Doylestown Auto Repair

Driven by design: Bringing home a first-generation Audi TT

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HAMBURG, Germany — Few cars have survived the transition from concept stage to series production as gracefully as the original

Audi TT

. The minimalistic, round shape of the first-generation car was first shown in the mid-1990s, and the actual production

TT

that surfaced in late 1998 was almost identical to the concept. Sure, it gained rear side windows, but what customers got was very, very close to what the designers wanted them to have.

20 years on, the TT is still with us

, albeit now closer toward the

R8

‘s look, with an aggressive appearance driven home by sharp strakes. Look at the front of the 1998 car instead: What you see is a skull shape, defined by the dark headlights and stout jaw. The lack of gimmicks gives it an agelessness its successors cannot really match.

In early December, I’m at the Hamburg airport, picking up a freshly serviced first-generation TT to drive to Finland. It will gain a new life as the first car my girlfriend has ever bought: Having decided to skip both the jalopy and appliance phases, she clicked on this TT.

Finished in modest Glacier Blue, the model-year 2004 car wears 18-inch, seven-spoke wheels I thought to be incongruous, until I realized they take after the ones on the Veyronesque

Rosemeyer concept

. But it’s a six-speed, leather-trimmed and packs the 225-horsepower 1.8-liter turbo engine and Haldex quattro drivetrain — and the stance comes courtesy of an S-line sport suspension. It’s a good look, reminiscent of the more powerful 3.2 VR6 model.

The TT waits for me fueled up, and we head north toward a ferry ride to southern Sweden, with the car’s current keeper as roadtrip companion. Some cheeky black tape now completes the Lüneburg license plate as “VOLLGAS”,

Full Throttle

. Its Autobahn ramp acceleration is rewarding: You hear the 20-valve turbo unit working, and it pins you to the seat. But later on, other characteristics of the engine come to light: Once in Sweden, we face hills for the first time, and the car does quick work of overtaking trucks without downshifting from sixth. The 1.8T is in great form in this car, and frugal at a 30-mpg average.

On the road, the cabin of the high-sided, deep-seated, narrow-windowed TT gives you a glimpse of how unique it was when it made production. So many have been sold that it temporarily became commonplace, and for a while they were cheap as chips. At 20 years old, the car’s due for a resurrection, and it’s sure to become a classic when the time is right. The main ingredients are durable enough to keep them alive: Replace sensors, hoses, connectors and consumables, and what problems there are should be tackle-able. Rust will appear at some point, but as an

Audi

product, the TT resists it remarkably well.

The roads only really ice up by Finland, after the morning ferry has spat us out in darkness in the city of Turku. It’s soon apparent the all-season tires no longer cut it, and the Nokians that await us at our destination are a wise swap. The 16-inch OEM wheels still look right, a taller tire profile adds comfort, and the studs ensure reliable stopping. The TT drives surefooted, but with ESP off you can kick the tail out on an icy parking lot.

After the drive north, two ferry rides and all, I’m looking forward to different seasons with the TT. In time, it will gain Finnish plates. Just in time for quattro season. And just in time for the TT’s third decade.

Related Video:

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