Third time's a charm: Audi's latest TTS is spot on

[MUSIC] A few years ago Audi started the want an R8 hashtag campaign. Simply Tweet to the company and if you were lucky a R8 showed up at your door for a one day lone. Many Tweeted, Few were selected and for those folks I give you this. The 2016 Audi TT S. [MUSIC] [NOISE] Now in it's third generation the CT definitely has taken on a more masculine and aggressive look. In fact, it looks a little bit like R8. I've got the same wide, low hood that tucks in really nicely to the single frame grill and that's flanked by two intakes that bolster the turbo charge. Just like the R8, I've got full LED headlights that rake up really sharply. And I've got a nice sloping roof towards the back. In fact, the only thing that's not to like about the exterior of this car is the color. Now, Audi calls it nano gray metallic but I don't really see anything metallic in it. I would probably call it flat gray [INAUDIBLE], Audi's made the interior of the TTS a minimalist's dream, and they've done that by incorporating the climate controls directly onto the vents themselves. Now that leaves my center console free for just these very few buttons, but obviously I'm missing a few options because I've got two blank buttons... And for a company that's really renowned for making very precise design choices, this stands out. There isn't a lot of storage in the cockpit of the TTS. I've got a little cubby behind my gearshift and a hidden cupholder in my armrest but really, you're gonna be traveling light. And you'll be traveling light on passengers, too. Audi says that this is a two plus two but really I don't think they'd fit any full For humans lately. The only thing you're going to be putting in the backseat is kids and cargo. Probably the coolest thing in the interior is the Audi's virtual cockpit and it's... And it's so cool that it won the SHIFT Award this year for the best interior tech. Now, I've got a 12.3 inch navigational and infotainment screen, and that's right here in my gauge cluster, so I never really have to take my eyes off the road to access my information. I can switch between views. I can have a full map. I can have a partial map. I can have a large tachometer. It's really really nifty, and I can also access Google Maps, but unfortunately I need a special SIM card, and it didn't come with this test model, so I can't show you how cool it is. But, trust me, it's awesome. And, while the design interface is really cool, unfortunately, the whole system seems to be, just not as intuitive as I would like. I found myself going to sub-menus, kind of, stumbling upon them, rather than going to them with any kind of a purpose Everything's operated here on the center console and I've got a few stand alone buttons for the most common commands. Now, when you're inputting your destination, you really should do it by voice. The only other option is to write it here on the MMI pad. And it's pretty accurate, but it's gonna take a long time. [SOUND] The TTS has got four different drive modes and that controls five different driving Characteristic. So if you're a bit of a control freak, just go ahead and put it in individual. It's gonna allow you to control the engine, and transmission, the steering, the level of Audi [UNKNOWN], the suspension as well as the exhaust nodes. But keep in mind, when they say dynamic, they mean dynamic. Especially when it comes Most of the suspension. In dynamic mode it is so harsh over any kind of public road, it's just not worth it. I found myself putting the car in comfort most of the time and this is coming from someone that likes to feel every single bump in the road. Yet in city driving and commuting, the car does pretty good at shifting on it's own. You're pretty fast off the line, it's very easy to merge onto the highway. But, when you get into the twisties, really need to put it into manual mode. Otherwise it just up shifts too quickly and down shifts too late to really satisfy my driving need to just dig into these corners. So I found myself putting it in manual mode Going right into the corners, flipping it into second, and powering right out of a turn. And I'm please to report that the notorious Audi steering has gotten better at least in terms of weight and ratio. It's got a nice heft to it in dynamic mode. You can only put it in comfort mode if you want something lighter, and it's really quick to your input. Fortunately what's happening on the road doesn't really translate up into the steering wheel and into your hands. I mean really have no idea what level of grip my summer tires are at. [SOUND] And it's no slouch in the [UNKNOWN] performance either. Audi They claimed that this car can go from 0 to 16 4 point 6 seconds. And that's the same as an R8 fighter V8 with a manual. So, you know, then go. But, it's much cheaper than an R8. You're gonna need about 51,900 dollars to buy this car, but if you want this one with the navigation... With the Napa leather and the awesome Bang & Olufsen stereo system, you're going to be looking at $58,500. Just make sure you get it in red. It's tough to say what competes directly with the Audi TTS I mean, how many two plus two, or even two seat all-wheel coupes that aren't already in the Audi stable. Sure you could substitute the all-wheel drive for a mid-engine layout, and look at the Porsche Cayman. Or if you like a drop top, maybe you should look at the BMW Z4. [MUSIC] [SOUND] [BLANK_AUDIO]