Now that you can’t just waltz into any Audi dealer and plunk down hard-earned cash for a new TT, older models like today’s Nice Price or No Dice 3.2-liter S-Line edition are the only way to go. Let’s find out whether we want to go there at this one’s price.
Something that has gnawed at me for some time is why we call massive spinning storms in the Atlantic Ocean “Hurricanes” while we refer to the same phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean as “Cyclones.” Nobody seems able to offer a logical explanation for this disparity, and I’ve posed the question to many a Starbucks barista and the weird guy in a mask who takes pictures of license plates outside my Trader Joe’s.
What we do know is that the 1971 Mercury Cyclone Spoiler that passed our way last Friday couldn’t seem to whip up much interest. That was owed to it having the lower-spec 351 CID engine rather than the rarer and more meaty 429 V8. According to your comments and the massive 95% “No Dice” loss the Merc suffered, that smaller engine demanded a smaller asking price than the $65,000 requested in the ad.
An Autobahn burner
Last Friday’s Cyclone was an obscure collector car that few might appreciate or, perhaps, even recognize. In contrast, the 2004 Audi TT 3.2 we’re going to discuss today might be considered a future classic owing to its form-over-function design and desirable drivetrain. Also in its favor are a low (115,000) odometer reading and, based on the pictures, a very nice overall presentation.
First shown as a Bauhaus-inspired concept car echoing design cues of Auto Union racers of the 1930s, the TT then arrived as a production model for the 1999 model year. While it received praise for its unique styling and industrial, borderline steampunk interior trim, the car gained unwanted notoriety for its unclean aerodynamics, which caused instability at speed. Audi offered a quick fix in the form of suspension tweaks and a sizable ducktail rear spoiler to keep the car from getting uncontrollably squirrelly at autobahn speeds. This car, as you will note from the pictures, has that spoiler sticking up like an unwanted, but very necessary cowlick.
The right motor and the right transmission?
Under all that avant-garde style lies not an Audi platform with its iconic longitudinal, hanging-out-in-the-breeze engine, but one adopted from Audi’s parent, Volkswagen, and shared with the cult-status Golf R32. That means the AWD system, while denoted as Quattro like other Audis, is actually VW’s Haldex-based Synchro system, designed for a transverse engine and transmission layout. I say tomato, you say tomato.
The transverse engine, as the TT’s appended name implies, offers 3.2 liters of displacement. That fills six narrow-angle cylinders, capped with a communal four-valve-per-cylinder head, and churns out a solid 247 horsepower. According to the seller, that’s mated to a six-speed ‘Tiptronic’ Transmission; however, to my understanding, the gearbox should be the more desirable and effective dual-clutch DSG. The TT 3.2 and Golf R32 were, after all, the first cars in the Volkswagen family to offer the DSG. Regardless of that discrepancy, the ad claims the car has been well maintained and doesn’t call out any drivetrain issues.
No monkey business
In fact, this TT appears to have been well cared for overall. The black paint shows no obvious flaws, and the headlamp covers are perfectly clear, their yellowing being one of the first-generation TT’s foibles. Underpinning the car is a set of factory six-spoke alloy wheels that appear to be in excellent condition and are fitted with Pirelli tires with plenty of meat left on the bone.
This TT has been outfitted with the S-line trim, so it’s a bit more fancy pants than a base car. Helping with that impression, the cabin is upholstered in leather on the seating surfaces, steering wheel, and shift knob. Everything else is either decent-quality plastic or brushed metal trim, and, being such a small car, everything is within arm’s reach. Befitting the car’s age, the leather now maintains a shiny patina, but happily isn’t overly worn or abraded through. The rear seats still appear to retain their original, far less shiny appearance, which fits, since the space is truly too cramped for anyone to actually occupy.
Everything appears stock and in good shape, save for the digital display between the tach and speedo. In typical Audi fashion, it has given up its pixels over time. This is such a common problem on Audis of this era that owners brought a class action suit against the company to have the clusters replaced at no cost. Apparently, this TT didn’t get in on that action. It’s not a lost cause, however, as there are businesses that will, for a nominal fee, replace the screen with a new, better version.
A solid deal?
Other incentives towards this TT’s purchase include a clean title, a recent passing grade from the smog tester, and all the original glovebox paraphernalia. According to the present owner, this TT is “Fast and handles extremely well.” They also claim it to be “A lot of car for the money.” We’ll just see about that.
The asking price for this well-equipped and seemingly also well-cared-for TT 3.2 is $6,900. Prospective buyers of the TT might be cross-shopping its contemporaries like Porsche’s Boxster or Nissan’s 350Z. It’s safe to say that neither of those cars in this price range will be in as nice of shape as this TT. And first-generation Golf R32s? Get outta town.
What’s your take on this TT and that $6,900 asking price? Does that feel fair given the car’s specs and presentation? Or does that price ensure this TT is DOA?
You decide!
San Francisco Bay Area, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
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