German Car Zone

As fuel economy rules tighten, sales stagnate or grow slowly and carmakers seeks ways to deliver more for less, some re-shuffling of products is inevitable. At Audi, that means cutting V-6 engines and (mostly) replacing them with turbo four-cylinders, including in the 2010 Audi TT.

The 3.2-liter V-6 is completely gone from the TT range, in S tronic and manual quattro trims, Coupe and Roadster alike. Instead, the 2010 TT offers only a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder rated at 200 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque, sent through a dual-clutch transmission. Those with a hankering for more power in a TT package can upgrade to the TTS Coupe or Roadster which retains its turbo five-cylinder engine rated at 265 horsepower.

Other Audi cars also see the V-6 removed from some trim levels, including the now-defunct A4 3.2 quattro Tiptronic and A5 3.2 quattro manual. The A5 Coupe gains the 2.0T quattro trim we brought you word of back in July. The Audi A3 TDI joins the range this November, while the A3 3.2 S tronic quattro says goodbye for 2010.

For the TT, that's about the sum total of changes, since the exterior and interior stay largely the same, and with the 2.0T engine the only option, fuel economy of 21 mpg in town and 39 mpg on the highway is near-brilliant, even considering its slightly slow (compared to the competition) 5.9-second (Coupe) and 6.2-second (Roadster) 0-60 mph times.

Catch up on the pricing and other changes in the Audi lineup with our rundown of the 2010 A4, A5 and Q5 or check out the hot, new and more affordable supercharged V-6 2010 Audi S4 here.


Source: Audi Deletes V-6 From 2010 TT, Focuses on Turbo Fours - MotorAuthority

I hate Motor Authority's dubious journalism.

Sure, the "VR" V6 in the TT is redundant, obsolete, and - with the introduction of the 2.0 TFSI in ever more varied states of tune - economically unviable. But it seems that the reporter is unaware of the differences between the 3.2L 15° V6 in the TT and A3 models vs. the 3.2L 90° V6 in the A4 and A5.

3.2 L V6 in Audi TT:
Maximum power CV - kW / rpm: 250 - 184 / 6300
Maximum torque Nm / rpm: 320 / 2500-3000
Location: Front transverse
Number of cylinders: 6 V 15 °
Material block / head: cast iron / aluminum
Bore x stroke (mm): 84 x 95.9
Displacement (cm3): 3189
Compression ratio: 11.3
Distribution: 4 valves per cylinder. two camshafts in the cylinder head. Variable Distribution

3.2L V6 in A4, A5, Q5, etc:
Maximum power CV - kW / rpm: 265 - 195 / 6500
Maximum torque Nm / rpm: 330 / 3000-5000
Location: Front longitudinal
Number of cylinders: 6 V 90 °
Material block / head: aluminum / aluminum
Bore x stroke (mm): 84.5 x 92.8
Displacement (cm3): 3123
Compression ratio: 12.5
Distribution: 4 valves per cylinder. two camshafts in each cylinder head. Variable Distribution


Really? The V6 is now defunct? Maybe in the A3 3.2 quattro - perhaps this is what should've been reported? According to some European car listings, the A3 3.2 is no longer available. So when exactly in 2010 will it be discontinued? In the US? Tsk tsk.

It's as obvious as mud in a swamp that the 3.2 VR layout engine is defunct and will be phased out. The 3.6 litre VR engine could well be the next to go as economies of scale diminish.

^ But other than the degrees of the Vee, the big difference would be how the engine is placed? (longitudinal vs transverse). And maybe the weight, since the new block is all-Aluminium....

Nope, chalk and cheese. The 90° V6 is a four cam engine, the 15° engine is a two cam engine. They're as different from each other as Audi's V6 is from BMW's I6.

There is more:

Those with a hankering for more power in a TT package can upgrade to the TTS Coupe or Roadster which retains its turbo five-cylinder engine rated at 265 horsepower.

In the U.S. I can see why Audi did this. There was no point in buying a A3 or A4 with the V6. It was behind other V6s and the turbo 4 was much more fun. Any Audi dealer will tell you that must buyers found the same thing and bought the turbo-4 models of these cars. Since the A4 3.2 is gone from the U.S. lineup you have to buy an S4 if you want a V6 in an A4 body. The TT 3.2 was pointless next to the TT-S also. Now what this does for Audi's image is anybody's guess. VW has also dropped the 6-cylinder Passat, only V6 model is the CC (which isn't called a Passat here). A V6 Passat was a 40K car compared to Camrys/Accords and the like, way too expensive.


M