Is BMW Finally Losing It's Mojo? Audi TTS Wins Shootout Against BMW's 135i

There is a point in our lives when that 2-seat sports car becomes an impractical dream. Yes, kids are the obvious reason, but there's nothing wrong with wanting space for a couple of extra passengers. Which brings to mind the 2+2. The king of these is the 911, but for roughly the price of one of those Porsches you could buy both of the 2+2s we have here today — the Audi TTS and BMW 135i.

Both cars offer status and performance in a small package. They are the hottest 2+2s on the market, the TTS being freshly minted from the performance group at Audi. In January 2007, we pitted the new TT against a base Porsche Cayman and found it outclassed. Last year, when BMW truncated its 335i to make the 135i, few cars could challenge its performance, apart from perhaps the 4-door rally twins from Subaru and Mitsubishi. But those cars don't have the panache of the BMW. Does the new Audi TTS have it? To find out, Feature Editor Mike Monticello and I headed off into California's low desert in search of every twisty road we could find.



2009 Frankfurt Auto Show Photo Gallery