It's been 20 years but it doesn't seem like it. The first Audi TT was made known to the public in 1998 and was impactful. While it wasn't a total surprise, it was undoubtedly a surprising revelation.
Surprising because the first TT was a reliable derivation of the original prototype, known three years earlier, in 1995. From that original prototype, cohesion, rigor and conceptual purity were transferred to the car we could buy, quickly becoming a phenomenon.
Its impact was significant. If there are models capable of changing the perception of a brand, the TT was definitely one of them, having been decisive for the Audi process to be considered on the same level as the arch-rivals Mercedes-Benz and BMW.
Twenty years later and three generations later, just as it does in cinema, the original film is still better than the sequels — with the exception of Empire Strikes Back in the Star Wars universe, but that's another discussion.
Subscribe to our newsletter
The two generations that followed, never managed to reach the same visual level as the first TT, whose authorship of the referential lines were defined by Freeman Thomas and one Peter Schreyer — this same one, which elevated Kia to heights never before imagined.
With the recent rumors that the next generation Audi TT could be reinvented as a “four-door coupe”, of which there was even a concept, we decided to revisit its past, where there is no lack of conceptual proposals that already explored alternative paths for the future of the model.
Let's start the journey…
Audi TT Concept, 1995
We would have to start with the original concept. Presented at the 1995 Frankfurt Motor Show, the TT Concept it meant a radical break with the past. An aesthetic defined in its essence by semi-circles and rigorous geometry, with (generally) flat surfaces. It quickly became associated with the Bauhaus, the first design school (based in Germany), and its product design, reducing the shapes of objects to their essence, without visual distractions.
The surprise came in 1998, with the production model being a reliable reflection of the concept, with the differences being reduced to the volume of the cabin and some details, demands of the production line. The interior followed exactly the same philosophy as the exterior, with a rigorously geometric design marked by circular and semi-circular elements.
Audi TTS Roadster Concept, 1995
That same year at the Tokyo Salon, Audi revealed the second act, with the Audi TTS Roadster Concept , which provided, as the name implies, the convertible variant of the TT.
Audi TT Shooting Brake Concept, 2005
In 2005, with the production TT reaching seven years of life on the market, a new generation was already expected. At this year's Tokyo Motor Show, Audi unveiled a prototype, the TT Shooting Brake , which provided for the second generation of the model.
For the first time, we saw an alternative bodywork to the classic coupé and roadster, taking on the shooting brake format. Allusion to the BMW Z3 Coupé? Who knows… Despite rumors that it would reach the production line, this never happened.
Audi TT Clubsport Quattro Concept, 2007
At the 2007 Wörthersee Festival, taking advantage of the still recent launch of the second generation of the TT, Audi presented a concept that explored a more radical aspect of the sports car. THE TT Clubsport Quattro it was born from the roadster, but here it was assumed to be a powerful speedster — windscreen reduced to almost a deflector, with very low A-pillars and not even the hood was present.
Audi TT Clubsport Quattro Concept, 2008
In 2008, and back in Wörthersee, Audi presented a revised version of the TT Clubsport Quattro from the previous year. It appeared with a new white color and a re-styled front. What hasn't changed are the mechanical arguments — 300 hp taken from the 2.0 Audi TTS, all-wheel drive and dual-clutch gearbox.
Audi TT Ultra Quattro Concept, 2013
Once again, Wörthersee. Audi was exploring the concept of a high-performance TT and this time, it wasn't just by increasing horsepower. The weight was considered the enemy to take down, so the TT Ultra Quattro it was subjected to a strict diet — with lots of carbon in the mix — resulting in just 1111 kg of weight for just over 300 hp, comparing favorably to the roughly 1400 kg of the production TTS, from which it was derived.
Audi Allroad Shooting Brake Concept, 2014
The only concept on this list that was not identified as TT. Unveiled earlier this year, at the Detroit Motor Show, it would be the first of four prototypes presented in 2014 always based on the Audi TT.
Like the 2005 Shooting Brake, this new iteration of 2014 foresaw the third generation of the Audi TT that would be known in the same year. And as you can see, the influence of the increasingly successful SUV and crossover world was palpable, featuring plastic shields and increased ground height — would a high-heeled TT make sense?
In addition to the adventurous aspect, the Allroad Shooting Brake it was also a hybrid, with the 2.0 TSI being accompanied by two electric motors.
Audi TT Quattro Sport Concept, 2014
In Geneva, a couple of months later, Audi was once again pulling the TT's sporting genes with the presentation of the extremist TT Quattro Concept . It created enough “buzz” to the point that we almost forgot that the third generation was also presented in the same hall.
Not only was the appearance clearly “racing”, but it also had an engine and features to accompany the appearance. From the 2.0 TFSI they managed to extract a fantastic 420 hp of power, in other words, 210 hp/l. Remarkable, capable of launching the TT up to 100 km/h in just 3.7s.
Audi TT Offroad Concept, 2014
Could the TT give rise to a family of models with multiple bodies? Audi thought so, and at the Beijing Motor Show, a few months after the Detroit Allroad Shooting Brake, it came back to the fore with the theme of a “SUVised” TT with this TT Offroad.
The big news was the presence of an extra pair of doors giving a more versatile slant to the hypothetical TT “SUV”. It inherited the hybrid engine from Allroad Shooting Brake.
Audi TT Sportback Concept, 2014
At the 2014 Paris Salon, the TT Sportback , a saloon based on the TT, or a four-door “coupé” — whichever you prefer… In the same way that the TT “SUV” explored new ways to expand the TT to a family of models, the TT Sportback was also conceived in this direction .
Effectively, the TT Sportback was the closest to reaching production, and the project was even given the green light to move forward — a direct rival to the Mercedes-Benz CLA. But a year later the Dieselgate was given and confusion had set in. Plans were revised, changed and canceled to deal with the scandal. TT Sportback was not going to happen…
…but the world takes many turns. The fourth generation of the Audi TT is already moving, and to respond to the low sales that most sports cars suffer from, the TT Sportback concept has regained prominence as the “savior” of the TT. It seems that, despite being just a rumor, it may even be the only bodywork that the fourth generation of the TT will know. Will it make sense?
Audi TT Clubsport Turbo Concept, 2015
The last concept to derive from the TT so far made was unveiled at Wörthersee in 2015, and it is definitely the most extreme of the TT, ready to attack any circuit. Underneath the aggressive appearance of the TT Clubsport Turbo it was a monster of 600 hp, extracted from the 2.5 l pentacylinder of the TT RS (240 hp/l !), thanks to the presence of two electric-drive turbos.
To effectively put the 600 hp on the asphalt, in addition to the four-wheel drive, it was 14 cm wider and gained some coilovers. The gearbox was… manual. Only 3.6s to reach 100 km/h are needed, with this TT surpassing the 300 km/h top speed (310 km/h).
Future
With replacement scheduled for 2020 or 2021, there is already talk of the next generation, and as we mentioned before, the Audi TT could be reinvented and appear just as a four-door saloon. Certainly Audi will not miss the opportunity to test the waters with the presentation of one or another concept in the near future.