The TT’s styling is regarded by many as a watershed moment in automobile design. From its introduction as a concept car in 1995, and as a production car in 1998, the design was regarded by many as bold, innovative, and revolutionary. While the car borrowed a few design elements from earlier vehicles, the overall design was considered by many to be truly unique.
Despite its smooth-curved appeal, the design does not lead to revolutionary aerodynamics — the drag coefficient of the body is actually a relatively high 0.35 . But with its distinctive, rounded bodywork, bold use of bare anodized aluminum, and a lack of defined bumpers, the TT represented
The success and popularity of the TT’s iconic design gave many automotive designers (and manufacturers) greater latitude to experiment with bold, distinctive design. The TT’s influence can be seen in the design elements of many vehicles released after the TT.
The TT is often regarded as the vehicle that made people take a second look at Audi. No longer just a second-tier European maker, Audi emerged as a serious competitor for the likes of BMW and Mercedes-Benz. The then-new B5-platform A4 model was a substantial improvement on its Audi 80 predecessor; these two models firmly secured Audi’s position as a prestige marque.
