'Back to the future' for new TT 06 | 11 | 2012

AUDI IS SET to adopt a 'back to the future' philosophy when it pens its third-generation TT, which will again be available with front-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive options.

The newcomer, scheduled to arrive in Scottish showrooms as a coupe in 2014, will mix design elements of both the current TT and the original (pictured). The roadster will arrive 12 months later.

Based on the new VW Group MQB platform, whose architecture allows for a shorter front overhang and a longer wheelbase relative to the car’s overall length, the new TT aims to repeat some of the striking impact of the Bauhaus style of the first-generation car. 

Audi insiders have hinted that though there will be little change to the overall size of new TT, it will benefit from a wider track. The designers are also expected to give greater sculptural emphasis to the wheelarches.

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The new car will also incorporate Audi's current styling cues, including the six-corner grille. The new TT will also get more angular headlights and a contoured clamshell bonnet . The trademark rounded tail and motorised tail spoiler will all both be retained.

Audi is also targeting the Porsche Boxster in terms of the new TT's handling characteristics.

Expect a higher aluminium content in the TT’s structure, aimed specifically at reducing the car's mass which will take it below the current car's already competitive 1240kg. 

There will be a comprehensive range of engine pitons, including the latest slimmed-down 1.8-litre and 2.0-litre EA888 petrol engines. Both will include fuel-saving cylinder deactivation.

The new TT range will also have a mildly updated direct injection 2.0-litre diesel. A reworked version of the 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine will appear in 2015 in the form of a new high-performance TT RS.

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Jim McGill