Push those worthy but dull European cars to the back of your mind. Audi has added some fizz to the world of motoring with confirmation that its stunning TT coupe and TTs roadster are going into production.


The dynamic duo was originally presented at the Frankfurt and Tokyo motor shows under the guise of "design studies," with the intention of gauging public response before committing to production. Audi bosses announced earlier this month that both cars have been given the green light following an enthusiastic reception by press, public and industry alike.


The first cars will be built in 1998 at a still-to-be-decided location, at a rate of around 20,000 coupes and 10,000 roadsters a year. A target starting price in the region of 50,000 Deutsche marks ($34,700) has been given for the coupe, with the roadster expected to carry a higher tag.


Described by Audi chairman Dr. Herbert Demel as "an enthusiast's car with great charisma," the TT coupe first appeared at Frankfurt in September, and people were still raving about it when the open-top TTs was unveiled several weeks later at Tokyo.


Both cars are the work of a team of young designers who were given free rein to produce "a vision of the Audi brand." The one luxury they didn't have -- and didn't need -- was time. The basic concept was finalized within a week, and the prototype was ready in just seven months.


The designers proudly acknowledge the influence of the prewar Auto Union racing cars and German sports cars from the 1950s in the TT cars' styling, but that's the extent of links to the past. Under the radical skin, both cars use up-to-the-minute Audi technology through and through.


In fact, the platform is a modified version of the one used for Audi's forthcoming A3, a new Golf-size hatchback due to arrive next fall.


The striking bodywork is part steel and part aluminum, the lightweight aluminum used for doors and other areas such as the hood.


In roadster form, the TT looks even more aggressive, thanks to bigger wheels and side air-outlets from the engine compartment. Rollover protection is provided by the two steel hoops.


Inside, again it's the roadster that is the more radical, thanks largely to racy sports seats covered in red leather. Both cars share the same facia and instruments, with curves and round shapes the order of the day. Twin airbags will be standard.


While acknowledging that the car will be built, Audi is holding back on confirming exact specifications. A choice of four-cylinder, 20-valve 1.8-liter engines is likely to be offered, in both turbo and nonturbo guise. A 150bhp turbo engine would give the coupe 225 performance and fast acceleration. The roadster will be even quicker if Audi presses ahead with the 210bhp prototype engine displayed in the design study, with figures in the region of 240 kilometers per hour and 6 seconds respectively. A five-speed manual gear-shift is standard. The two design studies feature permanent four-wheel drive, and this is expected to be the form for the production cars.


The coupe has two seats in front and two in back, and the roadster a straight two-seater, the extra space being used to store the soft top. Both cars will be marketed as stylish driving machines, but by the time the Audi twins arrive, German carmakers will have flooded the sports car market with exciting new products. Already launched and on sale in selected European markets is BMW's new two-seater convertible, the Z3, instantly made famous by its appearance in the new James Bond movie, "Goldeneye," even though Bond spends more time driving an Aston Martin.


Mercedes will weigh in next year with the SLK, another striking two-seater. Based on the platform of the C-Class and using the same suspension and drivetrain (but 30 centimeters shorter), the SLK is a very different animal from other cars with the SL logo. Expect to pay about $40,000 depending on the final, as yet unannounced choice of engines.


In addition, Porsche's new mid-engine, 986 roadster will be on sale next year. Germany and the United States will be the first markets to have cars in showrooms, and Porsche is working on a target price of under $45,000.





Paul Chadderton is motoring


editor for Auto Express in Britain.


He contributed this article to


The Moscow Times.