New Audi Car Reviews
New Audi TT Roadster 1.8 TFSI Car Review

ROADSTER CRAZY

Audi’s TT Roadster is at its most affordable in 1.8 TFSI form but does it still have the magic? Steve Walker takes a look.

The idea of a roadster can have a strange effect on people. Some will flatly fail to understand the appeal of a car with a canvas roof that has barely enough space for two people in the cabin and a packed lunch in the boot. Others will come over all misty-eyed at the merest mention of the word, blathering on about the freedom of the open road, the wind in their hair, the synergy between man and machine. Whatever your persuasion, the roadster should be a car bundled up with simple human emotions and they should linger whether it’s a power-packed example or a car in its purist form. Audi hopes it’s got the balance right with its TT 1.8 TFSI.

Audi pulled a similar trick to this with its original TT. The Roadster 150 version was launched a few years after the mainstream range had found its feet and earned the respect of public and press. It served as a more affordable entry-point to the range with less power and a simpler specification. It did very nicely, appealing to buyers who had considered an Audi sports car out of their financial reach. Now the TT Roadster 1.8 TFSI is out to perform a similar role in the current generation TT line-up.

There’s ‘only’ 158bhp on offer from the 1.8 TFSI engine, nearly forty horses less than the 2.0 TFSI model that sits above it in the range. That doesn’t stop it getting the roofless TT through 62mph in 7.4s and on to a top speed of 139mph, figures that won’t give anyone cause to question its sportscar status. The engine is one of Audi’s most impressive despite its compact size. It uses a turbocharger but still achieves very wide power and torque bands that provide flexibility from low speeds and good thrust at the top of the rev range where a self-respecting roadster should be right on song. Peak power is achieved constantly from 4,500rpm to 6,200rpm and maximum torque of 250Nm is available from 1,500rpm to 4,500rpm.

The engine is mated to a six-speed manual gearbox in the TT and the bodyshell is of the same lightweight construction which uses 58% aluminium distributed for optimum weight distribution. The Audi Magnetic Ride adaptive damping system can be specified as an option as it can on other TTs. Press a button on the gearlever and a voltage is applied to tiny magnetic particles swimming in the damper oil, changing their polarity and, in turn, either firming up or softening the damper in milliseconds. It enables the driver to select the set-up that best suits them.

The hood is a traditional fabric affair, one of the key reasons why the weight penalty has been kept to a mere 35kg over the Coupe. Electrohydraulically operated, it uses a steel and aluminium framework to pare further grammes from its bulk. Were it not for an additional layer of soundproofing, it would be even lighter. It’s easy to see where weight could be saved. Instead of the heated glass rear window Audi could have used a vinyl item and rather than opting for a powered mesh wind deflector they could have opted for a pull-up screen. This being Audi, however, they didn’t and you won’t begrudge the extra few kilos these features add when driving the car.

Need an example of the TT Roadster’s design effectiveness? A clever Z-fold system means that the rigid forward section of the roof folds down on top of the remainder, eliminating the need for a tonneau – so often the inelegant engineering solution on convertible cars. What’s more, the roof operates in a mere 12 seconds and can be operated at speeds of up to 30mph. While the guy who bought a convertible with a metal folding hard top roof is amazing passers by with its origami tricks, he’s not only missed the lights but will also get the stink eye from his lady after a snap shower made her blouse go see-through. The TT Roadster requires no manual clipping or latching to the header rail either. Just fire and forget.

Only one trim level is available with the TT Roadster 1.8 TFSI. Buyers get the powered soft-top hood, electric windows and a powered wind deflector. There’s also electronic climate control, a CD stereo and 17" alloy wheels. This shouldn’t leave buyers feeling short-changed by this entry-level model.

The 1.8 TFSI model has a big impact on TT Roadster prices. Rather than the entry-level price being over £27,000 for the 2.0 TFSI model, it’s around £24,000. At this point, it has greater potential to tempt buyers who had been considering a plush Mazda MX-5 or one of the more expensive hot hatchback options. It also brings the TT Roadster starting point below that of its arch-rival, the BMW Z4.

Though not in the same league as the TT TDI diesel models, the TT Roadster does turn in a sound environmental performance with the 1.8 TFSI engine installed. Combined fuel economy comes within spitting distance of 41mpg and with emissions of 159g/km, it’s safe to say that this roadster doesn’t have sportscar running costs.

Audi’s decision to slot an entry-level engine option into its TT Roadster range instantly made the car look more affordable and seems certain to give sales a boost. Whether buyers will settle on the 1.8 TFSI Roadster or be up-sold to one of the more powerful options won’t be of great concern to the manufacturer but the car looks to be a worthwhile one in its own right.

If it’s true that the roadster ownership experience is all about the wind in your hair, the open road through your windscreen and a song in your heart, it shouldn’t matter that the TT Roadster 1.8 TFSI is down on power. It should still have the joy of driving ingrained on its mechanical soul. That’s the theory anyway. The fact is that a surfeit of unfettered power can mask a multitude of sins if fun is your priority in a car. The Audi’s TT Roadster has fewer sins than most and should be able to get away with its most affordable engine option. Many will go for a few extra horses just to be on the safe side.

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