Cars with strong personalities have a tendency to prefer being driven in a certain manner. Because they were “born” or engineered for a particular purpose, you sense the resistance when you drive them the way they weren’t meant to be.
Take the TT Roadster – despite having recently undergone the de rigueur mid-life facelift, its personality has hardly changed. It’s still best sampled as a sporty tanning bed on wheels that oozes style from every angle.
Already known for its distinctive design, the TT’s exterior was only given minor updates. The headlamps now incorporate LED daytime running lights and the single-frame grille is now finished in high-gloss black, while the modified front bumper features larger air intakes and new fog light housings. The tail-lights were left untouched, but the rear diffuser is now larger and flatter compared to the one on the older model.
Additional aluminium accents add to the Audi TT Roadster cabin’s sportiness.
Subtle improvements to the interior include faux aluminium accents added to the steering wheel and centre console to give the cabin a more elegant feel. Also helping to keep both occupants looking just as chic are the leather seats, which are now specially treated to keep them up to 20 degrees cooler even when parked under the sun – a must in our tropical climate.
The hot weather will, of course, have to be ignored, for the TT Roadster is in its element when the roof is down. You can’t help but be addicted to the racy exhaust note, which is a by-product of the uprated 2-litre engine.
Now packing 211bhp and 350Nm (which is 11bhp and 70Nm more than the previous model), the car is sheer entertainment. Coupled with its compact size, the TT Roadster is a lively performer that will put a grin on your face as it nimbly darts in and out of gaps in traffic.
That smile turns into a grimace, however, once the fabric roof is deployed. Unlike the soft-tops found on other Audi convertibles, the one here does little to insulate the cabin from road noise.
This, together with the palpable scuttle shake, drowns out what could have been great sounds from the standard Bose hi-fi system. Like a rebellious teenager who hates being told how to dress, the TT Roadster grumbles louder the longer you drive it “covered”.
Driver-friendly cars are supposed to adapt to their drivers, but in this case, adapting to the TT Roadster’s personality is the only way to truly enjoy what it has to offer.
Audi TT Roadster 2.0 (A)
ENGINE 1984cc, 16-valves, inline-4, turbocharged
MAX POWER 211bhp at 4300-6000rpm
MAX TORQUE 350Nm at 1600-4200rpm
GEARBOX 6-speed dual-clutch with manual select
0-100KM/H 6.1 seconds
TOP SPEED 242km/h
CONSUMPTION 13.9km/L (combined)
PRICE INCL. COE $249,223 (as of April 2011)
Check out the latest Audi TT Roadster
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