Audi is sure to gain some fans with its latest debut, the TT Roadster and more souped up TTS Roadster, both of which are on track for delivery to buyers by the middle of next year.
Just what will buyers in the United Kingdom – who get first dibs come mid-November on the TT Roadster – get for a starting price of £31,955? The answer is simply “a lot,” so let’s break it down spec by spec.
The TT Roadster and TTS Roadster will come equipped with either a 2.0 TFSI 230 PS engine with front-wheel-drive and quattro all-wheel-drive or a 2.0 TDI 184 PS engine with front-wheel-drive. Whereas the 2.0 TDI clocks in a less-than-impressive 0-62 mph time of 7.3 seconds, its top speed of 147 mph and 65 mpg fuel efficiency are simply unprecedented.
Although the newest Audi two-seater sports car debuting at the Paris Motor Show is packed with various tech innovations, it unmistakably incorporates tradition and the TT’s classic open-top look. And speaking of open top, this roadster’s top retracts in about 10 seconds even while the car is pushing 30 mph.
Audi engineers made the new TT Roadster slightly lower, shorter and narrower than previous models. Still, they managed to add to the wheelbase for a “more purposeful stance,” an Audi news release proclaims. Audi is also giving buyers more body color options, with 10 in total, including five that are brand new to the TT and two that are new to Audi (nano grey and tango red).
The bodies of the TT Roadster and the TTS Roadster include Audi Space Frame construction based on the modular transverse matrix. This translates to parts made from steel to reinforce the front and passenger compartment floor while aluminum is used elsewhere.
Audi is big on lighting and so LED daytime running lights or xenon and LED headlights are standard, upgradeable to the new Matrix LED high beams that can divert around oncoming and leading traffic.
Ultimately, with Audi TT Roadster and TTS Roadster, it comes down to robust engines. The TT Roadster will arrive with either turbocharged 4-cylinder TDI or TFSI engines, ranging from the fuel-efficient, 65.7 mpg-garnering 184 PS generating 380 Nm (280.3 lb.-ft.) torque to the 2.0 TFSI with 230 PS and 370 Nm (272.9 lb.-ft) of torque. In the TTS Roadster, the output jumps to 310 PS and 380 Nm, with the top model hitting 0-62 mph in 4.9 seconds and topping out at 155 mph.
The TT Roadster will arrive in the UK in either Sport or S line and feature a 12.3-inch LCD display as the centerpiece of Audi’s “virtual cockpit.” It’s powered by a Tegra 30 graphics processor Nvidia’s Tegra 3 series. The Sport models will also feature a Multi Media Interface with a touch pad and keyless go.
The TT Roadster S line, meanwhile, means upgrade to 19-inch alloy wheels along with a host of other upgrades, from all-weather LED lights to a sports suspension.
Photo Credit: Newspress
