Audi TT Roadster 2.0 TFSI 2007 Review

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The combination of VW Group's TFSI turbocharged direct-injected 2.0-litre four and DSG gearbox is a cracker in the TT Coupe, Audi's S3, the Golf GTI and this vehicle. Power, plenty of torque, reasonable economy and no shyness to rev, the 2.0 TFSI and tricky automated sequential manual gearbox is simply one of the best powertrains available today.

Much has been written about DSG (Audi calls it S tronic) but it remains the benchmark in automated manual gearboxes. Fuss-free in town in auto mode, it thrives in full-on sports mode when the spirit takes you. And that 'whhompf' when the gearbox and four-pot combine on upchanges -- it's delicious!

Drive the TT Roadster and you'll want to get the best from the powertrain and hear that 'whhompf' every journey... Even if it is just to the shops!

But to think of the car as simply a smartly styled boulevardier would be criminal. The brilliant TT coupe has an engaging do-anything feel to its chassis and that feel has barely been diluted in this roadster version. There's little if any sacrifice in road holding, handling and the homogenous feel in the translation from coupe to the soft-top.

Indeed, unlike almost any other roadster, the TT has a carved-from-billet feel that means there's ne'er a creak or a groan or a shimmy in the rear vision mirror, no matter how pockmarked the surface.

The TT coupe has great turn-in, amazing mid-corner grip and a slight throttle-off oversteer at or near the limit, just like a front-wheel drive racecar -- great stuff. It's hard to tell without driving the variants back to back, but it seems the Roadster's a touch less sharp than this description of its tin-top equivalent.

That said, the soft-top's chassis and steering have a solid precise feel and it's always easy to know what the front and rear contact patches are doing.

And while body roll is well controlled, the TT's ride doesn't seem to suffer -- it's certainly far from the 'skip from bump to bump' progress we experienced in the Alfa Spider we drove back-to-back.

Indeed, there's not a lot to criticise in the Audi. We thought as much at its launch (more here) but can confidently state here and now, it is by our estimation quite simply the best compact sports soft-top you can buy.

The interior is Audi neat, perhaps to the point of being clinical. The seats are a near-perfect blend of control and comfort and we loved the classic red leather of our silver tester.

Roof operation is quick, fully automated and continuous, unlike the 'will it, won't it' operation of the abovementioned Alfa.

And though you sit lower in the Audi than the Alfa, the TT escapes the high-sided feel of some soft-tops. Indeed, thanks to the lower beltline and the fact the soft-top is close coupled to the one-row cockpit, you don't end up with the normal coupe-cabrio three-quarter blindspot.

Roof down, the electric retractable windblocker works well. On a 4.5-degree Melbourne morning it was possible to enjoy the bright blue skies despite the cold thanks to a combination of minimal buffeting and effectively heated seats. A Mercedes SLK-style 'airscarf' system would have made the drive perfect.

For a two-place sportscar, there's a surprisingly practical aspect to the TT Roadster too. The boot though shallow is quite large in plain view. The good news for those with golf clubs and the like is that a proper boot lid makes loading easier and roof up or down there's no difference in capacity.

Truth be known, journos are a spoiled lot and there's few cars that we really don't want to give back. The TT Roadster is at least two of them!

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