Audi TT Concept Development
In April 1995, Auto Motor und Sport revealed that Audi designers Freeman Thomas (exterior), Romulus Rost (interior) and Ralf-Gerhard Willner (engineering), under the guidance of Peter Schreyer (Audi chief designer), were working on the idea of an aluminium Roadster with quattro drive. The Audi Avus and the quattro Spyder (1991) had previously shown that there was a need for an Audi sports car. Only it had to be a a car based on an existing production platform rather than a unique new platform to be developed. This was to ensure proper pricing.
So that was the design challenge: a no-compromise sports car with character based on an existing platform. So a so-called ‘package’ drawing was made with development engineer Ulrich Hackenberg based on a shortened Audi A3 chassis. In mid-May 1994, the first sketches of the Roadster, made in Gaimersheim near Ingolstadt, were presented internally. It also appeared that a Coupé was desirable since there were not really any offerings of this in this market segment at that time. In addition, additional model variants would naturally be positive for feasibility. In the end, the TT Coupé and TTS Roadster were developed in parallel.
In 2 months near Ingolstadt, after the approval, the first shapes and models of the TT Concept were worked out on the scale 1 in 4, This allowed the ideas to be presented to Ferdinand Piëch, who was completely in favour of the idea. The design was based on the Bauhaus principle. Here, the function determines the form and it is examined whether a function makes sense and what can be minimised in the design.
To turn the exterior design into an interior design, Romulus Rost continued in the 2nd half of 1994 at the Audi Design Center in Simi Valley (in California). Just before Christmas 1994, the first idea had been worked out in 1-on-1 drawings. Use of real matt aluminium was to link to Audi's use of aluminium in production models (at the time, the A8). And, in addition, was appropriate to the desired sporty look. The round shapes of the exterior were continued in the interior. Whereby, as the design was refined, it was constantly checked whether it still fitted the Bauhaus basic principle. At that time, it was also decided that, unlike the concept, the production version should have extra side windows for the desired Audi lines and light in the interior.
March 1995 was the time to convert the design sketches and scale models into a 1-to-1 clay model of the Coupé version. This way, it was possible to assess whether the lines of the simple base with large curves also worked true to scale. To assess the Roadster, a plastic mould was made from the Coupé clay model and the roof was cut off. Photos of the clay model show that it is already on the TT typical parabolic rims.
When working out to the concept models to be presented, the basic powertrain was also chosen. For the Coupé, they went for the 1.8T 4-cylinder with 150 hp (top speed 225 km/h) from the Audi A4. While for the Roadster, the more powerful variant with 210 hp was chosen. Both with quattro Good for 240 km/h and 0-100 in about 6 sec. Later in production, these became variants with 180 and 225 hp.
Following Ingolstadt and Simi Valley, after approval of the design and clay models, Freeman Thomas and Romulus Rost travelled to Moncalieri near Turin Italy. Here, the construction of both prototypes could be started in Italdesign's studios. This happened in utmost secrecy and even Giorgetto Giugiargo (Italian car designer and Italdesign founder) was not allowed into the hall during the construction of both concepts and only saw the final result and expressed his approval of it. In just four months, the TT Coupé concept was built. Shortly afterwards, the parallel-built TTS Roadster concept was also ready in the last week of August. A job that was only possible because of the tireless efforts and late-night work of those involved.
Presentation to public
The TT concept was finally ready in just a good year in time to shine at the IAA in Frankfurt in September 1995. And this with success. Press, design colleagues and the public were all raving about the compact Audi sports car. What people did not yet know is that Audi had another surprise at the 31st Tokyo Motor Show in late October 1995. Because that's where the TTS Roadster concept was presented. And it was received with even more enthusiasm. Partly because of the bold baseball interior. One of the audience questions was whether a sports car actually needs a spoiler. We'll come back to that later.
Path to production
Slowly it became clear that there was only one option ... move to series production. By the end of 1995, the time had come, orders were given to develop both concept models into a new model series for Audi. Something that was somewhat promised at the Tokyo motor show by Ferdinand Piech at the presentation with the statement, ‘It will be a few years before you see these two studies together again.’ Ulrich Hackenburg led the concept through to series production: ‘For us, the biggest compliment was the praise from the trade press for the fact that the concept cars and the series production model hardly differed from each other, even though we had to change some details to make the car meet the requirements for public roads.
The most striking difference between the production and concept versions was the extra rear side window on the Coupé. This was for more light in the interior but also to create a more Audi lines. With the TTS, the difference is mainly the disappearance of the air intake in the wings. Otherwise, many of the concept cars remained intact. This is because from the first sketches, a production version was the goal. And certainly also because the designers did not want to make any concessions. Therefore, precious elements remained intact. Think of the aluminium cover of the radio and the buttons for the seat heating that pop up. This was to ensure a ‘clean’ appearance of the interior. But also think of the extra strong carpeting instead of the usual velour and all aluminium elements also in real aluminium and not plastic with a silver coating. Everything to maintain the right look.
Facts from the concept period
During the period of concept development and introduction, all sorts of stories have been left over. How did the name originate? What is the designers' favourite colour? The vanished rims! And much more. Click on the various buttons for more background information from this period.
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All information has been collected and checked to the best of our knowledge. Should there anything is missing, incorrect or out of order, please let us know.
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