Audi TT

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 of Volkswagen's California design studio, with Martin Smith contributing to the award winning interior design.

The production model (internal designation Typ 8N) was launched as a coupé in September 1998, followed by a roadster in August 1999, based on the Volkswagen A platform used for the Volkswagen Golf, Skoda Octavia and others. Styling wise, it differed little from the concept, except for slightly reprofiled bumpers and the addition of rear quarterlight windows behind the doors. Mechanically, the TT uses a transversely mounted engine with front or quattro all wheel drive. It was first available with a 1.8 L turbocharged inline four cylinder 20-valve engine. For the first two years of production, both front wheel drive and quattro models featured a 180 PS (132 kW) version of this engine. In 2001, a more powerful Quattro model was released which was equipped with a 225 PS (165 kW) engine which shares the same basic design but features a larger turbocharger, an additional intercooler on the driver's side, forged connecting rods, a dual exhaust, and a few other internals designed to accommodate the increase in turbo boost from roughly 10 psi peak to 15.