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Audi TT S Lightweight

We get early taste of next coupé

Audi TT S Lightweight front

By Paul Bond

March 2011

Another new Audi wearing old clothes is this TT. Under the current TTS bodywork is the technology that will be used in the third-generation sports car range, due to go on sale next year. Auto Express was given an opportunity to get behind the wheel at Audi’s specialist weight-saving design centre in Wartberg, Germany.

Rather than increasing performance through other means, the firm has followed Lotus founder Colin Chapman’s edict of “just add lightness”. So, the 2.0-litre turbo provides exactly the same power output as the current TTS, at 268bhp, as well as 350Nm of torque. 

Instead, engineers focused on replacing key components of the body with carbon fibre-reinforced plastics – which are not only lighter but stronger than conventional materials. 

They have also used lightweight alloy wheels and thinner bucket seats to shave 80kg off the standard model’s kerbweight, which is down to 1,390kg. That might not sound much but, on our twisting and narrow test circuit, it made a massive difference to how the car drives. 

As in the Quattro, steering is lighter, the throttle is more responsive and the body seems stiffer through sharp corners. Even though the improvements are subtle, they’re noticeable. 

Inside, the TTS is as luxurious as ever, with thick carpets and the usual array of gadgets you would expect to find in a car in this class. The lightweight seats are just as comfortable and supportive, too.

Audi is keen to stress that while it plans to make every new model lighter than the car it replaces, this won’t come at the expense of technology or comfort. 

And although this test mule doesn’t yet resemble the next-generation TT, it gives some big clues as to the direction Audi’s sports cars are heading in over the coming years. Its sophisticated construction technology is also currently being used on the production version of the e-tron electric supercar – so watch this space for developments.

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2 Comments

A change for the better

Finally audis may not be the understeery mess that they sometimes can be.

Also 8,000rpm redline on a 2.0 turbo Audi??? NICE!

By b18boy on 9 March, 2011, 3:31pm

are you sure about 2012 on sale date ?

Are you suggesting that the whole TT range (mk2) is being replaced in 2012 ? and not in 2014 as expected and Audi alluded to in their production schedule of last year; or are you suggesting that a lightweight version as driven will be on sale in 2012 ?
It's seems strange that Audi incurred the costs of upgrading the current mk2 range in late 2010 for it to be replaced less than 18 months later !!

By swiftsure3 on 10 March, 2011, 2:54pm

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Pictures

Audi TT S Lightweight front
Audi TT S Lightweight rear
Audi TT S Lightweight gearbox
Audi TT S Lightweight dials

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FIRST OPINION

    The beauty of shedding weight from a car is that it’s not only the driving experience that improves – fuel economy goes up and CO2 emissions tumble, too. What’s more, carbon fibre components are often stronger than metal or plastic, so they are safer. This TTS certainly meets Audi’s aim of making every new car lighter than the one it replaces – by delivering a sharper and more thrilling driving experience. It also hints at the possibility of a track-focused ‘GT’ version of the TT arriving as a prelude to the all-new model. 

 

AT A GLANCE

    Price: £40,000 (est)
    Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
    Transmission: Six-speed automatic, four-wheel drive  
    Power/torque: 268bhp/350Nm 
    0-62mph: 5.2 seconds (est) 
    Top speed: 155mph (limited) 
    Economy: 35.8mpg
    CO2: 184g/km (est)
    Equipment: 18-inch lightweight alloys, climate control, cruise control, ESP, lightweight sports seats, leather and Alcantara trim, sat-nav
    On sale: 2012
     
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