Audi TT Roadster
Audi TT Roadster 45TSI £38,605
WE SAY: AUDI FACELIFTS ITS ROADSTER, FORGETS TO ADD SPORTINESS
You spotted the new grille, right? Or maybe the slightly more hooded, scowling headlights? Textbook facelift stuff. See also: new wheels, colours and a tweaked engine range. The entrylevel 1.8-litre turbo has been dropped, so all currently available TTs use a 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo. Base trim yields 197bhp (40TFSI in Audi’s daft nomenclature), next one up is 245bhp (45TFSI) and there’s the 306bhp TT S which gets a lighter cylinder head, modified pistons and con rods, plus 1.4 bar of boost instead of 0.8. That’s actually 4bhp down on previously (blame emissions regs), while the lesser two are up around 15bhp. In due course there’ll be a TT RS.
Despite doing away with the hatch and rear seats, the Roadster is 90kg heavier than the coupe. The fabric roof accounts for 39kg of that, extra body stiffening the rest. All electric, the lid takes just 10secs to raise or lower, at up to 31mph. It’s a swift, silent, slick operation, and air turbulence is well dealt with. New is Neckscarf: airvents in the seat that puff air at your collar. Merc’s been doing it for years, but a good idea is a good idea, no matter its origins.
The cabin is dark with the roof raised, but the design is peerless. From the virtual cockpit dash (still never bettered and now with CarPlay) to the heating controls integrated into the airvents, it’s effortlessly elegant and satisfying to use. If not without issue. Is it just us, or do the dash and door-top plastics look a little cheaper than before? And the driving position is still uncomfortable as the pedals are too far up the footwell. The engine? Well, it’s very compliant. EU6, fully WLTP literate and so on. But not exciting to use. Power delivery, noise – there’s nothing joyful about it, while the extra weight over the coupe blunts it. Dynamically as well as acceleratively. Turn-in is prompt – it’s the most eager aspect. It grips well and carves a crisp edge through corners but you get no communication or drama, and there’s a dash of structural shake and road noise. Mostly, it’s undemanding: well cushioned, able to cruise at 35mpg and well-behaved at low speed. Just not a sports car.