Coupe winner
* 17 categories of awards * All the winning models featured here * What Car? Car of the Year 2011 revealed...
The winner
Audi TT
2.0 TFSI 211 Sport
List price 27,130 Target Price 25,261
There was a huge influx of excellent coups in 2010 some cheap and green, some sexy and sporty. With so many talented new candidates, the TTs five-year reign as our Coup of the Year has never been under more of a threat. However, none of these new upstarts has what it takes to wrestle the title away from the awesome Audi TT.
The TT could well be the ultimate sports car bargain. Sure, the list price of 27,130 doesnt sound very bargain-like, but when you consider the cars depth of dynamic ability it starts to look like an absolute steal.
Its better than its ever been, too, and thats due to a fabulous new engine. The turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol unit now gives you 208bhp compared with the old versions 197bhp, so performance is even more electrifying when youre giving it plenty. When youre not, its sweet, smooth and effortlessly flexible.
Its the same story with the rest of the car.
If youre taking it easy, the suspension is compliant enough to keep you comfortable on any surface, and refinement is good enough to make long motorway journeys a pleasure. Show it a set of bends, though, and the TT really comes to life. The strong grip and body control means it changes direction like a housefly, while the responses from the steering, throttle and brakes are razor-sharp. This is a sports car with real finesse.
Its not just the TTs sensational driving manners that make it our favourite coup, though. Youd expect a top-end Audi to be plushly trimmed, and the TT doesnt disappoint, with gorgeous soft-touch plastics and lashings of chrome and leather throughout the cabin.
Sure, the rear seats are more or less useless to passengers on all but the shortest of journeys, but they come in handy for extra storage to supplement what is a surprisingly generous boot. Those rear seats fold down to extend the boot space when required, too.
Despite the seemingly steep price, the TT is a superb financial investment. Youll get a decent discount, running costs are reasonable for a car of this type and the desirable image means residual values are among the best in the class. What more could you ask?
