Please give a warm welcome to our newest writer at GCFSB, Andrew Maness. Andrew is active with his own page over at Jalopnik, The Road Less Driven. Welcome Andrew!
Given that I am currently a card carrying member of ACLA (Audi Club Los Angeles) and I am about to put my B7 S4 Avant up for sale, I am frequently asked “well what kind of Audi are you going to get next?”. It’s a bit presumptive on the persons part to assume that just because I’m a club member that I’m going to stick with the brand. True I do have a lot of love for Quattro driven vehicles but since moving to Southern California from Vermont that love has wained a bit over the last 6 years.
I fell in love with Audi because they’re the oddball of the German brands and I like things that are different. These days their vehicles have lost some of that character but I suppose that’s to be expected given how much the brand has grown in the last decade. 2009 marked a turning point for the brand as that’s when they killed off arguably the best body style they ever had (B7 pride!) and dropped their partnership with Recaro. However 2009 wasn’t all bad news as they also offered an S model of the TT coupe for the first time. I’ve always had a soft spot for the TT ever since Tom Cruise spun one off a cliff in MI:2 and the second generation body style is one of my favorite Audi designs. It looks especially good in white but one must resist the urge to “stromtrooper” the vehicle. Black wheels are overrated people, trust me, been there done that. I would however support powder coating the signature TTS gas cap, that’s a tasteful modification.
Click for details:Â 2009 Audi TTS On Cars.com
Year: 2009
Model:Â TTS
Engine:Â 2.0 liter turbocharged inline-4
Transmission: 6-speed S-Tronic automatic
Mileage:Â 33,617 mi
Price: $27,995
THIS IS A 2009 AUDI TTS COUPE QUATTRO S TRONIC IN IBIS WHITE WITH BLACK LEATHER/ALCANTARA INTERIOR WITH MANY OPTIONS AND ONLY 33,517 MILES. THIS AUDI TTS HAS A CLEAN CARFAX.IT HAS MANY FEATURES SUCH AS 6 SPEED AUTO S TRONIC TRANSMISSION, PREMIUM PLUS PACKAGE,10 WAY ADJUSTABLE POWER SEATS DRIVERS AND PASENGERS,INCLUDING FOUR WAY POWER LUMBAR HEATED SEATS BLUETOOH PHONE PREP, RAIN SENSING WINDSHIELD WIPERS, TRACTION CONTROL,AND XENON HEADLAMPS. BALANCE OF A 4YR/50K WARRANTY. THIS VEHICLE IS FULLY SERVICED AND ALSO INCLUDES A COMPLETE SET OF OWNERS MANUALS,AND FOUR KEYS. WE HAVE BEEN SERVICING AND SELLING VEHICLES FOR OVER 50 YEARS! EACH CAR ON OUR LOT HAS BEEN HAND SELECTED. WE PRIDE OURSELVES ON FINDING LOW MILEAGE VEHICLES IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. EVERY CAR IS 100% SERVICED AND INSPECTED IN OUR FULL SERVICE SHOP! COME DOWN AND FIND OUT WHY WE HAVE BEEN VOTED WATERTOWN’S “BEST USED CAR DEALERSHIP” FOR EIGHT YEARS RUNNING!
If I am honest with myself there isn’t a new Audi that I’d even consider owning that doesn’t have an S badge and even then I’d always be pining for an R to precede that S. The trouble is knowing all the amazing models that are available to those living on the brand’s home turf. S1, RS3, RS4 avant and so on and so forth. Like so many other brands Audi doesn’t ship it’s best and most lust inducing models to the US and that leaves me angry, confused and disillusioned. Why can’t they send over S5 Sportbacks? Why?!
Anyhow, getting back to that question I am so often asked, the answer is I probably won’t be getting another Audi but if I was going to it’d most likely be a TTS like this one. The seats and the steering wheel are reasons enough to consider one of these sprightly little coupes. I’ve sat in one and let me tell you, the bolstering, especially on the legs is just perfect. Of course I would much rather walk outside everyday to find a TTRS waiting for me but those are still trading at a hefty premium, mostly over $50k. So for now it is the TTS with it’s modified 2.0 TFSI 4cyl putting down 268hp and 258 lb-ft of twist that’ll fall into the “I could” category. This particular car is a Premium Plus and it doesn’t have navigation but that’s great because the RNS-E system sucks and you’d want to take it out anyway. Besides, you’re in a car that’s all about the driving experience, getting a little lost should only add to the fun, provided you’ve got enough gas to get back to civilization of course.
The main gripe that I have about this car is that it wasn’t available with a 3rd pedal option in the states, that would really fit the personality of the car. Luckily for us there is another car that’s very similar to the TTS that is available with a manual, it’s spiritual cousin, the Cayman S. The choice between those two vehicles is a tough one and would most likely come down to whether you think you need AWD. Perhaps a “would you rather” will be in order in the coming weeks because the question of Cayman vs. TTS is a very real debate raging in my head.
-Andrew
Cruise was driving a Porsche in MI2. Thandie Newton drove the TT.
Right you are Paul! Bad memory all I remembered was the TT on the edge of the cliff.
Welcome to GCFSB, Andrew.
Great introduction! I share your sentiment on the B7. The soul of the new cars from Audi is a bit thinner than it was IMHO. I have to believe that they left some of us behind as they have moved away from the three pedal experience, but I am just old school I guess.
Welcome on board Andrew, glad to have a fellow Audi fanatic on board. My second gen TT story; a few years ago when these first launched I had a student in a BMW event show up with one. Long story short, she was a friend of a friend and connected to VWOA. She was quick and very enthusiastic on track and speed built quickly. One session, she started really going for it; we went into one particular corner at Lime Rock Park called “West Bend”, probably the most dangerous corner on the track. In my track-prepped GT on R-Comp tires, it’s a lift and turn; on street tires with more power and weight, you have to brake. She didn’t. We went in there at about 85 mph – close to 10 mph faster than she had been going in. Instantly I tucked my hands under my legs and figured we were hitting a wall, hard. What happened next was unsettling – with no input from her, the car first understeered, then slightly rotated. We missed the apex and went slightly wide, but with little drama and no turn of the wheel, we came out the other side unscathed and with surprisingly little drama.
When we came off track, my friend asked how she had done. “The car is pretty incredible” I said. He looked at me, questioning, then got what I was saying. Dynamically, I think people assume these cars are going to falter when put on the track, but they’re much better than you’d expect thanks to some very clever electronics. As long as they don’t fail…..