Zell am See, Austria - As with all great Alpine roads, the one that winds its way to the top of the Grossglockner, the highest peak in Austria, is an incredible stretch that features tight hairpin turns and breathtaking drop-offs. It's also a great road for testing out the latest and greatest version of a genuine automotive icon, the 2008 Audi TT.
(Photo: Audi) |
Physics being what they are, the turbocharged model proved to be the better choice for scaling the Grossglockner. While the V6 ran out of breath as the atmosphere got thinner, the turbo kept right on spinning right up to the peak. In terms of pure power, neither engine is capable of pushing the TT up a category from "sport coupe" to "sportscar"... but then again, that's not the car's intent.
(Photo: Audi) |
The steering, too, is more direct and the side-to-side transitions when taking high-speed S-turns is far better. The front-wheel drive TT exhibited some understeer when launched into and accelerating out of extremely tight bends, while the quattro version showed a distinct edge in terms of its ability to carve corners and respond to directional changes.
For improved high-speed handling characteristics, all of the new TTs also feature a rear spoiler that automatically deploys at about 80 km/h. Optional will be the Audi magnetic ride system, which features 'Sport' and 'Normal' settings; this system adapts to road conditions and the driver's shifting habits within a few milliseconds to create the proper damping effect at each individual wheel.
(Photo: Audi) |
Performance characteristics aside, the raison d'ĂȘtre for the Audi TT is as follows: A stylish, high-tech ride that will look fresh for years to come. That was certainly true of the original TT, introduced as a 2001 model, and it's definitely true of the new coupe. 2008 Audi TT First Impressions from (http://www.auto123.com/en/audi/tt-coupe/2008/review?carid=1080601600&artid=73504)
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