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Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Audi TT



Audi TT Trailer





The Audi TT is a two-door sports car manufactured by the German automaker and Volkswagen Group subsidiary Audi since 1998.



The Audi TT has been produced in two generations. Both generations have been available in two car body styles; as a 2+2 Coupé, or two-seater Roadster. They have been built on consecutive generations of the Volkswagen Group A platform, starting with the A4 (PQ34). As a result of this platform-sharing, the Audi TT has identical powertrain and suspension layouts as its related platform-mates; this includes a front-mounted transversely oriented engine, front-wheel drive or quattro permanent four-wheel drive system, and fully independent front suspension using MacPherson struts.



Both generations of TT are assembled by the Audi subsidiary Audi Hungaria Motor Kft. in Győr, Hungary, using bodyshells manufactured and painted at Audi's Ingolstadt plant.

The styling of the Audi TT began in the spring of 1994 at the Volkswagen Group Design Center in California. The TT was first shown as a concept car at the 1995 Frankfurt Motor Show. The design is credited to J Mays and Freeman Thomas,with Hartmut Warkuss, Peter Schreyer, Martin Smith and Romulus Rost to the award-winning interior design.



A previously unused laser beam welding adaptation, which enabled seamless design features on the first-generation TT, delayed its introduction. Audi did not initially offer any type of automatic transmission option for the TT. However, from 2003, a dual clutch six-speed Direct-Shift Gearbox (DSG) became available, with the United Kingdom TT variants becoming the world's first user of a dual clutch transmission configured for a right-hand drive vehicle, although the outright world first for a road car equipped with a dual clutch transmission was claimed earlier by a Volkswagen Group platform-mate, the left hand drive Volkswagen Golf Mk4 R32.

The Audi TT takes its name from the successful motor racing tradition of NSU in the British Isle of Man TT (Tourist Trophy) motorcycle race. NSU began competing in the TT in 1911, and later merged into the company now known as Audi.



The Audi TT also follows the NSU 1000TT, 1200TT and TTS cars of the 1960s in taking their names from the race.



The TT name has also been attributed to the phrase "Technology & Tradition".

The production model (internal designation Typ 8N) was launched as a Coupé in September 1998, followed by a Roadster in August 1999. It is based on the Volkswagen Group A4 (PQ34) platform as used for the Volkswagen Golf Mk4, the original Audi A3, the Škoda Octavia, and others. The styling differed little from the concept, except for slightly reprofiled bumpers, and the addition of a rear quarterlight windows behind the doors. Factory production commenced October 1998.

Early TT models gained press coverage for a series of high-speed accidents in Europe. Reported crashes and related fatalities occurred at speeds in excess of 180 kilometres per hour (110 mph), during abrupt lane changes or sharp turns. Both the Coupé and Roadster models were recalled in late 1999/early 2000, to improve predictability of the car's handling at very high speeds. Audi's Electronic Stability Programme, and rear spoiler were added, along with suspension modifications. All changes were subsequently incorporated into future series production versions of the car.



Factory production of this generation ended in June 2006.

Mechanically, the TT shares an identical powertrain layout as its related Volkswagen Group platform-mates. The TT uses a transversely mounted internal combustion engine, with either front-wheel drive, or 'quattro' on-demand four-wheel drive. It was first available with a 1.8 litre inline four cylinder 20-valve turbocharged engine in two states of DIN-rated power outputs; 180 PS (132 kW; 178 hp) and 225 PS (165 kW; 222 hp). The engines share the same fundamental design, but the 225 PS version features a larger K04 turbocharger, an additional intercooler on the right side (complementing the existing left-side intercooler), forged connecting rods, a dual tailpipe exhaust, and a few other internals - designed to accommodate the increase in turbo boost, from roughly 10 pounds per square inch (0.7 bar) peak, to 15 pounds per square inch (1.0 bar). Haldex Traction enabled four wheel drive, 'branded' as "quattro" was optional on the 180 engine, and standard on the more powerful 225 version.

The original four cylinder engine range was complemented with a 250 PS (184 kW; 247 hp) 3.2 litre VR6 engine in early 2003, which comes as standard with the quattro four-wheel drive system. In July 2003, a new six-speed dual clutch transmission - dubbed the Direct-Shift Gearbox, which improves acceleration through much-reduced shift times, was offered, along with a stiffer suspension.



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