Still impressive after all these years...
- Thread starter sawood12
- Start date
Wigeon Incognito
New member
According to those in the know, the TT can be improved enough to make it an acceptably decent handling car.
The thing is, the 944 is great from the start.
Okay, the TT has lots of grip but grip and handling are very different things.
I've only driven TTs on the road but I must say that aside from the pleasant interiors I've been completely underwhelmed on every occasion.
The thing is, the 944 is great from the start.
Okay, the TT has lots of grip but grip and handling are very different things.
I've only driven TTs on the road but I must say that aside from the pleasant interiors I've been completely underwhelmed on every occasion.
morris944s2john
New member
For a car with 225BHP (Audi TT), 0-60 in 6.6 seconds is slow! A 220BHP 944 turbo can easily beat that. You would think a 225BHP car with 4 wheel drive grip would do 0-60 in 5. something seconds.
And did the instructor take you round the same circuit in a 944???[
]
And did the instructor take you round the same circuit in a 944???[
]In fairness, greasy (/light rain) conditions would favour the TT, particularly if it had the quattro system. 4WD is a huge boon when there isn't much traction.
(It also saps a fair chunk of power, so combined with a heavy car will explain the low performance for the stated power output. The 211bhp S2 generally hit 60 in about 6.0 seconds, which is a product of lower weight, less power loss in the drivechain and a rear-gearbox design, giving better traction off the line.)
I also suspect that this argument would be seen slightly differently if this was a TT-enthusiasts site. "Oh, the TT Quatt would slaughter that dinosaur of a Porsche! They weren't real Porsches anyway ... " etc etc etc.
Oli.
(It also saps a fair chunk of power, so combined with a heavy car will explain the low performance for the stated power output. The 211bhp S2 generally hit 60 in about 6.0 seconds, which is a product of lower weight, less power loss in the drivechain and a rear-gearbox design, giving better traction off the line.)
I also suspect that this argument would be seen slightly differently if this was a TT-enthusiasts site. "Oh, the TT Quatt would slaughter that dinosaur of a Porsche! They weren't real Porsches anyway ... " etc etc etc.
Oli.
pretty tatty? i drove that car a few times in 1994/ 1995 and it was pretty tatty then! It belonged to my old boss who ran it for a year or so and 20000 miles before changing it for a red S2. He bought it out of the Autotrader and paid about £4k for it with mega mileage and not much history. We couldn't believe it when it appeared on Top Gear and assumed it would have bitten the bullet some years previously. The problem with the rear hatch popping open happened back then and no matter how long it spent in the garage it always seemed to re-occur. Despite its condition I remember being amazed by the handling - it was the first Porsche I ever drove.
Ian,
I was trying to support your point of view, by observing that the conditions would do the TT some favours!
I read your anecdote with interest ... I would be genuinely interested to know what would have happened if the same driver had a punt around in a decent 944 at the same time. I don't doubt the experience for you was impressive, but quite a lot of that could well be down to the skill of the driver ... (and I'll confess that I do think the TT is a very pretty car!)
Oli.
I was trying to support your point of view, by observing that the conditions would do the TT some favours!
I read your anecdote with interest ... I would be genuinely interested to know what would have happened if the same driver had a punt around in a decent 944 at the same time. I don't doubt the experience for you was impressive, but quite a lot of that could well be down to the skill of the driver ... (and I'll confess that I do think the TT is a very pretty car!)
Oli.
xenon
New member
I would imagine the 944 would have felt more exhilarating due to a bit of oppo' lock etc. The TT felt a bit like a roller-coaster - fast but you didn't get the impression you were about to join the scenery. That may have been down to the driver's skill too. My laps were somewhat slower than his.... And I did spin the TT anyway...[]
]
appletonn
New member
ORIGINAL: ColinC
My wife had a 225 TT when we first met.........trying to impress her on our second date I backed it through a hedge into a field of cows........oh yes they understeer[
I very rarely style hair other than my own and niether does my wife.....just for the record.
...and she still married you??!!![&:][8|][
]
sawood12
New member
Well on the TG power lap times the new TT got 1m31.3s and the previous model v6 TT got 1m32.7s so the old TT isn't that much faster than the Lux, and maybe if it was a fresher Lux it may have had another second or so in it - who knows? I did love the way the Stig held it in a perfect 4 wheel drift around the hammerhead. No steering correction, he just turned the wheel once and held it. A testiment to the stability and balance of the car.
My dad has a previous model 225bhp TT and I really really like it. It definitely doesn't feel anywhere near as fast in a straight line as my 944 turbo and doesn't feel as communicative to drive and i'm sure it isn't as fast. It may very well understeer on the limit however due to the 4wd system who knows where that limit is? The thing just seems to grip and grip and grip. Apparently you can get the Haldex differential chipped to give it more of a rear wheel bias (upto 60% instead of 50%) which might help things, but at the end of the day the weight distribution is wrong and it is wrong in the wrong directions unlike the 911. I think the TT is an ideal alternative to the hot hatch - I wouldn't class it as a proper sportscar due to it's hatch back heritage. A true sportscar in my view has to be designed as a sportscar from the beginning - no compromises. The problem with comparing these old girls to modern day cars is that modern cars are easier to drive fast so it is difficult to gauge yourself as you are probably holding back more in a 944.
They did a trackday version of the last model TT towards the end of it's production run. It had a semi-stripped out interior and lowered stiffer suspension. Not sure what the engine/transmission differences were but I'd like to have a go in one of those.
My dad has a previous model 225bhp TT and I really really like it. It definitely doesn't feel anywhere near as fast in a straight line as my 944 turbo and doesn't feel as communicative to drive and i'm sure it isn't as fast. It may very well understeer on the limit however due to the 4wd system who knows where that limit is? The thing just seems to grip and grip and grip. Apparently you can get the Haldex differential chipped to give it more of a rear wheel bias (upto 60% instead of 50%) which might help things, but at the end of the day the weight distribution is wrong and it is wrong in the wrong directions unlike the 911. I think the TT is an ideal alternative to the hot hatch - I wouldn't class it as a proper sportscar due to it's hatch back heritage. A true sportscar in my view has to be designed as a sportscar from the beginning - no compromises. The problem with comparing these old girls to modern day cars is that modern cars are easier to drive fast so it is difficult to gauge yourself as you are probably holding back more in a 944.
They did a trackday version of the last model TT towards the end of it's production run. It had a semi-stripped out interior and lowered stiffer suspension. Not sure what the engine/transmission differences were but I'd like to have a go in one of those.
[blockquote]quote:
ORIGINAL: ColinC
My wife had a 225 TT when we first met.........trying to impress her on our second date I backed it through a hedge into a field of cows........oh yes they understeer[
I very rarely style hair other than my own and niether does my wife.....just for the record.
[/blockquote]
...and she still married you??!!![&:][8|][
Yes[
]......but in fairness I have been paying ever since ....She insists in scraping the alloys on every car I have owned since by rubbing them against every kerb she can access[].....Always an accident............I say it's payback[]
Posts made and opinions expressed are those of the individual forum members
Use of the Forum is subject to the Terms and Conditions
