Baden-Baden and "Der Neu" TT

Baden-Baden is a quaint small town in Baden-Württemberg, on the western foothills of the Black Forest, on the banks of the Oos river, in the region of Karlsruhe. Cobblestone streets, German Gothic middle century architectures, intricate stone carvings and statues, narrow alleys, hills, restaurants and cafes with outdoor terraces, lunch crowds, pedestrians, boutique stores, and occasional car traffic are mingling together in the most atmospheric and tranquil ambiance.

The colors of the buildings are mustard yellow, sugar brown, and pepper grey accentuated by purple bougainvilleas, red and yellow roses, and white carnations on the balconies, windows, and terraces. We sip coffee and tea at one of the cafe terrace watching the afternoon life at the enchanting Leopoldsplatz. It is a perfect place where we loose our minds in the moment soaking the beauty of the place and the people. We almost forget that we have an exhilarating drive planned after this caffeine-shot short break.

As I position myself in the cockpit of the S8, I radio Leo in the TT to configure his GPS for the mountain passes in the near vicinity. I can't find this naughty and brilliant feature in the S8 navigation system. Someone in the product development of "der neu" TT had some sense of fun and humor! I vote for the feature to be made available to all (R)S and S-line cars.

Driving around in "der neu" TT continually attracts onlookers as this car has both sexy and menacing appearance and it was just released to customers in Germany in early September. When we get to the bowel of the Baden-Baden mountain range, the immense green mountains and stupendous lush valleys fold over each others. Leo radio his excitement seeing the road serpenting the flank of the mountain in front of us. The higher we ascend the mountain range the farther away we get from the civilization. The perfect place to experience and enjoy the ASF and Quattro technologies.

Leo describes "der neu" TT to be like an all-wheel drive, well-balanced go-kart with airbags. From behind, I can see how easily and swiftly he devours the hairpins and switchbacks with 18% grade incline. "No body flex...firm...solid...confidence...agile...fast...furious" are the words I am able to make out over the static filled two-way radio. The TT has the dynamic sport suspension mode that firms up the already precise and comfortable default driving-around-town suspension mode. Pressing this button transforms the car from a comfortable and confident ride into a 24-hours-Le Mans ride. The combination of the new magnetic ride damper system and the ASF provides amazing cornering agility in hairpins and decreasing radius turns. The TT just glides effortlessly in a rhythmic pattern going in and out of apexes as if it is on an invisible track that serpents this region. This car seems to have no logical limit, bending the law of physics and reality. Did we take the blue pill before we drive today?

With the 69 percent of the superstructure is made of aluminum, the steel components making up the remaining 31 percent are to be found at the rear end to achieve as close as possible the 50/50 weight distribution. The car drives very neutrally and no understeer is felt during our drive. The 60/40 rear/front Quattro torque distribution makes the driving dynamic even more enjoyable. It is very easy to drift the rear end with the ESP turned off. The TT can go through a corner with power being continually applied to all wheels, and then it can accelerate very quickly once the apex is reached with no oversteering.
Photo Gallery

The Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) technology is like having the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) technology graduated from a Ninja training. In the 'S' mode, when the accelerator is pressed against the metal, the DSG automatically up shift swiftly to maintain the maximum rate of acceleration. The tachometer needle deeps slightly by a few hundred RPM before the next gear engages. A faint hissing hydraulic sound can be heard as the automatic hydraulic dual clutches perform the precise task synchronizing two gears in a way that no human can master at the speed and accuracy of the DSG.

We reach the highest vista point of Hornisgrinde mountain and decide to switch cars so that each of us can experience the different handling and characteristics of the S8 and the TT. Over the breathtaking view of the thick dark forest and the roads snaking the sides of the mountains below us, we chat about the difference between driving an ASF car and driving a non-ASF car. The ASF enables direct connection between the driver and the road. We feel the surface of the terrain, we feel the friction and the centrifugal forces, we feel the power being applied to the four corners. The car speaks to us without any loss in translation. All the necessary stimuli needed so our minds can make the proper calculations and fast decisions are transferred to us precisely by the ASF. We become one with the car.

The F-1 steering wheel coupled with 245/45 R 17 Z tires provides a very precise steering and sharp turning angle. The 3.2 250 hp and 236 lbs/ft torque delivers more than ample power to this very light car. In the 'S' mode, the drive-by-wire accelerator is very sensitive giving you the impression that the electric signal from the pedal to the engine arrives first before my brain finishes the instruction to my right foot to press pedal. That's what I like about "der neu" TT, the car understands you, it anticipates you. This car does whatever it is told in the precise manner without any hesitation nor drama. Thus, it is very easy to choreograph a ballet with this car.

When I taste a delicious meal, I appreciate it even more if I know the amount of effort, creativity, ingenuity, and passion that go into the preparation and the making of the food. We both feel the heightened appreciation of these two ASF cars in our first day in the mountain range because we attended the half day aluminum weight-saving program at the Neckarsulm factory yesterday.

Baden-Baden and "Der Neu" TT

Baden-Baden is a quaint small town in Baden-Württemberg, on the western foothills of the Black Forest, on the banks of the Oos river, in the region of Karlsruhe. Cobblestone streets, German Gothic middle century architectures, intricate stone carvings and statues, narrow alleys, hills, restaurants and cafes with outdoor terraces, lunch crowds, pedestrians, boutique stores, and occasional car traffic are mingling together in the most atmospheric and tranquil ambiance.

The colors of the buildings are mustard yellow, sugar brown, and pepper grey accentuated by purple bougainvilleas, red and yellow roses, and white carnations on the balconies, windows, and terraces. We sip coffee and tea at one of the cafe terrace watching the afternoon life at the enchanting Leopoldsplatz. It is a perfect place where we loose our minds in the moment soaking the beauty of the place and the people. We almost forget that we have an exhilarating drive planned after this caffeine-shot short break.

As I position myself in the cockpit of the S8, I radio Leo in the TT to configure his GPS for the mountain passes in the near vicinity. I can't find this naughty and brilliant feature in the S8 navigation system. Someone in the product development of "der neu" TT had some sense of fun and humor! I vote for the feature to be made available to all (R)S and S-line cars.

Driving around in "der neu" TT continually attracts onlookers as this car has both sexy and menacing appearance and it was just released to customers in Germany in early September. When we get to the bowel of the Baden-Baden mountain range, the immense green mountains and stupendous lush valleys fold over each others. Leo radio his excitement seeing the road serpenting the flank of the mountain in front of us. The higher we ascend the mountain range the farther away we get from the civilization. The perfect place to experience and enjoy the ASF and Quattro technologies.

Leo describes "der neu" TT to be like an all-wheel drive, well-balanced go-kart with airbags. From behind, I can see how easily and swiftly he devours the hairpins and switchbacks with 18% grade incline. "No body flex...firm...solid...confidence...agile...fast...furious" are the words I am able to make out over the static filled two-way radio. The TT has the dynamic sport suspension mode that firms up the already precise and comfortable default driving-around-town suspension mode. Pressing this button transforms the car from a comfortable and confident ride into a 24-hours-Le Mans ride. The combination of the new magnetic ride damper system and the ASF provides amazing cornering agility in hairpins and decreasing radius turns. The TT just glides effortlessly in a rhythmic pattern going in and out of apexes as if it is on an invisible track that serpents this region. This car seems to have no logical limit, bending the law of physics and reality. Did we take the blue pill before we drive today?

With the 69 percent of the superstructure is made of aluminum, the steel components making up the remaining 31 percent are to be found at the rear end to achieve as close as possible the 50/50 weight distribution. The car drives very neutrally and no understeer is felt during our drive. The 60/40 rear/front Quattro torque distribution makes the driving dynamic even more enjoyable. It is very easy to drift the rear end with the ESP turned off. The TT can go through a corner with power being continually applied to all wheels, and then it can accelerate very quickly once the apex is reached with no oversteering.
Photo Gallery

The Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) technology is like having the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) technology graduated from a Ninja training. In the 'S' mode, when the accelerator is pressed against the metal, the DSG automatically up shift swiftly to maintain the maximum rate of acceleration. The tachometer needle deeps slightly by a few hundred RPM before the next gear engages. A faint hissing hydraulic sound can be heard as the automatic hydraulic dual clutches perform the precise task synchronizing two gears in a way that no human can master at the speed and accuracy of the DSG.

We reach the highest vista point of Hornisgrinde mountain and decide to switch cars so that each of us can experience the different handling and characteristics of the S8 and the TT. Over the breathtaking view of the thick dark forest and the roads snaking the sides of the mountains below us, we chat about the difference between driving an ASF car and driving a non-ASF car. The ASF enables direct connection between the driver and the road. We feel the surface of the terrain, we feel the friction and the centrifugal forces, we feel the power being applied to the four corners. The car speaks to us without any loss in translation. All the necessary stimuli needed so our minds can make the proper calculations and fast decisions are transferred to us precisely by the ASF. We become one with the car.

The F-1 steering wheel coupled with 245/45 R 17 Z tires provides a very precise steering and sharp turning angle. The 3.2 250 hp and 236 lbs/ft torque delivers more than ample power to this very light car. In the 'S' mode, the drive-by-wire accelerator is very sensitive giving you the impression that the electric signal from the pedal to the engine arrives first before my brain finishes the instruction to my right foot to press pedal. That's what I like about "der neu" TT, the car understands you, it anticipates you. This car does whatever it is told in the precise manner without any hesitation nor drama. Thus, it is very easy to choreograph a ballet with this car.

When I taste a delicious meal, I appreciate it even more if I know the amount of effort, creativity, ingenuity, and passion that go into the preparation and the making of the food. We both feel the heightened appreciation of these two ASF cars in our first day in the mountain range because we attended the half day aluminum weight-saving program at the Neckarsulm factory yesterday.