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Merc1 · **Canadian Driver - First Drive: 2008 Audi TT -** 05-14-2007, 03:30 AM

Performance, naturally, is worth the cost of admission. Our roadster was powered by the available 3.2-litre narrow-angle V6; hooked up to a six-speed manual transmission and all-wheel drive, the 250-horsepower V6 serves up impressive acceleration. Sadly, once again, you won't be able to get all-wheel drive or a manual transmission with the turbocharged four-banger found in entry-level models. That motor, a 2.0-litre in place of last year's 1.8-litre, gets paired exclusively with the S Tronic gearbox, Audi's version of the VW Group's sequential dual-clutch six-speed. Doug Clark of Audi Canada said the Canadian office wants a 2.0-litre car with a stick and all-wheel drive to sell here, but isn't sure if it will happen.

Too bad, because even with 50 fewer horses, the smaller motor still manages to move the TT with authority, no doubt thanks in part to the efficient way the S Tronic tranny moves through the gears. You can't help but mess with the paddle shifters or shifting manually using the shift lever, but there's no getting around the fact that this is basically an automatic transmission. At least shifts - both up and down - are crisp and quick even in full-auto mode.

If an evocative engine note is your thing, go for the V6. It gets a snarly-sounding exhaust sound that makes great noises, particularly if you blip the throttle for rev-matched downshifts.

Prices for the 2008 TT will range from $53,600 for a 2.0T Coupe to $65,550 for a 3.2 Roadster. That seems like good value: that cheapest model is almost $2,500 less than a comparable 2006 model, and the top-end Roadster is just $100 more than the old car. The Coupe went on sale across Canada May 1, and Audi promised the Roadster would follow soon after that. An S-Line package will be available this summer.

CanadianDriver: First Drive - 2008 Audi TT

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