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We don’t spend a lot of time on these pages talking about the Audi TT, and that’s a disservice to what is a great car. It’s often called a pretend sports car, but dismiss for a moment that it’s not a Porsche 911 and consider what it is. Starting as a show car in 1995 (hard to believe!), most thought it would never come to market like the futuristic look of the concept. But surprisingly the look was almost identical; the slinky exterior and modern looking interior managing to well mask the Golf underpinnings. The turbocharged motor packed 180 horsepower to start, but the promise of more in the future sounded great because of the Haldex-differential “quattro” drivetrain. In many ways, it was always the promise of more power and special editions that somewhat overshadowed the 180 horsepower model, but today we have a lovely example of the lower power Coupe:
One car that sticks in my mind which I have yet to try on for size is the Mk3 Volkswagen GTI VR6. Having owned a 1998 GTI 2.0, I yearned for the increased power of the six cylinder variant at times but knew it was all but out of reach for a younger motorist like myself at the time. The VR6 really took the hot hatchback formula and kicked it up a notch, transforming an otherwise sedate looking Mk3 Golf into a performer that could run with the big dogs. It also paved the way for more refined hatchbacks, such as the MINI Cooper S, Mercedes C-Class Sportcoupe and CLC and the BMW 1 series hatchback. This 1996 GTI VR6 for sale in Georgia is about to crest 70,000 miles and is quite unmolested, which is rare for a car that was an object of desire of the Fast and Furious set.
I see B6 platform A4s all the time in DC, often driven by young people in their mid to late twenties. I tend to assume that many of them are hand-me-downs from wealthy parents who live in the affluent suburbs. When equipped with all-wheel drive, these cars make for competent year-round daily drivers ideal for the mid-Atlantic climate, and they still give off that expensive, German vibe even though by now they are relatively inexpensive to buy. But while the overall design remains attractive, I think the standard models can look a bit plain. If, like me, you prefer the sportier looks of the S4, but don’t want to deal with the possibility of the $8k timing chain job that afflicts the 4.2 V8 motor, the next best thing is a regular A4 equipped with the Ultrasport package. Available as a factory option, this added S4-style door blades, revised front and rear bumpers, sports suspension and 18″ multispoke “celebration” RS4-style wheels. So equipped, the ordinary looking A4 is instantly transformed into a sportier, more aggressively styled car. The USP package was available on both sedan and wagon models, and for today’s post I’ve written up one of each.
If yesterday’s mellow yellow 323Ci wasn’t the sunshine you’d like to see, how about something a bit more brilliant in design and presentation? I have to say the fascination with BMW wagons and their ensuing high prices sometimes perplexes me, as Audi offered a sporty, manual, all-wheel drive Avant that is great looking, reliable and long-lived and will make you feel pretty special. That’s especially so when it’s optioned in one of the more rare shades available on the B5; in this case, LY1B Brilliant Yellow. I’m sure there will be claims that, like Pelican Blue and Tropical Green, these Easter colors make the jelly bean shaped A4 a bit too festive, but personally I love the look of this Avant:
I’ll spare readers my usual rant about how I don’t like SUVs. But what I don’t like even more than SUVs is when their popularity precludes me from buying a car in the US that I normally would want, such as the Audi S4 Avant. Audi hasn’t offered a non-Allroad style Avant since 2012, which is a shame, given how attractive the B8 A4 Avant was. At least the US got a few years production sent over here, though. This 2010 A4 Avant 2.0T finished in Deep Sea Blue Pearl has got me pining for the days of when Audi understood its traditional customer. The all-wheel drive Avant driving customer.
