Little Deutsche Coupe

Photo courtesy Cars & Bids

After a rough patch in the 1980s, Ferdinand Piëch’s Audi was on a mission to go from a quirky all-wheel-drive Mercedes alternative to a bona-fide sport-luxury competitor. Ultimately, a quick sketch of a smaller, more-accessible sports car made its way up the decision chain and resulted in the Mk1 TT, one of the most important pieces of automotive design in the past 50 years. Built in coupe and convertible bodies, with either front-wheel drive or quattro all-wheel drive, the TT’s legendary design, combined with prices starting under $10,000 today, makes it the definition of an affordable classic.

From sketch to production

When the Audi Quattro Spyder concept debuted at the 1991 Frankfurt Auto Show, it looked nearly production-ready. But in the early 1990s, not even Piëch believed customers would pay Porsche premiums for an Audi. The project stalled, but the desire for a sports car persisted. Freeman Thomas, a designer hot off the success of Volkswagen’s New Beetle, was invited to Germany to work on Audi projects. During a fit of boredom, or exhaustion, from designing cars, Thomas took a break — and sketched a car.

The result was a small coupe embodying Audi’s new Bauhaus design language. J Mays, Audi’s head of design, who also worked on the New Beetle, took the sketch to Franz-Josef Paefgen, Audi’s head of development. The pencil sketch that would become the TT Concept continued gaining momentum, eventually landing with Ferdinand Piëch. He greenlighted the car for the Frankfurt auto show.

This was in 1995, and German drop-tops such as the BMW Z3, Mercedes SLK and Porsche Boxster were seemingly everywhere. The TT Concept, as a coupe, was a sensation; a Roadster version was shown just a few months later at the Tokyo show. The open version’s exterior lines may not have been as breathtaking as the coupe’s flowing curves, but the “baseball-stitched” leather interior with real aluminum accents was on full display. There was no way Audi could get something so niche into production. And then Piëch did, by building the TT on an adapted and affordable Mk4 VW Golf platform.

Audi didn’t give an official number, but it’s estimated that 60% to 70% of TT parts are direct swaps with Golf parts. With a wheelbase 3.5 inches shorter than the Golf, the lower roofline and seating position mean a lower center of gravity. Under the hood was the turbocharged 1.8-liter inline-4, sitting transversely as in the Golf rather than longitudinally like the A4. The TT would later get VW’s 3.2-liter VR6 engine and DSG transmission, making it a sleeker version of VW’s R32 super-Golf. The front-drive TT is good, but the Haldex-style quattro all-wheel drive makes it unique.

Rock and Röhrl driving style

Initial road tests of the TT praised its rowdy rally-car behavior. It could be pitched into corners, rotating the rear around with lift-throttle oversteer, as you’d expect from Audi’s World Rally Championship pedigree. After early cars were involved in multiple accidents, the TT’s design was altered, and every car sold up to that point was recalled. The parts list included front suspension arms with larger and softer bushings, stiffer shocks and struts, larger front and smaller rear anti-roll bars, a small rear spoiler and electronic stability control.

The “fixed” cars had less-precise steering and more understeer, while the spoiler added stability over 100 mph. Nevertheless, TTs are still enjoyable cars to drive. Even with the standard 180-hp engine, they feel quick, and the front-drive version handles like a hot hatch, spinning the front tires and tucking its nose into corners with trail braking. The 225-hp AWD cars only feel heavier if driven back-to-back, but they put their power down with ease.

These are small cars, being 1.5 feet shorter than a current Audi S3. Combine the size with a seating position almost four inches closer to the asphalt than a Mk4 GTI, and you get genuine sports-car sensations. The original Z3 launched with 138 hp, and even a 2000 Boxster made do with 217 hp and 192 lb-ft of torque, so a TT with 225 hp and 206 lb-ft is still lively.

TT for turbo tuning?

One of the things that fueled Audi’s success among enthusiasts was the highly tunable 1.8T engine. By now, many TTs have been modified and cars that are well modified are likely to be the best kept. The “well” is key. An ECU flash from a reputable tuner like APR or GIAC will add big power gains, along with better drivability and factory reliability. Cars with custom tunes should be avoided. The 180-hp cars may have been upgraded from the factory K03 turbo to the K04 that was used on the 225-hp TT.

As for maintenance, if you’re accustomed to current Audi, BMW or Porsche parts prices, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. The parts you normally pay hundreds of dollars for on your S4 or Cayman are merely tens of dollars for a TT equivalent. However, if the owner hasn’t kept up with Haldex services, it may be a several-hundred-dollar repair. If there isn’t a receipt for a timing belt, tensioner and water-pump service in the last 25,000 to 30,000 miles, do it immediately. Loads of suspension options exist to bring back factory, or even pre-recall, handling.

Rebuilding the shifter and linkage can be done for under $100, and it makes worlds of difference — aftermarket parts are better in this case. Things like problematic window regulators and glovebox latches should have been remedied by now, but ask the seller. Having owned both a GTI and Beetle with the 1.8T engine, I can attest that well-cared-for cars are fun and dependable.

Bauhaus bargain

Audi only gives global production numbers, but these cars aren’t rare. Between 2000–06, roughly 140,000 coupes and 90,000 Roadsters were built. A driver-condition 180-hp TT averages out around $7k, while stepping up to a later 225-hp Quattro will add roughly a grand or two more. The 3.2-liter VR6-powered cars with dual-clutch, paddle-shift transmissions in similar condition command another $1,000 to $1,500. Nicer examples with lower miles typically trade in the teens, while final-year cars are rare and can demand premium prices for pristine examples; a 2006 3.2 Special Edition convertible recently sold for $42,000 on Bring a Trailer. Online auction sites will likely feature the most collectible cars, but local private sales can also deliver well-cared-for, low-mileage weekend-driven cars that can be bargains. A great example will still bring plenty of attention on the road, while delivering driving fun and daily practicality. What more can you ask for so little money?

2004 Audi TT Quattro Roadster – photo courtesy Cars & Bids