# 3.2 TT Photos and Review



## scoTTy (May 6, 2002)

Here's some fresh 3.2 pictures that I took. This is a RHD production car in Brilliant Red with Grey interior.

Enjoy the pics. More news soon. Â ;D

Someone on this forum didn't believe this would be the badge! Â :









Boot : Top of pic is the "gunge canister", bottom right is the wheel air pump. Battery bottom left (not enough roon under bonnet plus for weight distribution)









Nice!

































Adjusting exhaust flap - makes it sound very very nice!









The flaps mechanical workings.

































Larger brakes.

















The only internal differences appear to be the paddles and the gear shift.

























It has the same speedo as the 1.8T TT's. It's limited to 155 after all! 









Totally new wipers - they have a rubber spoiler along the length of the blade.

















That's all for now folks (I have to go out). Review coming soon. Â  Â 8) Â ;D


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## Wolverine (Dec 22, 2002)

Thanks scoTTy; great pics. The new wheels are really starting to grow on me ;D


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## V6 TT (Sep 24, 2002)

.......holy sh*t! Â I guess the Milton Keynes thingy wasn't cancelled after all then (you bugger)? Â Great pics by the way and it's nice to see a RHD version.......any more pics? Â are you going to post them on your web page? Â any of the paddles (are they the same as pre-production)? Â Phew, I'm worn out now!  ;D Â gimme gimme gimme.......

I want a full "drivers eye" report and try not to be to hard on it and compare it to your moddified pocket rocket! 

Cheers scoTTy, well done!!!!!!!


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## stevett (Jan 13, 2003)

Yeah, greeat pics, nice to see the 3.2 in reality for a change!
The wipers are the same as those on my golf. I think they are called Aero wipers or something :-/
Look good, and they work


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## kmpowell (May 6, 2002)

> The wipers are the same as those on my golf. I think they are called Aero wipers or something :-/
> Look good, and they work Â


If they are the wipers which have no metal stems, but are 100% flexible, they are the same as whats on the missus's Lupo GTi, and i agree they are superb wipers!!!!.


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## Richard (Apr 25, 2003)

Scotty - It looks fantastic - thanks for the photos.

Do you have any news on when V6 brochures might become available ? (As if I didn't already spend too much time drooling over the info we already have ).

My dealer is phoning all the V6 customers when the test car arrives so that we can be the first to have a go.


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## moley (May 14, 2002)

Thanks ScoTTy for the pics - it looks superb - but I couldn't see where the "paddles" were on any of the interior pics - do you have any that show them?

Also, I'm so sure on the wheels - I think I've got atached to the 9 spokes :

Moley


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## Neil (May 7, 2002)

> but I couldn't see where the "paddles" were on any of the interior pics - do you have any that show them?


3rd pic from the bottom, you can just see the left paddle


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## nutts (May 8, 2002)

Lets just say, you will NOT be using the paddles 

The "sport" setting on the 'box makes ALL the right decisions and is as smooth as they said it would be!

"Probably" slightly quicker in a straight-line than a 225, but the sound is FAR better!

I came away impressed!

I have a short video that I may upload..... : : :

The "event" was unfortunately cancelled thru no fault of the TTOC, Scotty or Audi.... and as a consequence of our relationship, myself and Scottys personal invites from a couple of months back were honoured.


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## V6 TT (Sep 24, 2002)

NuTTs, upload the video! UPLOAD THE VIDEO!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PRETTY PLEASE, I'll buy you a paint or 2 if we ever meet, guaranteed!.......

.......I'm worn out again ;D I'll be sat a my computer all night now, sad I know.......


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## nutts (May 8, 2002)

It's pretty raw, as it was taken on my normal camera..... Scotty took some proper video!!!

I'll upload it in a little while tho'.........


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## V6 TT (Sep 24, 2002)

.......cheers m8, it WILL be much appreciated!

.......where's scoTTy?!.......come on let's ave some you lucky buggers.......he's just toying with me/us!


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## EighTT (Jun 10, 2003)

What's now in the space formerly occupied by the battery? Looks like the battery cover is still there.


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## vlastan (May 6, 2002)

What is very weird is that the engine is not sitting in the middle of the engine bay. How do they get the weight balance right between the right and left front wheels?


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## Jazzedout (May 8, 2002)

> What is very weird is that the engine is not sitting in the middle of the engine bay. How do they get the weight balance right between the right and left front wheels?


I think it is the gearbox that sits on the right of the engine that contributes to the proper weight balancing! I believe that our 1,8 engines don't sit in the center either!


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## Guest (Jul 20, 2003)

Interesting to see the 3.2 badge on the back.. I have just ordered mine and there was no option for badge deletion..

be interesting to see if the do carry that badge through, I thought they wern't going to badge it!! ???

Dave


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## Wolverine (Dec 22, 2002)

> 3rd pic from the bottom, you can just see the left paddle


On the paddle theme; I was hoping these would have been in aluminium. Do the plastic ones feel substantial/quality? :-/


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## V6 TT (Sep 24, 2002)

.......Wolverine, the ones I tried on the RS6 and A8 are slightly a different shape but are identical in material and function and feel quality, they have a very short movement or travel with a sensitive sort of muted "click" - pure Audi feel. Don't worry as I'm sure they will be identical in feel.

Aluminium is being used for the R32 and although they do look nice I feel Audi made the right decision excluding them as they will look a little OTT IMHO and Audi always attack things by being subtle (aka body styling of the 3.2). If it's good enough for the RS6, then it's good enough for me 

.......DaveN, the 3.2 will definately come with the badges shown but they are pretty easy to remove as they are only stuck on with adhesive, not much of an issue really.......


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## scoTTy (May 6, 2002)

I/we won't be able to put up the video as it includes the number plate which we can't show. My vids weren't that good anyway.



> .......where's scoTTy?!.......come on let's ave some you lucky buggers.......he's just toying with me/us!


Fortunately I have a life outside of this forum so was out getting extremely drunk at a BBQ. Back off or I'll clam up!  

Review coming in a couple of mins...


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## V6 TT (Sep 24, 2002)

.......sh*t, is there life outside the TT Forum?

I'll go and take a look .......


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## scoTTy (May 6, 2002)

To start with hereâ€™s some bullet points in answer to some questions asked of me recently :


Manual 3.2 â€" It doesn't seem a manual gearbox will fit in the TT with the 3.2. It therefore looks like it's DSG or nothing. However since it's sooo good this isn't so bad.[/*]
Colours - I may have some more news on colours early next week as itâ€™s changed from the list I posted. I'll let you know as soon as I can.[/*]
The paddles are mounted on the wheel and not on the column like some cars. Therefore as you turn the wheel the paddles go with you. It's a good reason to drive with your hands in the right position or you can't use them! You do have the sequential shift it you want it.

The only pic I found with the paddle in is this one which isn't much cop.

The wheel is turned about a third to the right hence the paddle being up in the air. They fell very solid and don't need much movement to instigate a gear change. The fact that their plastic doesnâ€™t matter. I donâ€™t expect them to break as they are solid feeling.







[/*]

3.2 Review

I heard the car coming and instantly started grinning. The 3.2 sounds great. One of the first things I did was to have a look where this delightful noise is coming from. (sad? :) The exhaust seems to only have the adjusting flap in one pipe (unless the other's hidden) but either way it's enough to do the job and make it sing quite sweetly. Thereâ€™s a nice sporty rasp to go along with it.

The 3.2 V6 engine has loads of torque across a very flat power band. To be honest it wouldn't matter if the power band was tiny as the DSG would simply drop it to another gear at the right time and away you'd go. The DSG is definately the highlight of the package IMHO. The 3.2 sounds great and picks up well but it's the DSG that wins the medals.

So what does the DSG do?
Well there's three modes : Manual, Drive and Sport.

Manual Mode:
Push the gear shift to the right and it turns it into a sequential gear box. If you select a gear using either the paddles or the sequential shift then it will hold that gear and won't override you. A real manual. Of course it protects the car from idiot driving i.e. it won't let the car get bogged down and will upshift if you're trying to over rev it.
The paddles are quicker to change gear than the gear shift but I guess that's simply because the movement is less. Either way the gear change is incredibly fast. Someone on the forum once asked why the speed of change is so important. Well by Audi getting it own to 0.02 seconds it is so smooth and means that changing up round bends etc has not impact on the cars stability.

Drive Mode:
This is the normal mode for round town, motorways, etc. It reads your mind via some sort of extra sensory perception!! If you drive it hard, it will rev all the way to the red. If you're gentle it will change up earlier. If you try and catch it out e.g. floor it, brake hard and floor it again it sorts it's self out with out any problems. The gear change is so quick it's ready before you are! Even if it did get it wrong, which it didn't, the quick change means it could keep changing it's mind and you probably wouldn't notice. It doesn't though. It simply gets it right.

Sport Mode:
I expected that this would allow you to rev the engine higher but it doesn't. This is actually a good thing as it means in the other modes you still always have all the power. What the sport mode does is it keeps it in the right gear at the right time. i.e. it's always at optimum point in the power band so that it is instantly ready to respond without having to kick down. e.g. If you are driving along at a steady speed, lets say 60, then most autos woud asumme you are cruising and would change up to reduce engine noise, etc. This is what Drive mode does. However in Sport mode it will stay in the gear that ensures it's ready to fly should you stick the boot in. Basically Sport mode keeps it ready all the time. I don't think i'd use Sport mode every day as Drive seemed better to me round town. For a "hoon" or track day then Sport is the cookie! Imagine belting along towards a complex left-right-left on a track (or instead a roundabout on a dual carriageway!!). You steam up to it and slam on the brakes. At any point including during the brakign zone, the gearbox is in the correct gear so that you can instantly power on without it having to kick down.
It achieves this by blipping the throttle on down shifts(too cool!) and drops into the next gear down. if you keep slowing, it will keep blipping and dropping. It is fabulous and removes my concerns about taking the fun out of the car.


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## scoTTy (May 6, 2002)

If you are driving normally (whatever that means), then Drive is the one. If you're pushing on down A & B roads then go for Sport. I am totally impressed with the way the computer calculates what it should do in both modes. I really don't think the paddles will get much use (particularly the change up one) as the gearbox's brain is that good that whatever you're thinking, it will already have done it for you. Both Sport and Drive can be over-ridden simply by changing gear manually if you actually ever felt the need to.

Of course during this quick play, it was hard to analyse whether the weight induces extra understeer. It certainly didn't feel like it. I didn't acutally notice the increased weight of the car. It seems the balance really works.

I found the ride is a little softer than the Gmbh "lowered" suspension that comes on the 1.8T's. I'm used to my Koni's and H&R's and it is certainly more forgiving. I didn't notice much body roll or bonnet diving going on but we weren't on a race track and hence the liimitations weren't tested.

The car sits higher than the "lowered" suspension but I think it's still a little lower than the pre 2002 suspension.

The cabin doesn't suffer any boominess which I guess is down to the clever exhaust. You can hear the tune being played from the rear but with the windows up, it's never too in your face. I am used to my Milltek exhaust but there is only so much you can do with a 4 cyclinder engine. The V6 sound is so much more satisfying.

Apart from the paddles and different gear shift, I didn't notice and other internal differences. On the outside, the body kit is more understated than I had been expecting. The rear valance and the spoiler don't jump out at you in a look at me manner and the front definately looks more hungry but it's all done within the Audi subtle design approach.
You would know if it there was a 1.8T or 3.2 in your rear view mirror but many non-TT enthusiasts probably wouldn't notice that much difference.

With regards to performance I don't think there's much in it. It's hard to compare from the seat of the pants approach as the 1.8T and the 3.2 V6 deliver power in very different ways. I think that it is slightly quicker but the main difference is that the power is always ready to be used which I think results in a faster A-to-B car. Proving ground stats might disprove this but that's how it felt to me.

There is one thing that I am sure of. This is going to be a very successful car for Audi.


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## V6 TT (Sep 24, 2002)

.......thanks Paul GREAT review and very concise! Just what the doctor ordered. I bet you had a blast.......


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## danksy (May 6, 2002)

Nice one scotty! I might be tempted yet!

PS It's good to see Audi pinched an Idea from the original Mini!

Cheers
Nick


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## moley (May 14, 2002)

Good one ScoTTy - the appetite is now whetted (?)

Moley


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## Wolverine (Dec 22, 2002)

scoTTy, terrific review ;D Can't wait for my 3.2 to arrive .

Now, if I can just explain to my wife the difference between the DSG and an automatic...


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## Guest (Jul 20, 2003)

Good review Paul,

Thanks for that.. the gearbox software sounds very similar to the Rs6.. esp with the paddle shift and sports mode.. of course the gear change is quicker with the DSG so I look forward to that.

I've gone for Glacial Blue, 9 spoke alloys, Concert II, Bose, Can Holders and Silver leather.. I think that's it...

Did you get any idea on when first deliveries will start arriving.. are we still looking at October?

Cheers
Dave


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## Wolverine (Dec 22, 2002)

scoTTy

How does the DSG box feel (Drive/Sport selected) when the car is stopped (for example at a red light). In a manual you would be in first, clutch in (or in neutral) with foot on the brake; engage first, clutch out/accelartor pedal and pull away.

In an automatic it would be in drive with foot on the brake; foot off the brake and away you go. With an automatic you generally have some "creep" from the transmission/engine as soon as you take your foot off the brake.

Does the DSG do this or does it just feel like it's in neutral until the brake is disengaged/accelrator pedal applied?

If this is getting too boring I'm happy to wait until I get a test drive ;D


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## scoTTy (May 6, 2002)

If there was any creep it was minimal. The reason I say this is coz I don't recall any!


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## John C (Jul 5, 2002)

> .......sh*t, is there life outside the TT Forum? Â
> 
> I'll go and take a look .......


....and how was it Dean?

Nah - you were only joking right - you are back at your PC now, phew


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## DXN (May 18, 2002)

Fantastic reading. Thanks ScoTTy
Best thread for ages for new reading.

Who does the car belong to then that you can't show a plate? Is it not a demonstrator?

PS Sorry I didn't trust your pic of the 3.2 badge.  ;D Any news from audi on the RS version yet with the stronger platform. 

Regards


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## scoTTy (May 6, 2002)

Don't ask difficult questions or I won't be able to bring you previews again! Â :-X Â 

RS TT - I don't know but I think there's virtually no chance of it happening until the next version of the car is getting long in the tooth! Â Say around 2009-2010 :-/

P.S. Is this where I admit to faking all the 3.2 badge piccies?! Â ;D


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## DXN (May 18, 2002)

I did think the car was yours initially but I can see your car in the pics too.

Maybe youve just photoshoped a R32 engine into your car.
Oh, I'm so sinical. Â :


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## beepcake (May 17, 2002)

Did you try the "launch control" that got mentioned in a few of the previews? (sport mode, traction off, foot on the brake and floor the throttle IIRC) That sounded great for traffic lights/round-a-bouts when I'm in the wrong lane


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## scoTTy (May 6, 2002)

[1] No - the car only had 100 odd miles of it.

[2] That reported sequence to invoke launch control apparently no longer works although I didn't test it. I asked whether launch control was going to make it to production and there was no definate decision.

This implies that the technology is in there but maybe the effect on the car and hence the warranty hit on Audi may be too big. As it is there's currently no decision yet.

Launch control + quattro + traffic light GP + wet road = fun, fun, fun Â


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## Guest (Jul 22, 2003)

cheers scoTTy for a top review


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