Take A Look Back At Audi TT Concepts Through The Years

Actually, there have been two TT-based shooting brake concepts from Audi over the years. This is the first, which debuted at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show where it served a dual purpose. The obvious mission was to explore a slightly more practical TT hatchback, though that role was already covered by the Audi A3. The other mission was to preview the new look for the second-generation TT in a wrapping that would garner a bit more attention.

This speedster-inspired concept rode the coattails of momentum following the second-generation TT’s launch. It was revealed at the 2007 Wörthersee tuner show in Austria and was billed as a hardcore variant of the TT Roadster. As such, the concept had no roof, no A-pillars, and just a short windshield with no rear-view mirror. Under the hood was a 300-horsepower (224-kilowatt) version of the 2.0-liter TFSI mill, connected to a dual-clutch transmission.

Audi’s second look at a more practical TT came at the 2014 North American International Auto Show with the unveiling of the Allroad Shooting Brake concept. The name didn’t say TT but it was based on the coupe and explored a practical, all-terrain setup. If that seems counterproductive to what the TT is all about, you’re not wrong. It did, however, have some impressive performance chops thanks to a hybrid powertrain using two electric motors and the standard 2.0-liter engine. And just like the 2005 Shooting Brake concept, this one also served to give a preview of the new production TT slated to launch that year.

Following the Allroad Shooting Brake’s debut in Detroit was this Offroad concept at the 2014 Beijing Motor Show. It was basically the Shooting Brake with a longer wheelbase and two more doors, and the changes made it nearly as big as an Audi Q5. Underneath was the same hybrid powertrain with dual electric motors and the turbocharged 2.0-liter four cylinder from the Allroad concept, which endowed the large TT with some lively straight-line performance. Audi seemed very interested in expanding the TT lineup towards the crossover realm for its third-generation, but with other models already filling the void, these larger concepts didn’t go anywhere.

2014 was a busy year for TT concepts. Following the all-terrain case studies with the Allroad Shooting Brake and Offroad concepts earlier in the year, Audi went to the Paris Motor Show with something better matched for the TT’s fun-to-drive mission. The TT Sportback used the MQB platform from the Audi A3, but measured nearly a foot longer and a touch wider than the standard TT. The extra doors and rear hatch certainly added interior space, and the concept tore at the asphalt with a 2.0-liter TFSI mill boosted to 400 horsepower (298 kilowatts). For folks wanting a slightly larger, more practical TT, this could've been a serious contender.

This TT concept turned the fun-loving coupe into a bona-fide track terror. First unveiled at Wörthersee in 2015, the high-performance concept unveiled an electric biturbo arrangement for the RS-spec 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine. Power output was 600 horsepower (441 kilowatts), sent to all four wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox. Despite the larger engine and add-on body work, the car weighed in at just 3,077 pounds (1,396 kilograms) and could blitz to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.6 seconds.

Audi unveiled quite a few TT concepts at Austria’s Wörthersee show through the years, including the Ultra Quattro concept in 2013. In this instance, ultra can be attributed to the extensive weight reduction Audi performed on the otherwise 3,600-pound (1,633-kilogram) coupe. By changing everything from body panels to engine components and even nuts and bolts, Audi dropped the TT to just 2,450 lbs. (1,111 kg) while also increasing engine output to 306 horsepower (228 kilowatts).

The third-generation Audi TT debuted at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, but so did this TT concept and some might say it stole a significant amount of attention from the production car. The Quattro Sport brandished a highly tuned version of the familiar boosted 2.0-liter four-pot, generating no less than 414 horsepower (309 kilowatts) that naturally went to all four wheels. At the time Audi said it was the embodiment of the car’s potential “in its purest form.” Nevertheless, when the current TT RS debuted a couple years later it carried not this high-strung four-cylinder, but the inline five.