The TT Coupe design study was first shown in Frankfurt in 1995, and it attracted a lot of attention, and many thought it would never see the light of day. But the first production cars rolled off the production line in July 1999, and they were very similar to the concept. 

The first TTs came to the UK in November 1999, and the 2nd generation was introduced in 2006 and now the 3rd generation is about to go on-sale. 

There were 50,000 1st generations sold in the UK and over 60,000 of the 2nd: it has been a huge success for Audi. The UK is the largest market in the world for the TT, beating Germany and the US.

Scotland in late October proved not to be the best place to test a new sports coupe though. The weather was wild and wet and ironically England and Wales were enjoying a mini-heatwave at the time.

Just glancing at the new TT, you would be forgiven for not spotting the difference between the old and new model. On the face of it, it does look very similar. The biggest give-away, and the easiest thing to tell the two apart is the front - the “four-rings” have been moved from the grille to the bonnet. This is an evolution and not a revolution, more a natural progression.

It is though an all-new car, it is lighter by up to 50kg, has a longer wheelbase, more interior space, larger boot capacity, improved engine performance, economy and reduced emissions. More aluminium has been used and there is a long list of technical advancements. It is a new car, but why change the design too much when you were already on to a winning formula?

We drove the TT from the outskirts of Glasgow, past Loch Lomond and headed in a northerly direction, through flooded roads, over collapsed roads and driving around landslips, so thank you Mr Quattro for designing your 4WD system, very useful in Scotland.

The new TT is available to order now, but first UK deliveries are not due until January 2015. It is being launched with a choice of two engines: a 2.0 litre TFSI 230ps with either a manual or an S Tronic gearbox and a 2.0 litre TDI Ultra 184ps diesel. The trim levels are either Sport or S line s. 

The Quattro is only available with the S Tronic transmission and only on the petrol version. The CO2 figure is as low as 110g/km on the TDI with a combined fuel consumption figure of 67.3mpg. Prices start from £29,860 OTR and go up to £35,335 OTR. A 310ps TTS version will be introduced around March next year.

The interior has changed dramatically with very little left from the current car. The heater controls are now on the round air-vents, which did seem odd when you first get in the car, but you soon get used to where they have been repositioned. These integrated controls are certainly a first for Audi, and no doubt will be in other Audi models very soon. 

Another new feature is the Virtual Cockpit with a 12.3’’ high resolution LCD display right in front of the driver where the instrument cluster normally is. All information is displayed and customised by the driver including in-car entertainment, sat-nav, car controls, phone etc, and it is a fully digital instrument cluster. 

Now this is fantastic and futuristic technology that works incredibly well. It is so easy to use, like second nature. But the downside is that because the sat-nav screen is directly in front of the driver, it is virtually impossible for the passenger to see it, which can have its disadvantages, especially if you are somewhere strange and that extra pair of eyes helping to navigate is now not possible.

We drove up to “Rest and Be Thankful Road” (honestly that is what it is called) which is an old section of an off-road rally stage, and quite scary at the best of times. But when the sides look like they are about to crumble at any moment you start to think it wouldn’t be a good idea to have a quick run up it to put the TT through its paces. A nice gentle run up the Glen was the best thing to do under the circumstances. Pity, but safety first.

Out on the normal roads the TT drives so well, feels so solid and safe, Audi have turned a brilliant car into an even better one. There are no criticisms of it at all, it is almost perfect. It is quick and extremely quiet and the build quality is first class throughout. The Quattro system came into its own and definitely got us out of some potential difficulties.

The weather in Scotland wasn’t much fun, but the TT certainly was.

Martin Ward, Manufacturer Relationship Manager

UK Press Launch, Glasgow