Dear 001,
Now that the new Golf has been officially released to the public, so Audi engineers have begun developing a replacement for the TT sports car - and they have a Boxster killer in mind too. Expect to see it at the 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show.
The new TT model will keep the same Art Deco styling, but will grow slightly on the back of the Golf platform that its based on, offering somewhat improved interior space. The radical new front grille from the A8 will be adopted and the coupe will also feature a retractable rear spoiler like the Porsche 997, for more down force.
Following the Golf roots, the new Audi TT will be available with either front-wheel drive or quattro all-wheel drive. Power will come from various VW sourced transversely mounted straight-4 cylinder & V-6 engines, with power up by 5-7% all round. The real killer though is a very potent TT, probably called RS, which features a turbo charged 350-bhp V6 from other models. Attached to Audi's (slightly power absorbing) semi-automatic gearbox, the RS is likely to eat rivals like the Mercedes SLK AMG or the M-version of BMW's Z4. The roadster TT will show up a year after the debut of the coupe.
At Nuremberg, I recently saw a prototype RS can hang on to the coat-tails of a 997 all the way to 130-mph! If it can do that, what hope is there for the Boxster when Porsche are keeping it's power down to help 997 sales?
Forest Black