The End Of The Audi TT

Audi plan to kill off the beloved TT in the next few years

After a very long legacy spanning over 20 years, the instantly recognisable Audi TT is finally coming to an end and we’re here to look back on the good times and the history of the coupe conversation piece that is the beloved TT. Since 1998, the TT has been the little sports coupe that could and served Audi well, but all good things must come to an end and Bram Schot, Audi’s chairman of the board of management, has confirmed this.

During Audi’s annual general meeting, Schot announced that the Audi TT’s production run will end “in a few years”. Although nothing is confirmed, rumours and speculation suggest that the TT will stop production in 2022. It’s confirmed that the TT’s place will be filled with an electric car that will be similar in price to the TT as Schot said “We want to have the strongest range of electric models amongst the premium competitors,”.

Their electric-focussed attitude is also evident in their goal, which is to be selling 1 million electric (including hybrids) cars each year by 2025. The question is, will this new electric car be able to fill the shoes of the almighty, widely-adored Audi TT?

It’s hard to believe that the TT was born in the 90s, which is probably a testament to its modern design. The car has been built upon the VW Golf’s platform since its release in ‘98. The Mark I used the Golf Mk 4 platform which was also found in the A3, Seat Leon and the Skoda Octavia.

The basic-model Mark I was available with a fantastic 1.8-Litre I4 turbocharged engine which may not pack a big punch by today’s standards, but this hasn’t stopped people from falling in love with the first gen TT. The bold design, decent build quality and the fun it provides are still praised today, with many enthusiasts believing that these cars are bound to become classics. With such bold looks, inside and out, it’s not really all that surprising!

When you consider how much love and respect cars such as the Honda S2000 and Mazda MX-5 get, it’s hard to imagine a world where the Mk I Audi TT isn’t praised just as much, which is why it’s very possible that this old German sports car will soon be shooting up in value. The first-gen TTs mark the beginning of an era and now that the era is coming to an end, we could see these first examples exploding in value soon.

The Mk II, A.K.A 8J, Audi TT did well to build upon the strengths of the previous model and maintain the strong brand of the TT name. At this point, the TT was already known for style and fun and the Mk II added another accolade to the legacy – reliability. This model of TT was praised particularly for how well it adapted to all-purpose, everyday usage and how you could rely on it to have a very low amount of problems for a car of its class. You’ll still see many 8J TTs on the road today because they make for such great used buys, they’re reliable and they look incredibly good for a car design that’s now 13 years old.

The Mk II also saw the addition of aluminium, which made the car lighter and therefore perform better. Cleverly, steel was used at the rear of the car to achieve greater balance which was pretty close to 50:50 distribution.

The third, and possibly the last, generation of the Audi TT came in 2014 and did all the same things right as it had done previously. The interior is of the standard you’d expect from a luxury German automaker, the exterior is incredibly current and the car feels great to drive, as always. Audi has clearly mastered the formula for their TT. They know what the car should be, they know what their customers want from it, and they know how to make this car as best as possible. 

Improvements to the diesel TT were also noted in the Mk III, with the car winning the ‘Best Sportscar’ accolade in the 2015 DieselCar Magazine Awards. With a combined fuel efficiency of  62.8mpg and a starting price of £29,810, the 2.0-Litre diesel TT successfully delivered engaging performance to diesel-lovers.

Here’s to hoping that the mysterious electric car set to replace the TT does just as good of a job at creating such an iconic and world-renowned silhouette that any kid could recognise. Will you be buying one?