nombre6

Check out this month's R&T comparison of the TTS and the BMW 135i. Beats it (obviously) in every performance category. 0-60 in 4.6, .98g skidpad. Now maybe they'll put it up against the Cayman S and we can see a real fight.

JimInSF

Yeah, it was also interesting when Car and Driver compared the TTS roadster to the Boxster S, Z4 3.5, and Vette convertible. The TTS came in a very close third, but only after being dinged 8 points for a terribly poor quarter mile performance (there was a difference of only 4 between the three cars).

They subsequently retested the roaster and cut a full half second off both 0-60 and quarter mile times, suspecting problems with CA gas (though others have not had this issue I think, so perhaps they just got some bad gas), and it looks like these times closer to what everyone else gets would have pushed the TT-S to near parity with the $20k more expensive Boxster S in their estimation.

Even that is questionable IMHO given the fairly substantial difference in ride quality and dramatic difference in comfort and interior quality & finishing - I can see someone thinking the the road feel of the Boxster S might make it a better track day car, but if 80%+ of your driving is going to be commuting or otherwise not at 9/10 or higher, I'll take the better ride every time. (You are hearing the sound of one more guy talking himself into the TT-S...)

JimInSF

Dang, and I just saw the results in the annual C&D Lightning Lap article - check it out here. They describe the TTS as "Quite possibly the easiest of the assembled cars to drive quickly around the track, the little sports car feels stable, light, and powerful. Body roll is pretty much absent, and the constantly adjusting magnetorheological shocks seem to help keep the TTS calm and connected." This echoes my test drive experience.

BosTTon

I could give a damn about what the 3.2L or TTS can or cannot beat.....for comfort and nicely layed out interior, the TT cannot be beat. Nice point JiminSF about taking the better ride!!!! Have owned an SLK, Boxster S and 3 TTs...there is a reason I've owned 3 TTs.

Cheers,

:-)

BosTTon

CFGTTS

Where it is not a fight..........Altitude. I live at 6700 feet elevation and the TTS will take my 911 4S to school.;-)

JimInSF

Here's another good one: http://www.speedsportlife.com/2009/1...-2-0t-quattro/

JimInSF

It's interesting. I've read a lot of reviews comparing the TTS to the Boxster and Cayman, and few of them seemed consistent with my own experience driving these cars before making my choice. After reading this one: http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/review-audi-tt-s/, I decided to take a closer look at the data from the C&D Lightning Lap article I linked to below.

The author of the Truth About Cars review writes a not totally un-complementary review, but makes what I believe is an out and out wrong statement about the comparison to the Cayman, and he's not the only one I've seen make it.

He says that a TTS will not keep up with a base Cayman for the same money around a road course, but IMHO (a) the TTS is NOT AT ALL priced equivalently to a Cayman, not even close – to get to equivalent equipment specifications you’ll end up at $20k+ over the price of the TTS to get the Cayman, and even then (b) the TTS will flog a base Cayman around many tracks.

Even at VIR, a high horsepower track with repeated long straights and triple digit speeds, sometimes hitting 150mph+, the Cayman S (not the base model) with its extra 60hp and loaded up with the PDK, PASM and other options making it 50% more expensive than the TTS ($76k vs. $52k) could only beat the TTS by 2.6 seconds on an over 3 minute lap time in the Lightning Lap.

And if you look at the analysis of the cornering, etc., of the 5 corners C&D analyzed in detail (see http://www.caranddriver.com/var/ezfl...d89b0eeff1.pdf), the TTS was the equal of the Cayman S through 3 sections, beat it in one by 0.3 sec, and lost in one by 0.1 sec – so that’s 50% more money for the loaded up Cayman S for a maximum 1% faster when being driven at the absolute limit around a long track optimized for testing horsepower/top speeds, and with that 1% being gained in the straights and actually down on speed through the corners.

And the TTS will still have a better design, a more comfortable, quieter ride, AWD traction and security, and loads more cargo capacity (your kid or dog can ride in the back!), and a car that doesn’t scream “ticket me” at the local constable. Oh, and again, plus the extra $24,000 in the bank.

Part of me gets the irrational Porsche love thing, but when they make assertions that the numbers don't back up when comparing the Porsche to other cars, this is not good journalism IMHO.

nombre6

Let's face facts. The Boxter is much more expensive, has a stronger residual value, and better brakes, BUT is not a better car. We chose (or are ready to choose) the TTS for its dynamic ability at a price. Who says it doesn't attract the "constable's" attention? It seems i'm beating them off with a stick (and a V1).

JimInSF

Well, that was the point I was making - in several reviews, I've seen people say the Boxster or Cayman and the TTS are equivalently priced, and they're very much not - the Boxster S, outfitted with similar specs to a TTS Prestige, costs 40-50% more (enough to buy my wife an extra Honda Accord on the side!) - and also read some saying the Boxster/Cayman are much quicker for sporting use but without testing them back to back, when back to back testing reveals this not really to be the case (or not by much and then only at top speed type limits).

The TTS provides as much or more, or, at the outer limits of speed if that's your test, 99% of the sporting ability of the Boxster S or Cayman S, with a lot more comfort and practicality, for 1/3 less money. What grinds my gears is seeing Porschephile automotive journalists not doing the math.

JimInSF

Here's another review/comparison test, this one from AutoBild magazine, comparing the Z4 sDrive 35i, Boxster, TT-S, SLK350, and Nissan 350Z roadster, though you'll need to read German to make sense of some parts.