MINI TEST . Audi TT Roadster 2.0 TFSI S line Quattro (230PS) Price as driven: £54,180 . Evolution: The new 2.0 TFSI S line Quattro (pictured) is fun to drive with lively acceleration that takes it from rest to 62 mph in just 6.1 . GOOD . The interior of a manual version of the Audi soft-top can be seen here . BAD .
We've enjoyed some of the highest temperatures of the year this week .
The range starts at £31,995 and the Audi can cost as much as £50,000 .
No matter how good, the new Audi TT still has nothing on the 1999 model .
With the sunshine beaming this week and some of the highest temperatures recorded so far this year, what better moment to splash out on the new third-generation Audi TT Roadster. It goes on sale this month. Just the time to get the roof off on this softtop German sports car, which has established itself as a firm favourite in the 16 years it has been on the road.
I drove the fully stocked four-wheel-drive 2-litre TFSI in S-line quattro trim with 230 bhp, which was adept at whipping around the Cotswolds in style.
Sure-footed and fun to drive with lively acceleration that takes it from rest to 62 mph in just 6.1 seconds up to a top speed electronically limited to 155 mph. CO2 emissions are a fair 154g/km.
Supportively cossetting sports seats leave you sitting comfortably at the wheel.
A nicely tuned exhaust pipe gives the TT Roadster a most satisfying 'brrrm brrrm'.
You won't break the bank at the filling station. Even with the satisfying performance you'll average 43.5mpg, rising to 52.3mpg when cruising and still managing a respectable 33.6 mpg around town.
Great wind-in-the-hair motoring with a top that will come down in ten seconds at speeds of up to 31mph, and a more streamlined body.
It's easy to make a hands-free phone call with the automatic three-layer fabric hood down because microphones are embedded in the safety belt.
Auto-dim LED headlights have been transferred across from the flagship Audi A8 saloon.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Though this version is on an allnew platform, the progression is evolution, not revolution.
The car I drove cost well in excess of £50,000. The range starts from £31,995 for the 2-litre TDi Sport in six-speed manual.
The optional open-top driving package includes head-level heating to keep your bonce from getting chilly, an electrically operated wind deflector, which stops parky draughts whistling behind your neck, and handily heated super sports seats.
No matter how good, nothing will have the jaw-dropping impact on the car market as the original Audi TT of 1999. It was dubbed the 'Bauhaus Bullet' because of its clean, minimalist lines reminiscent of the German art movement of the Twenties and early Thirties.
Hefty prestige price tag. The base price of the car I drove was £41,630. But it was loaded up with extras adding another £13,000 — or the price of a half-decent family runaround.
These include an open-top driving package (£1,000), rotorgrey fine Nappa leather and super-sports seats (£1,390), a comfort and sound package (£1,590), technology package (£1,795), electric front seats (£995), 19 in twin-spoke alloy wheels (£450), metallic paint (£545), and LED headlights (£945).