This is a cult car, an icon – right from the day it made its debut, in autumn 1998, the Audi TT took the sports coupé segment by storm, sharpening up the brand's profile in the process. Now the second generation of this successful model is making its debut. The new TT Coupé embodies sheer dynamism – in its design, in its engine output and in its performance.

The exterior design

The first generation of the TT has become a milestone in automotive design, an icon. The design adhered to pure geometric lines, embodying a functional purity and austerity harking back to the Bauhaus style of the 1920s. The core motifs were the circle and the curves of the roof line, front and rear end. This timeless architecture guaranteed that the Audi TT was an eminently recognisable presence out on the roads, and simultaneously gave the development of the entire brand decisive momentum.

Audi has lovingly retained and stylishly enhanced this genetic code. On the new TT the geometric shapes merge fluidly into a uniform whole. A low, narrow greenhouse is supported by slim pillars sitting on broad, powerful shoulders. The base body beneath is compact in looks, conveying a feeling of confidence and strength. The convex and concave curves of its surfaces lend it the character of an athletic sculpture straining forward.

The front end has gained greater expressiveness and resolve. The single-frame radiator grille serves as its defining element. The large air inlets hint at the potential of the engines, and the sharply cut, sloping headlights emphasise the mature appearance of the car. The rear end, characteristic of the TT, conveys power and dynamism through its wide wheel arches. The lights generate a three-dimensional effect thanks to their visual depth. The powerful exhaust tailpipes, the wide diffuser and the centred rear fog light echo the world of motor sport.

When the new Audi TT is stationary, its electrically operated rear spoiler is visible only as an unobtrusive lip. When the car reaches a speed of 120 km/h, the spoiler is extended in a two-dimensional curve motion, thereby improving the downforce on the rear axle. When the car's speed drops below 80 km/h again, the spoiler automatically retracts. The underbody design also helps to reduce lift.

The interior

The original TT was itself one of the few coupés on the market to offer genuine sports car design in its interior. In the new model, too, the fluid dynamism of the exterior is echoed in the interior.

A sweeping line provides a transition between the interior trim of the door and the instrument panel. It embodies the classic circles motif of the TT in a number of ways, such as in the three centre air vents. All lines converge in the instrument cluster, with its two large scales for speed and revs. New features include a large digital speedometer in the display of the driver information system.

The new standard-spec sports steering wheel fits snugly in the hands. Its solid rim, trimmed in high-grade Nappa leather, is flattened at the bottom, similarly to the Audi RS 4 and the Le Mans quattro sports car study. The driver's and front passenger's sports seats are fitted even lower down than in the predecessor model, providing a truly sporty seating position allied to firm side restraint. Like the steering column, they can of course be adjusted longitudinally and in height, offering a perfect sporty seated position for every driver.

The body

The new Audi TT, like its predecessor, is initially available as a 2 + 2-seater coupé; a roadster model is scheduled for later launch. The dynamic impression that it creates stems from its modified proportions. The coupé is 137 mm longer and 78 mm wider than its predecessor, but only 6 mm higher. It is now 4,178 mm long, 1,842 mm wide and 1,352 mm high. The TT's wheelbase is 2,468 mm.

The interior, too, has benefited from this increase in size: it has grown by 75 mm in length to 1,577 mm, by 29 mm in front shoulder width to 1,352 mm and by

23 mm in rear shoulder width to 1,206 mm. In the basic configuration, the luggage compartment beneath the large lid accommodates 290 litres of luggage. It grows to 700 litres when the rear seat backs are folded down, and its length of 1.70 metres is ample for two golf bags. With these practical characteristics, the TT Coupé sets standards in its class.

The body of the new TT is constructed in lightweight ASF design. The three letters stand for Audi Space Frame – the ground-breaking aluminium technology developed by the company in the early 1990s for the first A8 series. The ASF combines aluminium and steel for the first time. Aluminium accounts for 69 percent of the weight of the body. Fully galvanised steel components are located principally at the rear of the floor panel. The doors and luggage compartment lid are also made of steel. This ensures that the axle loads are distributed evenly, thus considerably improving the handling of the vehicle.

The bodyshell of the TT weighs 206 kg, 140 kg of which is aluminium and 66 kg steel; were it built entirely of steel, it would be 48 percent heavier. Its low weight is one of the key factors behind the impressive road behaviour of the new

TT Coupé. The unladen weight of the TT 2.0 TFSI is just 1,260 kilograms – placing it at the forefront of this performance class. And the 3.2 quattro weighs only 1,410 kg.

The new-style ASF on the Audi TT features properties that are truly worthy of a genuine sports car. Its static torsional rigidity has been improved by around

50 percent over its predecessor. In terms of crash safety, too, the new TT is utterly uncompromising.

The all-new Audi TT's design divides opinion. However, its designers promise that its driving dynamics will be much better than the original one.

The interior's less radical than before (no more baseball-weaved leather seats), but the control placement clearly shows that this is a driver's car.