All Audi TT reviews

''As a Coupe or Roadster, the TT is a design that crystallises opinion...''

Two smash hits in a row with concept cars is a rare achievement, but that's just what Audi achieved with the TT, first in coupe guise and here as a roadster to boot.. Would-be buyers clamoured to be first in the queue when the stunning TT Coupe was revealed at the 1995 Frankfurt Motor Show. Soon after, the Roadster version created just as much of a sensation when its covers came off in Tokyo.

The rest is, as they say, history. Instead of dismissing the TTs as yet another irrelevant design exercise, the public clamoured for them to go into production. Orders were placed. Money was put down. You only have to take one look at the TT Roadster with its top down to be certain that it was designed in its own right alongside the Coupe. No after-thought chop-top this: the proportions and stance are just so right. If there is any compromise at all, it's that hood up, the rear roofline swoops down a little more abruptly than the Coupe's - but then you can do more with curved metal than with waterproof fabric and supporting hoops. On the other hand, there's a proper glass heated rear window and the electrically-operated hood stows absolutely flush with the rear deck. It glides neatly down in 15 seconds or so to hide under a manually-fitted tonneau cover that's not the easiest in the world to click into place. While we're complaining, the top's not lined inside, so you get to see all the supporting metalwork when it's up; nor is it hidden from view when folded up behind the seats. Better to admire the electric glass wind deflector that slides up at the press of a switch and the superb chrome hoops behind each seat that protect occupants' heads in a roll-over crash. These are an integral part of the body structure and are supplemented by strengthened windscreen pillars.

As a Coupe or Roadster, the TT is a design that crystallises opinion. Either you'll love it or hate it. Whatever your position, you have to respect Audi for having the courage to do something different - even if the bottom half of the car, especially the Roadster, does look uncannily like that of the 'new' VW Beetle. But who cares? Both are passionate cars. Both made it from concept form to production reality virtually unchanged. Common styling cues include those huge wheels with their distinctive round 'shoulders' and the same high waistline. Being able to remove the roof at will eliminates one criticism of the Coupe. Climb in to the tin top, or the Roadster with the hood up, and it feels claustrophobic, particularly when trimmed in dark Teutonic upholstery colours. Looking out of the windscreen and particularly out of the side windows makes you feel like you're peering out of a machine gun turret, so narrow is the field of vision. As an option exclusive to the Roadster, you can have seats with baseball glove stitching which look like they were laced up, rather than sewn. There are no rear seats, but then the Roadster's are really only for show or toddlers anyway. You'll see brushed aluminium fittings wherever you look, covering the stereo, trimming the air vents, on the struts around the centre console, around the steering wheel boss and the gear stick. It's retro and futuristic, avant garde and traditional, all at the same time. Sadly, the engine note, once you twist the rather ordinary ignition key in the barrel (they missed a trick there) is anything but retro. This car should have a burbling V8 under the bonnet; instead, there's basically the same 1.8-litre turbocharged four-cylinder unit that you'll find in models from MkIV VW Golf GTI or the old Audi A6 with that same characteristic diesel-like cough on start up. The 3.2-litre V6 option has far more character and it's available with the superb DSG twin clutch gearbox but it costs over £32,000. For TT Roadster owners, the 1.8-litre engine comes in two states of tune; the £22,240 front-wheel drive 163bhp version and the midrange 190bhp quattro version (at £28,140). The cracking 3.2-litre V6 is now offered to Roadster buyers in exchange for £31,210 or £32,610 in DSG form. All the 190bhp and V6 cars take torque to the tarmac via Audi's familiar quattro four-wheel drive system. This, combined with impressive performance from the more powerful engines, makes the TT Roadster a devastating cross-country tool. Even the 190bhp version makes sixty in just under seven and a half seconds on the way to 145mph. Equipment now runs to lowered sports suspension, metallic paint, larger 18-inch 9-spoke alloy wheels, xenon headlamps (now with titanium surrounds), remote central locking, a driver information system and electric windows and mirrors. There's also a slightly revised front grille for the anoraks to spot. Various body reinforcements that compensate for a rigid roof's absence don't quite mask a little steering column and front bulkhead shake, but the end result is still better than most rivals manage. Handling is equally impressive; this is a car which can be enjoyed by almost anyone, but experienced drivers will find hidden depths that will make you continually eager to come back for more. Powerful anti-lock brakes breed real confidence, as does the direct and nicely weighted power steering which always lets you in on what the wheels are doing. But hey, you don't buy a car like this to ferry people about. The TT Roadster is a personal indulgence to the few who can afford it can get their hands on one. Which leaves only the question as to what 'TT' might stand for. Apparently, it's the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy race, which dates back to 1905. Get one of these and you might want to enter.