This is my first review of the Audi TT which I've now owned just short of a year now.

And I love it like no other car I've ever owned!

The TT has so many different ways of growing on you that it fully transcends a mere writeup of this option or that characteristic. It is an experience that stays with you long after you've shut the engine off and left the car in the lot. It is, for one, the first car I've ever had which has put a grin on my face on my way home despite a crappy workday or despite an unexciting bumper-to-bumper commute.

Its looks are what get under your skin first. Of course, looks are subjective and on the TT they will divide a majority who loves them from a minority who positively hate them. And that's just fine with me and the Audi brass - a controversial car translates into publicity. And this eccentric little gem can do that like no other car on the road short of a six-digit exotic or a freaky looking Prowler.

But the TT is far from all style and no substance. This car's character, its very soul, is an experience one becomes intimate with when inside. And you can do this equally well whether you're driving it briskly or simply sitting in it in the garage. The interior of this car is superior in design, workmanship, style, quality and thoughtfulness than any other car I have ever, EVER driven, sat in or seen in a magazine in my life bar none. A $100,000 Mercedes may be appointed with exotic, endagered-list hardwoods. A top-of-the-line bimmer may have leather so rich it costs more than some new cars all on its own.

But to a young guy... so what? Who knows how many German Coke cans ended up recycled as Aui TT vent rings and gas cap fillers but I for one wouldn't trade that gorgeous aluminum for all the geezer-appealing wood in the world. Once you've experienced the look, feel and heft of real aluminum metal parts you'll forever be spoiled and become a nose-in-the-air snob when presented with metal-painted plastic buttons, switches and other doodads.

But it's not just the metalwork that's inspiring. It's the supple leather seats, the unequivocally 100% perfect steering wheel, the equally faultless shifter one might be tempted to take apart temporarily just so you can have something to play with at the office, the cool way the AC works by dialing in the temperature and air flow, the way red-lit control buttons pop out of the dashboard -POP!- and ask to be toyed with... It's all a textbook example of how the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

All this gushing and we haven't even started the engine!

Well, yank over that seat belt, twitch the key clockwise, put 'er in first and let the clutch go and you're ready for your maximum daily recommended amount of fun. The TT won't bolt out of the blue and shear the cheeks off your face the way a real road rocket might but the experience is enthralling nevertheless. To explain better, a very fast car will set your heart pounding and your hands go sweaty from the adrenaline rush. On the other hand, with the TT you're doing 80 in no time without realizing it until you look past the steering wheel into the speed pod. And it did it with so much composure that you can't help but shake your head and think "Wow, that was cool!".

But a Lincoln or Cadillac this is not lest you get the impression that this is a car you can fall asleep in while driving. Take a 90 degree curve at 40 miles an hour (or more) and the TT will say "That's it? That's all you got girlyman?" As refined as this car is it'd be a pity not to drive it the way Audi's engineers intended for you to: hard. Above all else, this car is a fun machine. It may not be the fastest, it's certainly not practical and it's not exactly affordable either (by the way, from my experience, all TT's come more or less optioned to the hilt so forget about scoring a 30k even car).

Faults? Sure, it's not perfect as I just pointed out in the sense that it's not for everyone. Here's all the 'beefs' I can think of:

- No power seats. A car of this caliber should at least have these as an option.

- The much-goofed-on back seats. Think of them as storage and suddenly everything changes. Wow, that's a whole lotta storage for a two seater!! I've permanently mounted a child seat back there freeing up the front for appreciative passengers.

- The equally goofed-on cup holders. Yes they're so far back that they're of use only to your midget friends who might sit back there... otherwise it's a long reach from the front (they still look wicked cool though!)

- A near useless glove box. The car's manual fits and maybe your chapstick but forget about stuffing much else in there.

- An AC that's possessed by some long-dead German ghost that frequently overrides your settings regardless of whether you have it set to auto or manual. Perhaps version 2.0 will address this bug.

- The steering wheel is telescopic and tilts... but it doesn't tilt up far enough for a person of average height or taller. Solution? One must lower the seat... but this conspires to give you a diminished view of the road which is something this car can't afford to do what with its small glass footprint as it is.

That's it for the disadvantages really. Of course, there's also the issue of engine power too. Regardless of how fun the car is without being a downright speed demon from standstill to 60 the hardcore still demand it as de rigeur in a sports car. And this is the area where the TT will get its ass kicked by all manner of Z3's, Porsches, Benzes and cheaper American muscle cars. 180 and 225 are just not enough horsies to make it a compelling case to the dyed-in-the-wool driving enthusiasts and with this I have to agree as well even if I feel a bit guilty acknowledging it.

From where I see things, Audi should've scrapped the 180 from the get-go and had the 225 as the base with the S4's engine as a more expensive option and just charged more... as it is the TT's continue to be in tight supply with strong demand. Instead, I hear that Audi will add a *lesser* powered 150hp variant which will, in my opinion, fully emasculate the machine in hopes of stretching into lower-end market share. What's next? a 115hp version from the Jetta? This is a mistake I fear. Half the reason why TT's remain so cool is because they're so exclusive to begin with. Going downmarket necessarily means greater scale mass production and cutting corners. A TT with a lawn mower engine and aluminum-painted accents will ruin the entire line.

Let us hope that Audi rethinks their strategy and instead concentrate their marketing efforts on the also-rumored 300hp version supposedly waiting on the sidelines. Now *that* would be a Z3/S2000/Boxster killer!

Ras
rasiel@rasiel.com