Audi's Sports Car Tradition Continues With the TT Roadster
7 January 2000
See the Video Intro Right Here on The Auto ChannelLOS ANGELES, Jan. 7 -- For car lovers looking for the most authentic form of motoring-open-top roadsters -- Audi has the answer: the new 2001 Audi TT Roadster. Making its North American debut at the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show today, the TT is the newest member of the burgeoning roadster market. The TT Roadster combines a no-compromise design with outstanding high performance and is bound to generate enthusiasm among everyone with a passion for driving. It is available with either a 180- or a 225-horsepower 1.8- liter, 4-cylinder turbocharged five-valve engine. The 225-horsepower engine also will be available in the hot-selling TT Coupe, which made its debut in May 1999. Acceleration from 0 to 60 miles per hour in the 225-hp version is just 6.7 seconds. The front-wheel-drive Roadster can reach a top speed of 130 mph. The 225-hp version, with its standard quattro all wheel drive, reaches a top speed of 143 mph. Even more impressive than the acceleration and top speeds of both models is their vigorous pulling power. The 225-hp TT's maximum torque of 207 lbs. ft. is developed between 2,200 and 5,500 rpm and 173 lbs. ft. of torque is available between 1,950 and 4,700 rpm from the 180-hp engine. The well-chosen gear ratios ensure supreme progress, with a 5-speed manual gearbox for the 180-hp front-wheel-drive Roadster and a 6-speed manual gearbox for the 225-hp quattro. Of course, an open car is only truly attractive if it still appeals to the eye with the soft top raised. This was the challenge facing Audi's designers as they designed the TT Roadster. Therefore, the Roadster's bodywork requirements were all taken into account and developed together with the Coupe. This explains the many roadster-specific ideas that have turned the experience of driving under open skies into pure enjoyment. The TT's soft top, with its large heated rear window, can be opened in a single-stage process and stowed behind the seats. A tonneau cover can be quickly and easily attached to conceal the soft top when open or stored in the trunk when not in use. Turbulence, something that roadster occupants usually have to contend with at high speeds, is reduced by an electrically retractable glass windbreak, shaped to follow the outline of the rollover bars. In addition to performance and design, Audi focused on safety. The Roadster unlocks a new chapter in open-top car safety, beginning with the two aluminum rollover bars which, with a gleaming matte finish, not only represent a striking design feature, but also are an integral component of the body structure and a major contribution to the Roadster's overall safety and structural rigidity. Occupant protection in the TT is not limited to two rollover bars. Other exemplary safety features include crumple zones at the front and rear, high- strength side intrusion protection bars in the doors and large-volume body sill sections. Precisely calculated reinforcement using thicker metal in the sill areas, and sturdy transitions at the joints between the A- and B-pillars and the floor assembly, give the TT Roadster a torsional rigidity. Detailed vibration analysis and the appropriate local modifications to the body ensure outstanding low vibration levels. Additional standard safety equipment includes a sturdy windscreen frame with high strength steel inserts inside the A-pillar; rear crossmember and rollover bars; a driver side front airbag; a passenger side airbag which may be deactivated with a key; pyrotechnic seat belt tensioners combined with belt-force limiters; and side airbag systems integrated into the seat backs designed to protect the head and thorax. For theft protection, the Roadster has an electronic interior monitoring system that uses a pulsed radar effect to monitor the interior for intrusion, even when the roof is lowered. Obviously, accident prevention is the best safety method, and the TT Roadster hosts various technical features specifically designed to help it avoid such hazardous situations in the first place. The range of standard equipment includes driver assistance systems such as the anti-lock braking system (ABS); electronic brake-force distribution (EBD) and electronic differential lock (EDL). The front-wheel-drive versions have all-speed traction control (ASR) as an additional feature. Ventilated brake discs are used on the front wheels and the 225-hp TT Roadster quattro has them at the rear, as well. In the cockpit area, particular attention has been paid to every detail as in the TT Coupe -- the sports steering wheel; the dashboard instruments with matte aluminum surrounds; and the pedals and the stainless steel support for the "dead pedal" are all design details typical of the TT. Additional features designed for extra comfort and convenience inside the TT Roadster include high-grade leather seat upholstery and power folding soft top on the 225-hp model. Amber red leather with unique "Baseball Glove" stitching is available in the Roadster, along with one new exterior color- Nimbus Gray pearl effect. Existing colors include Brilliant Black with clearcoat, Amulet Red, Raven Black pearl effect, Lake Silver metallic and Desert Green pearl effect. Roadsters have always been cars for purists. But that no longer means sacrificing safety and comfort. The new TT Roadster illustrates this perfectly. Advanced technical design and the most dedicated attention to detail put this newest Audi product in a strong position. The Audi TT Roadster and 225-hp TT Coupe are scheduled for release in May. Both the Coupe and Roadster models are manufactured as a joint operation between Ingolstadt, Germany and Gyor, Hungary. See it at: http://www.theautochannel.com/cybercast/2000autoshows/index.html?EVENTS