CTC Review: 2009 Audi TTS Roadster

[lebowski]

@carcrazed, yeah, the old 'BMW' joke is a Montreal favourite 

[DK]

Good job.

[rjames]

I dunno guys.. I wouldnt mind having one of these as a winter runabout. although it would have to be a hard top, not a vert'. My cooper S has served me really well this winter so far. Its quite low, light weight, and has more than enough power... If it had AWD it would pretty much be the ultimate winter machine. we have 8+ inches of snow already, and we get a couple more every day it seems like... doesnt bother my car at all. just plows right through it.

[Railton]

I dunno guys.. I wouldnt mind having one of these as a winter runabout. although it would have to be a hard top, not a vert'. My cooper S has served me really well this winter so far. Its quite low, light weight, and has more than enough power... If it had AWD it would pretty much be the ultimate winter machine. we have 8+ inches of snow already, and we get a couple more every day it seems like... doesnt bother my car at all. just plows right through it.

Save your pennies (Twonnies in this case..) and buy a used one of these. Same low ground clearance though.
Railton

[Feds]

Up on the driver's side fender, near the base of the windshield!  What do I win?

And do I see that we are into Protege5's-in-the-winter stories?  Last year when Niagara got 30cm in a day, I took my winter-tire equipped P5, complete with my wife, inlaws,  and newborn son through the short hills at the south end of St. Catharines.  The only trouble I had was when a snowplow blew a stopsign (because he probably was not expecting anyone else on the road), and I had to Scandinavian flick around him.  Absolutely would have been a crash in anything bigger/heavier.

[kevlar]

ugh.  i don't know why people keep saying "wouldn't you rather have a boxster?"   the boxster is one of the ugliest cars being produced today.  where the original porsche 356 is elegant the boxster is big and awkward.  neither one of these cars is cheap but even the base boxster will end up costing you 68-70k once you add the options.    the latest TT is simply one of the most sublime designs ever to come out of audi.  20 years from now these cars will be seen as collector items.

[gpws2k]

I'd have to guess the same as Feds on the washer cap (kudos on the speedy answer by the way!).  Can my runner-up prize be a speedy resolution to the transit strike?  Finding parking space near campus during exams is turning out be harder than the exams themselves.

[lebowski]

@Kevlar, different strokes for different folks. While I agree the original TT coupe was a knockout and a classic in the looks department, I’ve never liked the looks of the roadster versions. They just looked unfinished and bathtub-like, and not in a cool, Porsche 356 way. 

I’ve never driven a TT, but have had the chance to drive various boxsters. The Porsche just drives so well, which is why enthusiasts – and, yes, poseurs as well - with the means have made it so popular. It’s mid-engined and RWD, something the TT, even with its various gizmos and engine tweaks aside, will never be. As for looks, i love how the boxster looks, but if it drove as well as it does and looked like an Aztek, I would still buy one.

Agreed that price on a new Boxster is way up there, but who needs a new one? If I had $35k burning a hole in my pocket, I’d be all over a 2005 5-speed, non-S. For the same money, i wouldn't go anywhere near a used Audi roadster.

[Giant Dwarf]

Ahh Kevlar, you blasphemous boob.  Don't you know you're not supposed to take the P-car's name in vain?  Styling is a subjective point and I suppose you ARE entitled to your opinion, no matter how wrong it might be.   

I've got to agree with Lebowski though:  styling issues aside, there's no comparison between the driving dynamics of the Boxster and the TT (at least the past generation TT I drove -- haven't had an opportunity in the new ones yet).  The Porsche will get your heartrate up by simply turning the key.  The Audi needs 2" of snow on the road before I'd even crack a smile over driving it. 

[dave]

 

The TT doesn't offer the same performance as the Boxster.  The previous generation TT (although pretty - loved that baseball stitching) didn't hold a light to the Boxster or even the BMW Z4 in terms of dynamics.  I understand the new TT is a step closer in comparison...

Wing, you've driven a plethora of Boxsters recently.  How does it compare to the TT-S?

[kevlar]

hahha okok guys.....you are ALL blind.   i have now driven the cayman s, the base boxster, the old TT and now the new TT.     i must admit, the porsches are very well designed mechanically and dynamically but every time i see a boxster or cayman i wonder ....why do these things look so bloody big??!  it's not like there is any storage space.   the new TT is quite a leap forward from the old TT in performance mr. dwarf.  i think you should give it a run.    actually when i was testing the cayman s, i couldn't keep from thinking my god this car is 25k more than a 3.2 L 6 spd TT coupe and 35k more than a bmw 135.   

[wing]

Patience all, tonight I will write my driving impressions.

[safristi]

  SO  YOU ARE THA TROLL...........   click on the secret Santaya

[Turbo Bob]

Ahh Kevlar, you blasphemous boob.  Don't you know you're not supposed to take the P-car's name in vain?  Styling is a subjective point and I suppose you ARE entitled to your opinion, no matter how wrong it might be.   

I've got to agree with Lebowski though:  styling issues aside, there's no comparison between the driving dynamics of the Boxster and the TT (at least the past generation TT I drove -- haven't had an opportunity in the new ones yet).  The Porsche will get your heartrate up by simply turning the key.  The Audi needs 2" of snow on the road before I'd even crack a smile over driving it. 

Regardless of the handling prowess, you can't honestly say that the Boxster is pretty, or even exclusive?  I'd have the Coxster anyway, sorry, Cayman S! 

[safristi]

 Kevlars starting UP a "STOP THE COXSTER" movement.......i can just feel it.........   TT TT BANG BANG........

[kevlar]

well saffy somebody has to keep those coxsters in check.    too bad wing can't push the TTS see how it really compares to the coxsters.  my bigger concern is this disconcerting move to semi auto gearboxes in so many cars here in NA.  the bloody TTS is avail in manual in NA why not here??

[lebowski]

@wing, nice write-up and i appreciate your comparison of the cayman/boxster vs. TTS. The audi does seem like a great car.

At the end of the day, i believe the only true -if unspoken- disadvantage in choosing the boxster, for most people anyway, is not the lack of quattro, but rather the prospect of dealing with the baggage that comes with owning any new porsche, i.e. "sure, this car is great to drive, but i don't want to look like another d-bag in a porsche, so i'll take the Audi."

[The Mighty Duck]

^ Haven't you been watching Top Gear?  All the cocks these days are buying Audis!   

I, too, would prefer a Boxster/Cayman to a TT.  I do love the idea of an AWD coupe that could be driven year round, but realistically, I think if you're spending this much on a toy, you should be buying the best roadster you can, not the most practical. 

[wing]

The Boxster is much more practical than the TT, I had yet another box today that wouldn't fit but would have easily fit in the Boxster!

[safristi]

  Hmm so a Box fits inna BOXTER.......wots fits inna TT.....a BRA??.................