With its extra strengthening and automatic hood, the Roadster is 60kg heavier than the coupe, and its 0-62mph time is lengthened by 0.2sec

As we discovered when we drove the coupe TTS back in issue 119, the combination of a 268bhp version of the ubiquitous VAG turbocharged 2-litre four-cylinder and the traction and security afforded by Audi’s quattro four-wheel-drive system makes for a very rapid TT indeed. And the good news for those who like to drive fast with the wind whistling over their bald patch is that the story remains largely the same for the TTS Roadster.

Yes, losing the roof means it’s not quite as structurally rigid as the coupe, but even the worst roads the Fens have to offer bring only the slightest detectable flexing of the body; it takes cobbles to get the rear-view mirror shuddering. The standard fitment on the TTS of Audi’s Magnetic Ride damping system no doubt helps with the latter, nicely rounding off the edges of a taut ride in its default setting, firmer still, but still not harsh, in Sport.

With its extra strengthening and automatic hood, the Roadster is 60kg heavier than the coupe, and its 0-62mph time is lengthened by 0.2sec to 5.6sec accordingly. Choosing the slick S‑tronic double-clutch transmission (£1400) should trim a couple of tenths off this, as it does for the hard-top (though that would take the price of this car close to £37K!) but the stubby gearlever of the manual, complete with shorter shift travel for the TTS, is a pleasingly notchy thing to use if you prefer having three pedals in the footwell. The brakes, meanwhile, feel positive and suitably powerful, and although the steering is a touch light and a little too quiet in its feedback, it is nevertheless accurate and no obstacle to rapid progress.

In fact it’s hard to think of a car that’s so easy to exploit so fully so soon after taking the wheel. And that, depending on what you’re looking for from your convertible, could be the TTS’s downfall. With no subtleties to explore and learn over time, you have to wonder how long it would hold your interest, and, ultimately, whether you would be better off sacrificing a little of that pace and choosing a Boxster instead.