R50/53 i've gone from a MINI to an AUDI TT, some one week comparisons
Originally Posted by OmToast
No, Kenchan... you seriously had me going there -- pondering what a TT wagon might look like and who on earth would want one.
I feel much better now -- like a sense of peace.
I feel much better now -- like a sense of peace.
hehehe
pug poo picker-upper
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 9,803
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From: California
The thread has been moved back to MINI talk. FWIW, it helps to PM a moderator or report a post if you'd like to get our attention rather than just posting MODERATORS DO SOMETHING into a thread.
Back to topic:
Back to topic:
Last edited by dave; Mar 2, 2006 at 07:52 AM.
Yeah but...
Originally Posted by ogrady
Bummer that thread moved. I was looking forward to seeing what hyperventelating looked like in writing on the next post.
Matt
Concept is from the Tokyo Auto Show....
If built, there will still be the coupe and cabrio....
But I gotta say, all the text is pretty pretentious!
Go here for the full story.... But here's some of Audi's text.....
"
Compact and powerfully athletic
Audi Shooting Brake Concept
Audi is unveiling a new highlight in the sporty compact segment at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show: the Shooting Brake Concept is a study vehicle offering a further trailblazing interpretation of Audi’s current formal idiom, blending the powerful dynamism of a sports car with a new sense of spaciousness and greater functionality. With its powerful 250 bhp, 3.2-litre six-cylinder engine and quattro permanent four-wheel drive, the Shooting Brake Concept produces a quality of road behaviour that in every respect lives up to its visual impact. The study vehicle sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in just six seconds, and its top speed is electronically governed at 250 km/h.
Its front end is characterised by the striking single-frame radiator grille with dominant horizontal slats in chrome. The tapered shape at the front – further accentuated by prominent air inlets at the sides – and the dynamic cut of the clear-glass headlights give the face its decidedly forceful character. A presence that echoes the characteristic front-end design of the current A4 racing models in the DTM and the visionary Audi RSQ study.
One new element in the portfolio of design features is the upward swoop behind the rear side window. This, together with the wide C-post, accentuates the prominent rear end. This is where the visual emphasis of the Shooting Brake Concept, painted in Bionic White, pearl effect, is to be found: the flat trapezoid of the rear window and the pronounced arching, convex shape of the panel forming the luggage compartment lid are the opposite extreme to the flat nose end. They give the vehicle a crouched appearance, as if ready to leap.
As is typical of every Audi study car, in addition to its design qualities the Shooting Brake Concept features a raft of technical innovations for Tokyo. These include the adaptive damping system Audi magnetic ride, an evolutionary version of navigation system plus with touch screen monitor and character recognition, and the new LED headlight technology."
Lots of nice photos there!
And to keep Mini in the post, seems like there are more hot-hatches then ever, like our Mini!
Matt
But I gotta say, all the text is pretty pretentious!
Go here for the full story.... But here's some of Audi's text.....
"
Compact and powerfully athletic
Audi Shooting Brake Concept
Audi is unveiling a new highlight in the sporty compact segment at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show: the Shooting Brake Concept is a study vehicle offering a further trailblazing interpretation of Audi’s current formal idiom, blending the powerful dynamism of a sports car with a new sense of spaciousness and greater functionality. With its powerful 250 bhp, 3.2-litre six-cylinder engine and quattro permanent four-wheel drive, the Shooting Brake Concept produces a quality of road behaviour that in every respect lives up to its visual impact. The study vehicle sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in just six seconds, and its top speed is electronically governed at 250 km/h.
Its front end is characterised by the striking single-frame radiator grille with dominant horizontal slats in chrome. The tapered shape at the front – further accentuated by prominent air inlets at the sides – and the dynamic cut of the clear-glass headlights give the face its decidedly forceful character. A presence that echoes the characteristic front-end design of the current A4 racing models in the DTM and the visionary Audi RSQ study.
One new element in the portfolio of design features is the upward swoop behind the rear side window. This, together with the wide C-post, accentuates the prominent rear end. This is where the visual emphasis of the Shooting Brake Concept, painted in Bionic White, pearl effect, is to be found: the flat trapezoid of the rear window and the pronounced arching, convex shape of the panel forming the luggage compartment lid are the opposite extreme to the flat nose end. They give the vehicle a crouched appearance, as if ready to leap.
As is typical of every Audi study car, in addition to its design qualities the Shooting Brake Concept features a raft of technical innovations for Tokyo. These include the adaptive damping system Audi magnetic ride, an evolutionary version of navigation system plus with touch screen monitor and character recognition, and the new LED headlight technology."
Lots of nice photos there!
And to keep Mini in the post, seems like there are more hot-hatches then ever, like our Mini!
Matt
My little dose of LITHIUM
iTrader: (1)
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,435
Likes: 2
From: Albuquerque New Mexico
Well, here's my take on my wife's TT Roadster:
+ It's cool--dark blue metallic, unique shape, retro-modern, well built
- incredibly heavy and feels it
+ engine (1.8L turbo) has pep, revs easily above 3k, and really gets going once the turbo kicks in, but doesn't last long
- no low end power like the MINI (that's a turbo v. a supercharger for you!)
- sloppy suspension and steering, with no *feel* compared to the MINI, which is taut and connected
- shifter is vague at best (especially compared to my Alta SS)
~ Brakes are OK, (huge due to the vehicle weight) but nothing outstanding
+ did I say it's really cool, especially on sunny days?
phil
+ It's cool--dark blue metallic, unique shape, retro-modern, well built
- incredibly heavy and feels it
+ engine (1.8L turbo) has pep, revs easily above 3k, and really gets going once the turbo kicks in, but doesn't last long
- no low end power like the MINI (that's a turbo v. a supercharger for you!)
- sloppy suspension and steering, with no *feel* compared to the MINI, which is taut and connected
- shifter is vague at best (especially compared to my Alta SS)
~ Brakes are OK, (huge due to the vehicle weight) but nothing outstanding
+ did I say it's really cool, especially on sunny days?
phil
I'm with flav - it's an interesting topic. I've had five Audis, including an original quattro.
I looked a buying a tt, but really hated the low roofline - felt like laying down in a bathtub and looking out over the sides, or driving a tank with the top hatch closed. The TT is also a much better built car, but heavier-feeling, and in the end, the fun-factor with the Mini won me over.
I looked a buying a tt, but really hated the low roofline - felt like laying down in a bathtub and looking out over the sides, or driving a tank with the top hatch closed. The TT is also a much better built car, but heavier-feeling, and in the end, the fun-factor with the Mini won me over.
6th Gear
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,802
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From: SF Bay Area
Originally Posted by Dr Obnxs
TT Wagon!
I think the weight issues I mentioned before were mostly about the bigger engine/quattro version, when heard it really underperformed/felt heavy. I can't be sure though, by now its cumulative knowledge from people's firsthand TT ownership/driving plus 5th Gear reviews, etc
It is a very pretty car tho, and I really do hope they don't mess it up in the next version (although some recent spy shots did not look promising, very Lexus-y). I had considered getting a TT early on but with my local Audi dealer service sounding bad via people I know I wasn't gonna risk having issues I'd heard about.Coupla more digi pics of the Shooting Brake Concept fwiw:
6th Gear
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,110
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Originally Posted by kenchan
^^ +1 it does look good. is this the same platform as the latest GTI's? 
is this the same platform as the latest GTI's? MINI is one of the best handling FF cars, but If you drive a TT with 4 wheels drive that is a different league. You can push the car harder than you would ever think you could do with a MINI and it still safe and solid.
I do not agree that MCS has more lowend torque. MINI comes to life at 3K and above, but 1.8T is quick with all of the torque comes at 1800 rpm. You will feel that you can drive the car faster and easier than a MINI, but the 1.8T has a bit flat torque on the top of RPM.
Originally Posted by MyPocketRocket
You can push the car harder than you would ever think you could do with a MINI and it still safe and solid.
comes to cornering tight hairpins. how would you rate tight corners vs
MCS? or even a Evo8 which can do circles around our MCS.
is it preceived quick or actual quick?
1st Gear
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 38
Likes: 0
Buy the MINI
I've went from a TT to a MCS. To be perfectly honest I like the MINI better. The TT was a well built and good quality car, however, if you are a sun worshiper like myself, you tend to feel clostrophobic after a while of driving the TT. The mini (w/ sunroof) is way more appealing in nice weather. I found the TT to be somewhat boring after a while.
6th Gear
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,258
Likes: 3
From: H-town
I owned two TT's and had great overall experiences with them both. The first was one of the first 500 "launch" cars back in May of 1999, silver FWD 180. That first year came with two features that many find desirable: no spoiler and very neutral handling. After a few high speed accidents in Europe, the car was dumbed down by new control arms, different spring and shock rates, and the spoiler added to curb lift. The result was a much less driver oriented car, I dare say that original TT rivalled the MINI for FWD handling. Next, I owned a 2001 225 Quattro Coupe. Much faster, better gearbox than the FWD. Strangely though, looking back the quattro was almost invisible in my dry, warm climate. Handling was actually much better on the original which also weighed around 200 lbs less. Pros for the Audi were neo-classic styling, supurb interior, good build quality, decent gas mileage and performance. Cons were a handful of well documented electrical gremlins (instrument cluster and windor regulators), aging MKIV chassis, hefty. The MINI, for coming out just a couple of years later, has much more modern engineering. Both are niche cars, I too am glad to have owned both. Weirdly to me, the TT was a hot seller its first two years or so, and has been on the decline ever since, I think they only sold a few thousand last year. At the same time the MINI's sales have risen every year. The TT is is desperate need of replacement and yet as a styling icon, it's hard to do and still please owners of the original.
6th Gear
Joined: Mar 2004
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Originally Posted by kenchan
cool! how about understeer? AWD's were really not that great when it
comes to cornering tight hairpins. how would you rate tight corners vs
MCS? or even a Evo8 which can do circles around our MCS.
is it preceived quick or actual quick?
comes to cornering tight hairpins. how would you rate tight corners vs
MCS? or even a Evo8 which can do circles around our MCS.
is it preceived quick or actual quick?
Understeer is always there in AWD, but you can easily control it with your throttle. I did not have much time in TT, but with 1 day of AutoX in a 3.2 quattro TT I have to say that it's as much fun as a MINI.
I would rate stock MCS 9 and 3.2 TT AWD 8.5 in the tight corner, but in a wide corner TT easily get 9.5
Since you mentioned EVO, I just drove EVO9 and 06 STi recently both cars are unbelieveable!!! I may change my signature to Rocket STi soon.
Originally Posted by flav
after driving the TT for a week here is what i noticed comparing it to the MINI. TT feels alot more solid, but its an audi so thats a given. the front cabin space feels about the same as far as room to the MINI. the roofline is abit lower. the back seats of the TT are way smaller than the MINI almost unusable. but the trunk space is bigger and more usable. the TT has abit more of a blind spot in the rear but not to bad (nothing compared to the blind spots in my previous 350Z.) manual gerabox feels 100% better in the TT. i actually drove my mini a few times after the TT and the 5 speed feels cheap, very quirky and notchy. i have the 1.8T engine in my TT and i actuall like the MINI engine alot better. the TT has alot more torque and it come on at 1.5k (with a noticable turbo lag) but the mini engine was way more free reving. it loved to be reved. i would get it up to 4000-5000 and love it. the TTs power is way to linear so if im at 2500 or 5500 it does not make any difference. kind of boring campared to the mini. and my MCS was even more fun than my cooper. so i would say that the engine in the MINI and MCS are better than the TT. the interior quality in the TT is unmatched. no rattles and the seams between different pieces in the dash are air tight. the accents of brush alluminum are awesome. as far as the ride. the TT has alittle more of a quieter ride. not so harsh. not sure i like that. i always loved the connection with the road and road feedback on the mini. as far as handling there is no contest. the MINI wins hands down 100%. the TT is not bad at all (again better than my 350Z was at cornering) but the MINI rocks it. breaking goes to the TT. it beaks very strong and fast. the rotors in the front wheels are HUGE!!! the MINI felt spongy in comparison. my gas milage has been unbeliveable in the TT. i though i was going to take a hit coming from the cooper. and of course i have but by only a mile or two a gallon. my trip computer tells me im getting 29 MPG in the TT and my mini was at 31.5. in fact the TT gets noticably better gas milage than my old MCS. the reason i got rid of my 350Z was it was rear wheel, to much power (not good in the snow), horrible gas milage 19 average and im certain i would have died with its blind spots. the TT has none of the bad, and improves on all the 350Z's shortcoming. thing is all four 350Z, TT, MCS and mini are all great cars and i feel lucky to have owned all four.
i see. great info.
Rocket STi ?! you're not selling your S4 already, right?!!
Rocket STi ?! you're not selling your S4 already, right?!!
Originally Posted by MyPocketRocket
Understeer is always there in AWD, but you can easily control it with your throttle. I did not have much time in TT, but with 1 day of AutoX in a 3.2 quattro TT I have to say that it's as much fun as a MINI.
I would rate stock MCS 9 and 3.2 TT AWD 8.5 in the tight corner, but in a wide corner TT easily get 9.5
Since you mentioned EVO, I just drove EVO9 and 06 STi recently both cars are unbelieveable!!! I may change my signature to Rocket STi soon.
I would rate stock MCS 9 and 3.2 TT AWD 8.5 in the tight corner, but in a wide corner TT easily get 9.5
Since you mentioned EVO, I just drove EVO9 and 06 STi recently both cars are unbelieveable!!! I may change my signature to Rocket STi soon.
just put in a DSG and im set.
6th Gear
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,110
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Originally Posted by kenchan
i see. great info.
Rocket STi ?! you're not selling your S4 already, right?!!
Rocket STi ?! you're not selling your S4 already, right?!!