Audi TT Roadster - 2008 Preview: Hollywood stars Molly Simms (Las Vegas) and James Denton (Desperate Housewives) sat in the 2008 Audi TT Roadster as the redesigned sports car was unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show, two beautiful people pretending to take a cruise down the Pacific Coast Highway in a new two-seat convertible. Audi didn't need the extra star power, however, because the new TT is a good-looking piece of work in its own right.
What's under the hood
The Audi TT Roadster is available with a turbocharged, 2.0-liter, direct-injection four-cylinder making about 200 horsepower or a 250-horse 3.2-liter V6 engine. The turbo four drives the front wheels and features a broad torque band, while the V6 is equipped with Audi's Quattro all-wheel-drive system. Either version can be equipped with Audi's Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) transmission, now called S-tronic. So equipped, the 2.0 gets to 60 mph in less than 6.5 seconds and the 3.2 rockets to the same velocity in about 5.8 seconds. Also notable is an optional magnetically-charged adaptive suspension system.
What it looks like
Though it's lost some of the original's character to modern crash regulations and fuel economy needs, the longer and wider new TT Roadster has gained the distinctive new face of Audi and an aggressive edge that it previously lacked. With the cloth top down, it creates its own tonneau for a finished look, and at speeds above 75 mph a spoiler deploys from the trailing edge of the trunk. When equipped with the power top, the TT turns into a rolling tanning bed in 12 seconds as long as the car is traveling less than 30 mph.
Audi's
eighth Le Mans triumph in just ten races! This
puts
Audi in third place – just one
victory short of Ferrari
– on the perpetual list of
winners of the endurance classic
which has been staged since 1923
.
Audi
accidents prevent outright win in Salt Lake City
-Both Audi R10 TDI cars involved
in collisions just before the end
-Lucas Luhr/Marco Werner
win LM P1 class -Frank Biela/Emanuele
Pirro third in class despite premature
exit within the race.
1-2
fininsh at Long Beach for Audi -First
victory of the Audi
R10 TDI at Long Beach
-Second consecutive
victory of Audi TDI power on street
circuit
-Lucas Luhr/Marco Werner
extend championship lead
Villeneuve
handed Le Mans chance
The Canadian,
35, will drive the new diesel car the French company hopes will end
Audi's domination of the race.
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