Capsule Review: 2015 Audi TTS Coupe Competition

Capsule Review: 2015 Audi TTS Coupe Competition -

Perhaps it is age or jaded eyes. Perhaps a desire to move the conversation forward. It could even be the experiment. One way or another, I became less and less likely to allow exterior styling to garner more than a passing mention in my car reviews, trucks, SUVs, crossovers and minivans.

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• USD Price Have Tested: $ 54,595

• Power: 265 @ 6500 rpm

• torque: 258 lb-ft at 2500 rpm

• observed fuel economy: 16.9 mpg

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But after feasting my eyes on a second generation Audi TT sitting in my driveway - even in the 0 yellow; nearly nine years after we first saw the second generation TT and some 16 years since the first TT went on sale; with the third generation TT already revealed and about to go on sale - how my lips can be silent

The 2015 Competition Coupe TTS convinces me that the second TT is the most attractive of the three Audi TT iterations. I grew to love tenderly the first, but it could be blamed for the same research to come and go. The next TT Mk3 somehow seems more formal, more serious and less visually distinct from the (beautiful) Volkswagen Scirocco.

This, however, is a visual stunner in the overall shape and detail. curved wings on cleverly arched roof and the grid properly proportioned, he deserves credit for his only general aesthetics. But the mirror-finished aluminum and rear stays are eye-catching details, the 19-inch wheels are conversation starters, the strakes that lead into the foglights bring more cohesion to the front end. In addition, the overall design reflects the fact that new cars do not look the same. And if she was originally for sale at Peyton last won a Super Bowl, Audi TT Mk2 appears wonderfully present.

At least on the outside.

You use a key to start the car. There is no camera back or a large part of the safety alert in gear (there are backup sensors, but no blind spot monitoring, for example) that you now expect 35,000 + $ traditional sedans, let the premium brand cars alone costs about $ 55,000. The navigation screen that works with a less impressive version of Audi MMI, is a piece of size 6.5 inches. The cabin certainly does not rank among the quietest I've met in the last number of months, either.

None of this is unexpected for a car which traces its design dates back to the sixth-generation Chevrolet Malibu. (Yeah, it's so old.) But regardless of the quality of TTS looks outside, and no matter how high the quality of the materials is within these specific elements reminiscent of a bygone era, not a nostalgic way.

that the outgoing TT lacks in modernity it is ultimately by always a memorable experience. True, TT, even in this special edition one-of-competition covered 500 TTS, is not among the purest driving sports cars. Yellow baseball stitching and a bizarre rear wing can not make. Management has no feedback. The brakes can be slightly overservoed in the large Audi tradition. The ride is ultra-rigid when sport mode is engaged and just busy when left in normal conditions.

Yet with less than 3300 pounds to cart around, double-clutch 6 speed quick shift transmission and all-wheel traction wheels, 265 horsepower is a much larger number there first appears. TTS Coupe accelerates to 60 mph in five seconds, moving more quickly and more intelligently if it is driven. It is a delightfully compact package, and with a couple to spare, he darted through traffic like a French hot hatch 80s on nitrous.

Although not as convenient as 80s hot hatch (or Volkswagen GTI current, for that matter), the TT does have a (barely accessible) rear seat, cargo space 13, 1 usable cubic feet, and the ability to send power to all four wheels. The BMW Z4, Mercedes-Benz SLK and Porsche Cayman can not do all the same claims.

Our test car provided by Audi Canada, ranking in at CAD $ 65.295. In the US, the TTS starts from $ 49,595, a $ 8,350 jump from the base TT. The package of competition adds $ 2,500. The navigation package Audi adds another $ 1950. The climbs totaling $ 54,595, or $ 1,400 less than a base Corvette.

But the Corvette pursues a different market, right? Of course, in the sense that the Corvette is to a buyer that still exists.

See, the TT market may have evolved not only from the TT, but his compatriots. Oh, the arrival of a new TT will produce a short-term spike in demand. But is it surprising own BMW sales boss Ian Robertson, asked if the sports car market will never fully recover from post-recession low?

Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche combined to more than 40,000 sales TT, Z4, SLK and Boxster US in 03, but only 15 000 TT, Z4, SLK, Boxster and Cayman last year. While the Corvette was roundly outsold by the aforementioned quartet in 03, Chevrolet sold 34,839 Corvettes in 2014.

Corvette vs TT? Hey, if I'm the last self-appointed arbitrator on the topic Audi TT style, I should not be the one to decide which car to buy when all 500 global best Cup competition are caught?

Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net , who is obsessed with the free and frequent publication of US and Canadian sales figures auto.