8. Audi TT Mk1

1999-2006 FROM $7000

The brand new model set to be discontinued soon, the TT is in a twilight zone between contemporary and classic, having done its job of sexing up the brand’s image while influencing the interior detailing of a generation of vehicles that followed. The Audi 2+2-seater three-door coupe (and later convertible) was boldly evocative of the Bauhaus art movement from the German interwar period and painstakingly executed inside and out, while using a modified Volkswagen Golf IV platform elevated the driving and dynamic experiences alike. Even the 132kW 1.8-litre front-drive performed strongly, but it’s the 165kW AWD which provided Boxster-bothering pace (if not handling). The rorty 184kW 3.2-litre V6 did upset the Audi’s fine balance a bit, though. Recall the stories of wild snap oversteer of early models... There’s a unique, tangible substance to the TT that is unlike any other sporty 2+2. And right now, they’re a steal.