2016 Audi TT Video Road Test

How do you follow up an instant classic? The first Audi TT was just that—a styling home run, even if it wasn’t a true sports car.

Since then, Audi’s been pushing the TT into sports-car territory, more focused on speed than looks—more a rival for cars like the SLK, the Z4, even the MINI Cooper.

Does the third-generation TT live up to that sports-car hype?

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Sports cars have to look great. The new TT has taut, athletic lines like a sports car should. It even borrows some details from the R8—these LED lights, the sharper front end.

The cockpit flaunts a new calling card—the Virtual Cockpit layout. The TT’s gauges have been swapped for a reconfigurable screen that shows everything from the tachometer to navigation. It’s a futuristic touch, and can be distracting at first—but it frees up the dash so it’s clean and simple, like a sports car.

The TT’s a small car, but seating isn’t cramped. Leg and headroom are fine in front—but we wouldn’t put adults in the back.

However you define a sports car, performance matters. The TT has it covered. Its turbo four checks in with 220 horsepower—or 292 horsepower in the TTS. Power runs through a dual-clutch gearbox to all four wheels, with a variable torque split front to rear. Audi says the TT hits 60 miles per hour in 5.3 seconds; the TTS does it in 4.6 seconds.