BMW Tuning Cars: Audi TT Coupe

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Audi TT Coupe

The Audi TT is a two-door sports car manufactured by Audi Hungaria Motor Kft. in Győr, Hungary, since 1998, for the German automaker and Volkswagen Group subsidiary AUDI AG. The Audi TT is now in its second generation — and both generations have been available in two car body styles; as a 2+2 Coupé, or two-seater Roadster. They have been built on consecutive generations of the Volkswagen Group A platform, starting with the A4 (PQ34). As a result of this platform-sharing, the Audi TT has identical powertrain and suspension layouts as its related platform-mates; this includes a front-mounted transversely oriented engine, front-wheel drive or quattro permanent four-wheel drive system, and fully independent front suspension using MacPherson struts. The styling of the Audi TT began in the spring of 1994 at the Volkswagen Group Design Center in California. The TT was first shown as a concept car at the 1995 Frankfurt Motor Show. The design is credited to J Mays and Freeman Thomas, with Hartmut Warkuss, Peter Schreyer, Martin Smith and Romulus Rost contributing to the award-winning interior design. A previously unused laser beam welding adaptation, which enabled seamless design features on the first-generation TT, delayed its introduction. Audi did not initially offer any type of automatic transmission option for the TT. However, from 2003, a dual clutch six-speed Direct-Shift Gearbox (DSG) became available, with the United Kingdom TT variants becoming the world's first user of a dual clutch transmission configured for a right-hand drive vehicle, although the outright world first for a road car equipped with a dual clutch transmission was claimed earlier by a Volkswagen Group platform-mate, the left hand drive Volkswagen Golf Mk4 R32.

The production model (internal designation Typ 8N) was launched as a Coupé in September 1998, followed by a Roadster in August 1999. It is based on the Volkswagen Group A4 (PQ34) platform as used for the Volkswagen Golf Mk4, the original Audi A3, the Škoda Octavia, and others. The styling differed little from the concept, except for slightly reprofiled bumpers, and the addition of a rear quarterlight windows behind the doors. Factory production commenced October 1998. Early TT models gained press coverage for a series of high-speed accidents in Europe. Reported crashes and related fatalities occurred at speeds in excess of 180 kilometres per hour (110 mph), during abrupt lane changes or sharp turns. Both the Coupé and Roadster models were recalled in late 1999/early 2000, to improve predictability of the car's handling at very high speeds. Audi's Electronic Stability Programme, and rear spoiler were added, along with suspension modifications. All changes were subsequently incorporated into future series production versions of the car. Factory production of this generation ended in June 2006.