Quick Drive: 2009 Audi TTS

What: The fastest and sportiest TT there's ever been, that's what.2009 Audi TTS

How much: TBD, on sale November 2008

What's Hot: Looks great inside and out; terrifically agile; revised 2.0L turbo engine revs sweetly, goes hard and is surprisingly economical for a 155-mph car

What's Not: Still not as entertaining to drive as a Boxster or one of the sportier 3 Series Coupes

On the Road:

The TT has always been more high-pose than high-performance. Ever since the first one hit the road 10 years ago, it's been a style leader. That's fine. We all like handsome cars. But when it comes to driving fun, the TT has never quite lived up to its supermodel looks.
The TTS -- available as a coupe and a roadster -- is Audi's attempt to dial up the dynamics and win over the dedicated followers of fast cars as well as fashion. The direct-injection 2.0L engine, already familiar to TT buyers in 200-hp form, gets a bigger turbocharger, revised block and head, new intake and exhaust, and various other internal revisions. Power jumps to 265 hp. Marry that to standard quattro four-wheel drive and the VW Group's brilliant S-tronic dual-clutch semi-auto paddle-shift gearbox, and the TTS offers performance that finally elevates the Audi sportster into the Porsche league: 0-62 mph in 5.2 seconds is quicker than a Cayman.

Subjectively, it feels faster, too. The turbo engine spins fast and free, all the way to its 6800-rpm redline, and the lightweight (just 3110 lb) coupe is agile and fabulously secure, even on the wet German roads encountered on our test. The fast-shifting S-tronic box -- which maintains drive even during the gear change -- complements the smooth four-cylinder engine perfectly. It's faster shifting than the (Europe-standard) six-speed manual box and more economical, too.

This is also the best-handling TT of all, a car of composure and confidence. But push really hard on winding and undulating roads, and the little Audi still lacks the ultimate composure of the brilliant mid-engine rear-drive Porsches (Boxster and Cayman). Nor does the steering serenade, as it does on Porsches and the better BMWs: It rarely does on a four-wheel -drive car.

Ultimately, then, it doesn't quite reach the top drawer dynamically. But it's still easily the best TT to date, and it has all those traditional TT virtues -- brilliant looks, handsome cabin, superb craftsmanship -- in spades. Plus the poseurs, who want the additional credibility that comes with owning the finest TT of all, will love it more than ever.


Like this? Try these: Porsche Cayman, BMW Z4 M Coupe, Mercedes-Benz SLK350

Bottom Line: At last: an Audi TT to get the petrol-heads -- as well as the fashion-conscious -- drooling

[source: MotorTrend]