Without doubt the 3.2 TT was a feel-good type of car, what with its taut lines, its solid build and the smooth, metallic rasp of its 247bhp V6. Then there was the flat-bottomed steering wheel and shallow glass area that reminded you of its distant relation, the Lamborghini Gallardo, and the eye-popping but tasteful red Nappa leather interior that wowed all who opened the door. Though we had to hand it back after just three months, the TT certainly left a strong impression.

It was surprisingly practical too. Friends didn’t seem to mind squashing four-up on a few occasions, the passenger behind the driver sitting chaise longue-style with their legs on top of their friend’s beside them. You could even fit a bike in the back with the rear seats folded (minus friends).

Some of the £3580 of extras fitted were great – the reasonably priced (£75) tyre pressure sensors proved their worth when I picked up a slow puncture, and the cruise control (£215) was perfect for keeping my speed in check on roads equipped with average speed cameras. The Bluetooth was a different matter, though. Surely, with Audi being the premium VAG brand, its system should be as good as SEAT’s? In a Leon, for example, you simply press a button and say aloud a name stored on your phone, so why did I need to re-record each name on the £385 version in the TT? Then, to call someone, I needed to press a button, say ‘select name’, pause, then say the name, pause again, then say ‘dial’. OK, I could always use the scroll wheel on the (£180) multi-function steering wheel instead, but that’s not so easy when you have over 250 numbers in your phonebook.

Worse still, I found the person on the other end of the call would often complain that they couldn’t hear me – although maybe that was just an excuse to not talk to me…

The TT’s over-sensitive throttle was a tad annoying too, with the lightest touch seeming to give you close to full acceleration. I never got used to it, so jerky take-offs and gearchanges became the source of much cursing. My swearing continued in the corners too, because whenever I got the TT balanced just-so, any attempt to add just a little more power would result in a jerky response and the front-biased quattro system pulling the car wide.

It seems there could be an easy fix, though. Reader Chris Buckle, a driving instructor, emailed me to say he has had a more linear throttle mapping applied to his 190bhp Fabia vRS to enable his learners to modulate the throttle more easily. Both Jabba Sport (www.jabbasport.com) and Celtic Tuning (www.celtictuning.co.uk) have confirmed that this can be done to the TT too, with the latter adding that ‘we always incorporate this modification into our performance remaps to improve drivability.’

Throttle issues aside, I was impressed by the way the TT drove. The brakes were strong with good feel, the gearchange quick and accurate, the steering well weighted. The optional (£1150) Magnetic Ride dampers were outstanding. Constantly adapting to road conditions and your driving style, the way they firmed up through a tricky series of bends felt truly next-generation. Not only was the resulting body control remarkable, but the TT’s surefootedness was staggering. I soon found myself going quicker and quicker into corners, with complete faith in the car’s ability to go round. You could even trail-brake into bends, rain or shine.

The two manually selectable suspension settings worked really well, too. ‘Normal’ mode was the preferred choice for a near-perfect control/ride compromise, only a slight ‘corkscrewing’ feeling at very high speeds over mid-bend crests making you aware that you weren’t in ‘Sport’. Selecting ‘Sport’ fixed matters, although it was maybe a little too stiff for everyday driving.

The three-stage ESP was a nice touch, too. The default setting was oversensitive, making for jerky progress. The reason for this could be seen on the front wheels, which would be caked in black dust after a spirited drive, the brakes having been busy keeping the nose in check. The half-way setting improved matters, loosening the ESP’s rein while still offering some back-up. A three-second press of the button, meanwhile, meant you were on your own, ESP only coming back on if it thought you were about to crash – as I found out at a wet Bedford Autodrome whilst see-sawing at the wheel to see what it would take to unstick this TT.

It took a lot, but when the rear finally let go, it really let go, leaving me careening backwards down the track. I didn’t feel too bad about not being able to catch it, though, as I noticed even Tiff Needell struggled to keep a 3.2 TT in shape when, during a recent episode of Fifth Gear, he challenged Jason Plato (in a Z4 Coupe) to an oversteer contest.

To sum up, the TT’s a fine car for those who want a premium package that’ll get them where they want to go quickly, comfortably and safely in all weathers, the kind of people who don’t mind being left out of the conversation when talk turns to driving heroics. Which reminds me, have you seen the photo of me holding a 300C completely broadside?