Audi TT buyers guide

On its arrival in 1998, the Audi TT quickly managed to gain a devoted following. And it's not hard to see why.

For one thing, the TT didn't honestly have all that many rivals in the quick, sharp-looking yet affordable two-seater stakes at the time (a quick note on classification: the TT actually billed itself as a 2+2, but only children will feel comfortable back there).

Among those rivals, there was the Alfa Romeo GTV. Sharp to look at and beautiful to drive, the GTV came, like the TT, in both coupé and roadster (or Spider, in Alfa parlance) guises. Five years old by the time the TT came out, it was already an established fixture in the two-seater stakes.

Then you had the first-generation Porsche Boxster (aka Porsche 986), introduced just 18 months before the Audi in late 1996 and offering looks and performance – albeit at a price. Finally, motorists after affordable two-seater fun in either soft- or hard-top form, and not demanding quite the same premium feel, could turn to the perennially fun, reliable Mazda MX-5.

The TT has since been through three generations, each time available as both a 2+2 coupé and roadster, and in a variety of engines from a perfectly capable 1.8-litre four-cylinder, up to a 3.2-litre V6. We're going to take a look at the Mk1 TT here as, with 23 years and counting since its release, classic status is definitely waiting in the wings. When it comes to insuring your Mk1 TT, why not get a quote for classic car insurance?

What's in a name?

Why 'TT', anyway? Well, it turns out that the car gets its name from the Isle of Man's TT (Tourist Trophy) motorbike race, where Audi – or, to be exact, its previous incarnation, NSU – always fared well.

Yes, perhaps best known for their pioneering, rotary-engined Ro80 saloon, a sort of proto-Audi, NSU actually started out with motorbikes. And those TT races were happy hunting grounds for the firm.

The Mk1 TT: an instant success

The TT was based on the chassis of its contemporary VW Golf generation, the MkIV Golf. Other cars to share the platform were the original Audi A3 and the Mk1 Skoda Octavia. Make no mistake, the VW Group has always known how to make their platforms work hard for them.

The coupé form came first, in late 1998, with the soft-top roadster (a genuine two-seater this time – no rear seats at all) following a year later. And the car made instant waves. For one thing, its looks were both unmistakable and attractive, not always an easy balance to strike.

Even from a distance, there was no mistaking a TT in either form with anything else on the road at the time. But even after you'd identified it, you found yourself still gazing admiringly at the bubble-inspired curves and low, prowling stance.

Of course, being a sporty two-seater, it needed not just to look good, but be a lot of fun to drive as well. And here, it seemed, the TT came up with the goods as well. The car handled extremely well – indeed, comparisons were drawn in some quarters to the iconic Audi Quattro from the 1980s.

In light of this, it's perhaps surprising that the TT gained something of a reputation as a 'fashion car' rather than an out-and-out performance vehicle. It might be those looks, which could certainly be described as 'cute'. Be that as it may, the Mk1 TT became a hugely popular car, here in Britain especially.

Which TT is right for you?

If you're looking into a Mk1 TT as your next future classic, your first choice is: roadster or coupé? That will depend on your individual lifestyle needs, and how often you anticipate getting that roof down during better weather.

What we can say is that the roadster form will be rarer (it was produced in slightly smaller numbers), and consequently will be on the market at higher prices. You'll also be paying a little more, both for the car itself and when it comes to your classic car cover premiums, for that electronic hood. But that top-down capability may be a key part of what you want the car for.

After that first bodystyle choice, you then have a range of power outputs and drivetrains. The front-wheel drive TTs come with 150PS or 180PS, while the quattros are available with 180PS, 225PS or that beefy 3.2 V6 250PS.

A note on the TT's quattro system. It's not actually a full-time four-wheel drive setup. Rather, it's mostly front-wheel drive, but deploys an electronically controlled Haldex coupling unit, which sends power to the back wheels when any slip is detected.

Whatever its capabilities, the quattro (perhaps in part given that name's peerless prestige in Audi history) sold better than the front-wheel drive version, so the cars you will see for sale now will mostly be quattros. These also benefit from a six-speed gearbox and, in the case of the V6, a Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) – one of the first appearances for this technology.

What to look for

Bodywork

The first-generation TT is not a car to give you undue worries about corrosion, even if the years have proved it to be not quite as rust-proof as was believed at first.

Being a sports car, a used TT may well have been put through its paces a bit – some were mostly owned for their looks, but others will have been pushed a little harder. In any case, you should keep an eye out for any damage, and ask to see paperwork to show where it has been fixed.

For example, the sill covers around the base of the car can collect a fair amount of debris and gravel, so check that they are in decent condition. If it's looking tired and/or rusty, a replacement should be easy to find and fit. That said, it's becoming harder to find rust-free, undamaged replacements, and prices are correspondingly starting to rise.

Nearby, the TT's substantial wheel arches have inner plastic arches which can be unscrewed. We'd recommend doing so, and taking a good look at what's underneath. There may well be a good deal of damp mud in there – and this can bring on rust faster. If you do invest in a TT, keep this area free of mud and invest in some rust preventative.

Other places where rust can creep in include the lower rear quarter panels and the bootlids by the number plate lights. Another prime rust spot, for the coupé form, is around the roof rails. Any affected areas here should be removed, treated and repainted, to prevent a swift return of the problem.

Engine

The majority of Mk1 TTs you'll find on the used market will have the 1.8-litre engine. This unit came first in 180 and 225bhp states of tune. In fact, performance-wise, you won't notice a huge amount of difference between the two.

You will notice some price difference, though: the 225bhp will be more desirable and will command higher prices. Again, though, the 180bhp version will do you just fine – even a very early version, which will feature a five-speed gearbox, rather than the later six-speed 'boxes.

The 1.8-litre cars will all need their cambelt, tensioner and water pump changed at an interval of every 60,000 miles or six years. This is an expensive job, so make sure that your car's service history shows it having been done at the correct intervals. If you can't find evidence of it being done recently, you should get this done as soon as possible (after negotiating a discount from the seller).

TTs can experience alternator failure, but don't worry – this is usually just the regulator, as opposed to the alternator itself. Apparently, this is such a simple fix that replacement regulators were routinely carried by AA breakdown vans!

The 1.8 is a turbocharged engine. These turbos should provide many miles of service, as long as they get their oil changed at the right intervals – typically every 12,000 miles or so.

Elsewhere, make sure that the engine fans are doing their job. The fan control unit can get stuck in the 'off' position, resulting in the car overheating. If you see the traction-control light stuck on permanently, this is usually down to a failure of the Mass Air Flow (MAF) sensor.

The TT's engines are robust, and should do 200,000 miles or more.

Suspension

The Mk1 TT is somewhat prone to snapped suspension springs. Some cars will have been modified, with cheap replacement springs. Beware of this, as it will have a significant negative impact on the car's ride and handling. And the TT is definitely a car you want to enjoy driving.

That said, some aftermarket suspension can actually enhance the ride and handling. A thorough test drive, plus a look at whatever paperwork your seller can provide, should tell you whether your car's suspension has improved or deteriorated.

The TT's drop links and anti-roll bar bushes can fail – but they are easy and relatively inexpensive to fix. Cars are often retrofitted with thicker anti-roll bars from a Mk4 R32 Golf – this suits them well.

If you are thinking of modifying your TT in any way, remember to check with your classic car insurance provider first, to make sure you’re still covered for any changes.

Electrics

The first-generation TT is, alas, susceptible to a few electrical issues. The instrument cluster was very prone to failure – so much so that Audi eventually replaced all faulty instrument clusters on TTs with complete service histories. Check that this has been done on any used TT you're inspecting.

Problems can still persist – including missing pixels from the digital displays, fuel and temperature gauges that misread and even, eventually, total failure of the whole dashboard system. However, these can all be fixed at a fairly reasonable price.

TT roadsters, meanwhile, can allow water through damaged seals into the Body Control Module. The latter commands the windows, central locking and fuel cap release. If you find these aren't working, it'll probably just be a case of letting the car dry out thoroughly.

Hood

If it's a roadster you're looking at, make sure that the electronic hood deploys smoothly – and that there are no leaks around its perimeter.

How to be sure of this, though? Well, your TT should be completely dry on the inside. The rear of the hood, however, isn't made to be 100% watertight. Instead, a plastic channel between the hood and boot runs off the water into drains behind the B-pillars. With age, this drip channel can detach itself from the rear of the car. Fixing this is a little fiddly, but not difficult.

The hood can sometimes stop working halfway up or down its trajectory. This will probably mean that you need more fluid in the hydraulic pump, which is found behind the seats. Central Hydraulic Fluid, available from Halfords and elsewhere, is the stuff to go for.

Join a club

If you are already, or are considering becoming, a TT owner we definitely recommend joining an owners' club.

We're huge fans of owners' clubs here at Lancaster Insurance, as they bring such a great range of benefits. As well as tapping into a huge and friendly network of expertise and advice about your vehicle, you may also be able to secure yourself a club discount on your classic Audi insurance.

We'd definitely recommend membership of the TT Owners Club, which proudly bills itself as one of the largest single-model owners' clubs in the world. Elsewhere, the TT Forum is a vast resource of expertise.

Insure your modern classic with Lancaster

It might surprise you to know that a car as relatively recent as the Mk1 Audi TT could qualify for classic car insurance.

Here at Lancaster we like to define a classic by the way it's looked after, as much as by its age. If your car is lovingly maintained and driven sparingly, we will be pleased to provide classic car cover for you.

Contact us to find out more.