The 1990s and 2000s were great decades for Audi styling in general, highlighted perhaps by the cute little TT, which has (in my opinion) some of the most handsome styling of any readily attainable 21st-century car. I recall when these came out, and I couldn’t help thinking that, in appearance anyway, this was a modern version of the Porsche 356 coupes that I loved so much (still do). Of course, the two cars have little in common aside from distinctive designs that could be mistaken for little else, and this 2000 TT Quattro not only has reasonably low mileage (75,100), but it also has a fairly low price ($8,995). Barn Finder Curvette spotted in on craigslist in Milwaukie, Oregon.
Unfortunately, the selling dealer has included no engine pictures, but all 2000 models had the Volkswagen group’s 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, which produced a healthy 180 horsepower and was only available with a five-speed manual transmission. The Quattro all-wheel-drive system on this car was an option, but the 225-horsepower version of the 1.8 wouldn’t show up until 2001. I was lucky enough to test drive a silver TT coupe with the 225-horsepower engine, and it was as fun as you’d imagine.
One thing I remember is that the interior was somewhat claustrophobic for my six-foot height, but it’s also possible that I didn’t have the seat adjusted quite correctly. The back seats are clearly not meant for full-sized passengers, but when they are folded down, the TT’s hatchback architecture makes for a roomy, fun car for two.
The 180-horsepower version is brisk if not fast: Car and Driver clocked one to sixty in 6.9 seconds, on its way to a quarter-mile time of 15.6 seconds at 90 miles per hour. Notice the little spoiler on the trunk lid. Earlier models were apparently unstable at higher speeds, and there were several Autobahn wrecks involving the TT. As a result, Audi added the spoiler and installed a 130 mile-per-hour speed limiter. It doesn’t detract much from the car’s spectacular looks, and it’s always best to keep the car (and its driver) in one piece.
This example has air conditioning and power everything, and the selling dealer doesn’t mention anything about those items not working. The wheels appear to be an aftermarket set of alloys, but they don’t distract from the TT’s famous lines, so I’d say that’s OK. There’s always a little bit of danger (from what I’ve read) in buying a 26-year-old Audi, but the reasonable asking price might make it worth the risk. After all, it’s a great looking car.
Nice find, Curvette, and write-up, Aaron! I’ve had my 2002 TT ALMS for well over 20 years now (what year is this again?) and it’s been trouble-free. Well, one of the front marker lights burned out, and the driver’s door window actuator stopped working, so the window didn’t open 1/4″ when you opened the door, but otherwise, perfect. Of course, it has just over 25,000 miles, so I don’t drive it too often. It’s such old technology now that, as fun as it is and as much as I love the look and the details, I admit to being spoiled with GPS, a better stereo, steering wheel controls, and all of those things that modern vehicles have and the formerly loaded TT doesn’t have.
The dusty, barn finds-like pic is after pulling it out of storage last summer for its annual oil change and checkup, I don’t even take care of myself that well.
I still remember the Road & Track (I think) controversial cover when they were introduced. ” Show us your TT’s” anyhow I have liked them ever since, silver coupe being my favorite, and I really covet the ALMS interior!
That seems more like a Car and Driver line. Back in the day they tended to be cheekier with more personality, whereas R&T was more no-nonsense and technical, tho’ I don’t know what either of them are like lately.
I’ve always liked these, even though at first glance they looked pretty strange, sort of like a Schuco key-wound toy made full-size.
The convertibles were my favorites, especially the first one I drove, which had the “baseball-glove” stitched seats. Sporty, and different. And, like almost every car offered by the VW Group in those days, an absolute blast to drive.
Nice Audi SG 👍 handy when the snow flies too.
Thanks, Stan! I bought it to use year-round since I could fit all of my photo gear in the back, and it has AWD. Then, after six months of driving it, and the ALMS being a 1 of 500 car (they also made 500 in red with silver leather), I realized that I didn’t want to pack a bunch of snow and salt up underneath it, so I got a 2002 Saturn SL-1 sedan for a winter car. The TT has never seen snow, let alone been driven in it. It’s not a really valuable car, I just like having one jewel box. I’ll put your name on it in my will…
That’s an awesome car, Scotty!
Nice TT> And… that looks like a Rokon, ATC-3 wheeler and maybe a Honda 750 Super Sport in the background.
My dream car when they came out. Classic Bauhaus design cues, corners on rails, goes like stink. Can take a while to sort though, if you buy one without a PPI (which I did). I’ve had my green on gray roadster for over two years, and just looking at it brightens my day. Maintenance history matters!
It’s easy to identify the 225’s, they have dual exhaust. This has a single so it’s a 180
Oh well, I’ll just slink over to my faded, (t)rusty, battle-worn Jeep, and slowly back out of the parking lot,,,oh, it’s okay, Scotty knows this car does absolutely nothing for me. All about application, the Jeep in the back hills works for me. I’m sure a fantastic car and 1 test drive would insure that, it’s just, most of us don’t roar down the Autobahn at breakneck speeds, and I saw 1st hand at a friend’s SILs car repair shop in Kingston, Ny. that specialized in Audi what these were like on a lift. Sure convinced me not to own one. But most don’t see that until it doesn’t work,, but it was incredibly expensive to repair. In fact, he dealt with many “exotics”, and the Audi was the most expensive. Oh, that Jeep water pump? $54 dollars at AZone,,,in stock. Just sayin’,,,how are these in the snow, btw? L.A. freeway? Nice I bet, even though it’s not moving,,
The first non GM car I bought after 30 years at GM was a 2000 Audi TT convertible. It was 5 years old with low mileage. Drove it for 6 years, no problems at all. Easy to work on. Great handling. I miss it now
Wasn’t the TT just a re-skinned VW new Beetle – you don’t see many new Beetles or TTs on the road anymore, probably because they were just another German car that was either over-engineered or made with poor quality parts.
The concept version of the TT was introduced at the North American auto show in Detroit, and I admired its clean and distinctive design. The baseball-glove upholstery could have been done to attract American buyers. A friend has owned one and driven it forever. It would be interesting to talk with an Audi mechanic to find out if they are as hard to work on (and expensive to maintain) as Audi’s sedans. Whatever, these can be bargain sports cars.
Bought my 2004 Quattro new in California. It now has 275K miles and I still drive it anywhere I need to go. The only items it ever needed were normal replacement items like brakes, wipers, and lots of oil and filter changes which is the key to owning one of these cars. Oh, it did need a clutch – at 249K miles, but that was due to slave cylinder seals that finally gave up. Best car I have ever owned. Like any used car purchase: buy ones that have been meticulously maintained and avoid any that have not been.
Brother had one just like this. Many trans problems. Was returned to dealer for refund under California “ Lemon Law”. They couldn’t figure it out after several attempts at repair. He got full refund. Was nice, when it ran.
The repair facility I’m referring to is called “Hurley Motorsports” in Kingston. I don’t mind plugging his business, as it is literally top notch. The owner, ( name escapes me) is my friends SIL, graduated from Audi as a tech, worked at a dealer in NYC, and started his own shop, specializing in Audis, but does all high end sports cars. A LOT of exotics come out of NYC. I asked if he needed a “delivery person”, he said no, all cars are shipped. You could eat lunch off the shop floors, I highly recommend him. We got to be good friends too, and he probably told me more than he should have about Audis “around the campfire”. Don’t get me wrong, fantastic cars, but I never thought they were the caliber of other German cars, BMW, MB, Isetta( cough), kind of like a Ford wasn’t quite a Mercury.
When these were first introduced, I was very excited and couldn’t wait to see one in the flesh. I even had a TT screensaver on my work PC.
When I finally saw one, I was kind of let down by the small size and the perception that it looked like a squished VW Bug. I don’t know what I was thinking, expecting it to be a bigger car. Not big enough for a single car only application.
In the end, I leased an A4 manual wagon with Quattro in ’02. That was a very good car, fun, fast, and held all of my ski gear.
PRA4SNW – I guess you didn’t want a sportscar, but indeed a fun sports sedan that could still haul stuff. I get it, but with roof racks my TT hauls skis and with the rear seats folded, an awful lot of other stuff. Some people are sports car guys, some are not. All good either way.
SMTGUY: I already had a Corvette at that time (I guess I wasn’t a single car only person after all), so owning 2 smallish cars wouldn’t have been the smartest choice.
That TT obsession definitely turned me on to Audis and after the Avant I owned an S4.