Audi Wants to Revive the TT: What Could It Look Like?

The TT may not be dead forever

Launched in 1998, the Audi TT offered its markets a compact, two-door sports coupe with a distinctly-Audi driving experience in a fun-sized package. The TT remained in production for three whole generations, but the model was unfortunately discontinued in 2023 with no replacement in sight. According to Autocar, however, that might be about to change. Apparently, when Autocar asked Audi CEO Gernot Döllner if a new sports car is being considered, he responded by saying, “For sure. That’s part of the brand’s DNA, and we have to find the right way, timing-wise, to integrate it into our portfolio.” So, while Audi restructures its management, it’s unlikely that we’ll see a TT replacement very soon, but it’s something that Audi surely plans to do at some point in the not-so-distant future.

Using generative text-to-image artificial intelligence, we imagine what the next-generation Audi TT replacement could look like, incorporating current Audi styling cues and imagining how it could successfully appeal to its target demographic. These images are for speculation purposes only and in no way depict any actual Volkswagen Auto Group products. 

What did the Audi TT stand for?

Literally speaking, the Audi TT drew inspiration for its name from the notorious Isle of Man TT (Tourist Trophy) motorcycle race, making the sports coupe’s racing-inspired roots loud and clear. What the TT meant for the Audi brand and for buyers, however, was that the automaker could offer a more dedicated sports car in its lineup alongside its more practical, but less sporty, sedans and station wagons. Sharing its underpinnings with the Volkswagen Golf enabled Audi to keep the TT compact and nimble, especially when paired with Quattro all-wheel drive.

The Audi TT attracted younger buyers who wanted a taste of the Audi lifestyle without breaking the bank too much. The TT was always relatively affordable for the type of vehicle it was, competing with the likes of BMW’s Z4 and the Mercedes-Benz SLK. Although the TT’s German rivals benefitted from more traditional, rear-wheel drive platforms, the TT offered competitive handling, superior traction when equipped with all-wheel drive, and exciting powertrains such as a 3.2-liter VR6 from the Volkswagen Golf R32 that could be paired with either manual or automatic transmissions.

In its more recent years, the TT remained true to its original ethos of combining sporty compact frugality with the premium material quality and feel that buyers expect from Audi products. Although the glorious-sounding VR6 was absent in its third generation, Audi continued to deliver on the visceral thrills with its iconic, turbocharged 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine, which traces its roots back to Audi’s legendary Sport Quattro Group B rally car. Despite its sporty appeal, the market for small, luxurious two-door sport coupes began to drastically drop in popularity as buyers preferred alternatives like the Audi S3, which offered similar driving dynamics but superior everyday functionality thanks to its extra doors, seats, and enhanced cargo space. Thankfully, however, Audi still thinks there’s a good enough reason to revive a small sports car within its lineup, so let’s see how it might look.

What could a new Audi TT look like?

If an all-new compact sports coupe from Audi is to take inspiration from previous iterations of the TT, it will likely sit on a shared platform with Audi’s S3, which also shares its underpinnings with Volkswagen’s contemporary Golf. Although a more basic, less-powerful Audi TT is not as realistic as it once was, considering Audi will likely lean heavily into the “sporty” appeal of the potential future model, more sport-oriented models akin to the TTS and the TT-RS are more likely. Under the hood of the TTS, you might find the iconic, turbocharged EA888 2.0-liter inline-four used in the current Audi S3, which pumps out 328 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque and would send its power to all four wheels using a dual-clutch automatic transmission and electronic limited slip differentials. We’re hoping that the TT-RS makes a comeback, as well, packing the contemporary Audi RS3’s 401-horsepower, turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-five.

If the revived Audi TT is to share its platform with the S3, it will likely take on a similar design language as well. Audi has recently began revamping its entire lineup, employing more streamlined styling throughout its model range. The revived TT will likely resemble the Audi S3 in terms of exterior fixtures and in its handling, but its proportions and general styling will rely heavily on distilling the vibrance of the Audi R8 supercar into a smaller, more compact package. We’re hoping that, like TTs of the past, Audi’s all-new compact sports coupe will retain its relatively reasonable price point. Currently, its S3 and RS3 models are priced extremely well, at least in our opinion, compared to its direct rivals, such as the Mercedes-AMG CLA.

Final thoughts

Regardless of what Audi’s upcoming sports coupe looks like and when it will arrive, we’re just glad that automakers still believe in the market value of fun, driver-oriented sports coupes. This type of vehicle is one that many manufacturers have given up on in recent years, instead focusing their efforts on more boring, higher-volume offerings like crossovers and SUVs. However, if we look at Mitsubishi, we can learn about what happens when a manufacturer abandons all of its exciting models entirely, thereby eliminating all the excitement from the brand that helped drive up sales of “regular” vehicles in the first place.

Audi knows that staying true to the brand’s DNA by offering dedicated sports cars not only gives them an opportunity to appeal to a broader range of buyers, it also enhances the image of their brand, thereby helping to sell more of their “regular” models, such as the frugal Q3 and the popular Q5, and we’re looking forward to what’s to come from the brand in coming years.