Audi TT (Mk3, 2014 - 2023) – design
The TT’s distinctive shape has evolved for the third generation, yet remains instantly recognisable
There’s no mistaking an Audi TT for anything else. It’s not hyperbole to describe it as an icon: like the Porsche 911 or a Mini, the TT’s distinctive shape has evolved with each generation while remaining instantly recognisable.
The Mk3 Audi TT is arguably the most conservative of TT exteriors but its restrained treatment has ensured it still looks fresh – and its interior design, detailed in this review’s previous section, remains a high watermark.
The third-generation car has an almost identical length to the Mk2 but with a wheelbase extended by 37mm, shorter overhangs and tauter proportions. At the front, the grille treatment, tapered bonnet lines and razor-sharp headlights give a hint of the second-generation Audi R8. On the latter, LED Matrix headlights are available and can actively manipulate the car’s high beam although we’ve received flashes from oncoming road-users suggesting the system isn’t totally infallible.
Regardless, in each of its three generations the Audi TT has exemplified a design-first approach, and is an industrial design case study that will be referenced for a long time to come; don’t be surprised to see its design cues make a return on Audi models in the future.
