History

The Audi TT is a genre defining sports car that first graced our roads with its elegant and quirky stylings in 1998, and since then it has continued to delight motorists and confound critics the world over. The Audi TT itself is manufactured in Hungary for a global market, and it has proved so successful that it is now in its second generation with each generation featuring a tremendous number of options and style choices. At the core of the Audi TT is the Volkswagen Group A platform, a platform that is shared most commonly with the Audi A4 amongst others. This has allowed the company to utilise existing designs in the TT for things such as the powertrain and suspension resulting in a more reliable vehicle than what would have been created if everything would have been designed for the car from scratch.

There are many advantages to sharing a platform with other vehicles as the Audi TT does, it allows for costs to be kept as low as possible thanks to sharing from a pool of components that do not need adjusting or altering, and assembly lines do not have to be completely re-tooled to accommodate the new vehicle. Both the 2+2 coupe and two seat roadster versions of the Audi TT began life in 1994 in California when designers began working on the new vehicle. Just 12 months later designers sketches were turned into reality as the concept vehicle was shown off to large audience at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1995 and even then it was clear that Audi had produced something special in the TT; a unique fusion of exterior and interior design coupled with effortless handling and sprightly, sporty performance.

The Audi TT did much to further the field of automotive engineering; a unique new form of laser beam welding was introduced on the vehicle and it allowed for much tighter joins than was ever thought possible in the past resulting in a much neater, more compact design that also helped save costs. The development of this new welding technique delayed the launch of the Audi TT, however many have argued that it was well worthwhile when one considers the quality of the finished product.. Another first for the Audi TT was the use of a dual clutch transmission on such an affordable vehicle, and the dual clutch Audi TT launched in the UK was the first time such a system had been employed on a right hand drive vehicle.

There is no doubting that the Audi TT has helped revolutionise the concept of a small, sporty, yet affordable vehicle and many would credit it as one of the pioneering cars that attempted to "make driving fun" once more. In an era of red tape, rules and regulations there is a vital need for cars such as the Audi TT that allow motorists to enjoy the thrill of  driving a high performance vehicle without the cost of purchasing a super-car. And if you are wondering, the name "Audi TT" is taken from the Isle of Man TT motorcycle race, Audi themselves having a special connection with the race having began competing in it in 1911 when they were still known as NSU. A number of other sporty vehicles have used the Audi TT name in the past such as the 1000TT and the TTS.