The Mk1 Audi TT wasn't actually the first of its kind. A keen observer would realize it was actually the latest in a long line of "sporty coupes" based on Volkswagen's People's Car. The TT did, however, land at a time where sporty coupes didn't sell well — so what made this one different? The hint lies right in its badge.
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Panned on the surface by some enthusiasts (and journalists: hello, Jeremy Clarkson) as little more than a pretty shape grafted onto a pedestrian, front-wheel drive Volkswagen Golf, the TT was a runaway success.
Historians, however, might have predicted that. After all, the Volkswagen group had done this several times before — first, perhaps with the Beetle-based Porsche 356. But certainly (and more clearly) with the hand-built VW Karmann-Ghia, which was such a massive success that the next People's Sports Car was baked into the Golf 1's production plans from day one. The Scirocco once again lasted nearly 2 decades, and sold nearly a million units.
And then, the Corrado failed where those two had succeeded. Was this because the market had moved on? Or was it because the idea of a Technologieträger (a technology halo) was the wrong way to go for a Volkswagen-branded, Golf-based sports coupe... but just fine for an Audi.
The TT was, after all, more than just a pretty face: it debuted many new technologies that have become standard fare across the industry: turbocharged engines, clutchpack-based all-wheel drive, and of course, dual-clutch automatic transmissions.
In this AI-free documentary, veteran automotive journalist and YouTube personality Jason Cammisa takes us through the creation and success story of a design icon, the Mk1 Audi TT. From its initial sketches through the controversy surrounding its evil handling — and several unfortunate casualties that may have resulted from it.
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