Thursday, October 13, 2005
Car Nut Notes: Almost the New Audi TT
by Tom Bozzo
A pretty good lid has been kept on TT imagery, but interested readers with a little imagination can get a preview by squinting at the uninspiringly named Audi Shooting Brake concept, to be seen at the Tokyo Motor Show next week. The Audi press release's language is ambiguous, but AutoWeek refers to it as "a concept version of the next-generation of its iconic sports car." Imagine the roofline from the current TT coupe in place of the concept's namesake high-roofed hatchback, and put something more typical of the corporate trapezoidal grille on its snout, and you have it. (And this "computer-enhanced" roadster image looks pretty much like reality.)
A second-generation TT will complete the makeover of the Audi product line in the not-too-distant future, providing an answer to the question of what you do to update a car defined by its comparatively radical and original styling. The answer appears to be that the imperative for change for change's sake leads to a less distinctive product.
A pretty good lid has been kept on TT imagery, but interested readers with a little imagination can get a preview by squinting at the uninspiringly named Audi Shooting Brake concept, to be seen at the Tokyo Motor Show next week. The Audi press release's language is ambiguous, but AutoWeek refers to it as "a concept version of the next-generation of its iconic sports car." Imagine the roofline from the current TT coupe in place of the concept's namesake high-roofed hatchback, and put something more typical of the corporate trapezoidal grille on its snout, and you have it. (And this "computer-enhanced" roadster image looks pretty much like reality.)
