm wider than its predecessor, but only 6 mm higher. It is now 4,178 mm long, 1,842 mm wide and 1,352 mm high. The TT's wheelbase is 2,468 mm.

The interior, too, has benefited from this increase in size: it has grown by 75 mm in length to 1,577 mm, by 29 mm in front shoulder width to 1,352 mm and by

23 mm in rear shoulder width to 1,206 mm. In the basic configuration, the luggage compartment beneath the large lid accommodates 290 litres of luggage. It grows to 700 litres when the rear seat backs are folded down, and its length of 1.70 metres is ample for two golf bags. With these practical characteristics, the TT Coupé sets standards in its class.

Body Structure

The body of the new TT is constructed in lightweight ASF (Audi Space Frame) – the aluminium technology developed by the company in the early 1990s for the first A8 series. The ASF combines aluminium and steel for the first time.

Aluminium accounts for 69 percent of the weight of the body.

Fully galvanised steel components are located principally at the rear of the floor panel.

The doors and luggage compartment lid are also made of steel. This ensures that the axle loads are distributed evenly, thus considerably improving the handling of the vehicle.

The bodyshell of the TT weighs 206 kg, 140 kg of which is aluminium and 66 kg steel; were it built entirely of steel, it would be 48 percent heavier.

Its low weight is one of the key factors behind the impressive road behaviour of the new TT Coupé.

The unladen weight of the TT 2.0 TFSI is just 1,260 kilograms – placing it at the forefront of this performance class.

And the 3.2 quattro weighs only 1,410 kg.

The new-style ASF on the Audi TT features properties that are truly worthy of a genuine sports car. Its static torsional rigidity has been improved by around

50 percent over its predecessor. In terms of crash safety, too, the new TT is utterly uncompromising.

(Source: Audi)