The fact that she saw a resemblance to the Volkswagen Beetle is no coincidence, because the two cars have much in common. They share the same basic platform and were penned by the same designer, Freeman Thomas, who works in Volkswagen's California design studio. Squint your eyes and the TT looks like a Beetle shot through space at warp speed. This pure, elegant shape began life as a concept car at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1995. Deviations from the original design are minuscule, something rarely seen because the translation from sketch pad to assembly line usually requires substantial design compromises.
Circles are everywhere.
New production techniques, such as laser brazing, enabled Audi to retain the sharp edges where the roof joins the body at the trunk. On the twisty, deserted roads of the Texas hill country, the TT's road holding was superb. The cars we drove were outfitted with the optional 17-inch alloy wheels, and their grip on the road was impressive indeed. The quick-ratio steering is perfectly weighted and enables the TT to knife through turns as precisely as a Beagle hound chasing a rabbit scent. Even though the wheelbase is only 95.4 inches, the ride was firm without being choppy or rough.