GET your cheque book, or should that be your bank app, you are going to want to buy one of these.
That said, there is a tear in my eye to read the full name of Audi’s immense TTS – Final Edition.
Yes, we are all doomed to eventually drive banal electric vehicles, devoid of spirit, personality and character.
In reality, I’m not sure that will ever happen in my lifetime because this country will never be able to afford the infrastructure, nor the average motorist the inflated price of an electric car. Also, have you noticed how F1 is now using bio-fuels? Hmmm, I wonder…
But, the name on the tin says Final Edition so you’d better head off to the showrooms now to buy the latest incarnation of this delightful roadster.
That’s the other thing about the price of EVs; they have now made all petrol engine cars seem like an absolute bargain.
So the price ticket of £51,425 today buys you a middle of the road EV, with all its frustrations of charging and range anxiety. Yet that same figure gets you this thoroughly collectable, keep-forever sports car.
It’s ridiculous when you think about it. For just over 50K you get a gorgeous open top motor which attracts the admiration of every 15-year-old, if my boy and his mates are anything to go by – ‘wow it’s so cool’, they say in awe.
It is sleek, squat, wide and low-slung. It looks like it could suck the Tarmac off the road and thanks to legendary Quattro four wheel drive it has a good go at doing just that.
It needs all that handling prowess too as the 2.0 four cylinder motor packs an intercooler and a turbo and, hence, 320PS. It sounds fruity out of the four rear exhausts, especially in sports mode, and acceleration gives you a facelift every time. Bye bye crow’s feet if you approach the 4.5 seconds to 60mph sprint time. It’s a fabulous drive.
Equally swift is the powered hood which takes around five seconds to drop and rise again from the very neat housing. Mind you, this is just the ticket as we navigate one of the wettest Februarys on record. Hood down it is pure joy, not too cold and, surprisingly, not too draughty thanks to a screen that rises electrically behind the seats at the push of a button.
The interior is proper sports car, minimal, with the fascia dominated by the airvents. There is no central touchscreen and all that information is in the centre of the virtual clocks, including the satnav. It’s all very neat and easy to use.
Also staggeringly impressive is the boot. Generally roadsters aren’t blessed with much luggage storage but the TTS is spoilt for space. One weekend, when we are lake water testing as citizen scientists, it even swallows the bucket on a pole I use to take samples. If you go touring there is more than enough room to take excess baggage without compromising on your smalls.
Sophisticated suspension gives the TTS a beautiful ride so you will be able to drive long distances without fatigue. There is a bit more noise as it’s a soft-top but it is never too intrusive, even on the M6 in the rain.
The Final Edition is the culmination of a brand that has brought so much driving joy to so many people for decades. I want one. Now where did I leave my cheque book?
Fact File
Audi TTS Final Edition
Engine: 2.0 litre intercooled turbo charged
Power: 320PS
0-62mph: 4.8secs
Top speed: 155mph
Combined MPG: 32.8
Transmission: seven-speed S tronic
CO2 g/km: 194
Price: £51,425
