Audi TT

The TT is a great-looking car, but the top-of-the-range 3.2-litre quattro wasn’t quite as good as it could have been. Fortunately, the 2.0T FSI is a real corker, and fully delivers on the visual promise. Even the lack of quattro all-wheel drive can’t detract from the Audi’s appeal. Buy it in basic spec, go for the superbS tronic transmission and enjoy – it ’s the pick of the bunch.

It's not often that luxury German cars promise less is more – just take a look at our drive of the latest Mercedes CL63. But the base version of Audi’s new TT could be the exception to the rule.

Powered by the VW Golf GTI’s 2.0-litre turbo engine, you might expect the front-wheel-drive machine to feel slow compared to the flagship 3.2 quattro.

Instead, it is genuinely quick, with the turbo motor keen to pull hard and smoothly from anywhere in the rev range. Combine this with our test car’s swift-shifting S tronic sequential manual gearbox – a £1,400 option – and it covers 0-60mph in only 6.4 seconds.

The smaller engine and lack of heavy 4WD transmission have worked wonders with the handling, too. This TT has fantastic poise and grip, but with much greater adjustability than the quattro. The ride is more comfortable, too.

You get the same sleek good looks of its more powerful brother, too; only the plain tailpipes and minor trim chan­ges mark this model out.

But best of all is the fact that at £24,625 (with the standard six-speed manual), you save nearly £5,000 over the bigger-engined TT. That it is also a better car makes the deal even sweeter.