The first-generation Audi TT was the modern analog to the Porsche 356. If you take it down to its essential mechanicals, it’s VW Beetle (and Golf) underpinnings with sportier styling on top. But while the Porsche has the right driven wheels and an engine at the wrong end of the car, the Audi has that problem in reverse. At least the Audi is available with all wheel drive.
Plebeian underpinnings or not, the first-gen TTs earned praise when they were new: North American Car of the Year in 2000; on Car & Driver’s 10Best list in ’00 and ’01. They’ve been around long enough now that the problem areas are as clear as the right performance upgrade options. Follow the jump for tips from TT specialists on how to shop for, maintain, and modify these cars.


Mike Humphrey, at NGP Racing
NGPRacing.com
Aberdeen, MD and Lorton, VA
(877) GERMAN-1

A lot of people who shop feel stuck because they don’t find specific parts for the TT. Looking for TT-specific is challenging, but you can plug in a lot of the performance stuff from its platform mates. For aftermarket suspension and drivetrain parts, the TT shares its platform with VW 1.8T cars. All the tuning and parts you can do is interchangeable with the TT, except for on the Quattro-equipped versions.
You have two engine choices: the 1.8-liter turbo and the 3.2-liter VR6 — that’s the Golf R32 motor. On the VR6, you’ve got to do the timing chains. I think the chain interval is 100,000 miles, but when you start to hear them, they need changing. Make sure you can document that the timing chains were done at appropriate mileage, and these engines will run forever. Rumor has it that the VR6 was originally made to be a diesel motor, so it’s super robust.
The 1.8T came in two flavors: the 180-horsepower base engine, and the 225-horsepower version with a bigger, K04 turbo and an intercooler. If I were buying a TT, that’d be my choice: a front-wheel-drive version with the K04 upgrade. There’s a big aftermarket for those. Just confirm that the timing belt has been done. There were a lot of Technical Service Bulletins for sludging issues in early ones, but an easy fix is running a full synthetic oil.
With FWD versions, there’s less to worry about as far as maintenance. The Quattro cars have a higher buy-in. If I’m looking to buy, I’d much prefer a well-maintained FWD car versus a tenuously maintained AWD one. But if you want big power, AWD is a big advantage.

The stock internals in a 1.8T are good for about 350 reliable horsepower. Anything after that, you’d want to fit uprated rods and head studs before you turn the boost up. Anything more than a K04 is getting into BIG big power territory, and that point you really need to address every aspect of your drive train.
The best way to get power out of your stock 1.8T setup is with an aftermarket ECU tune.  New German Performance is an APR dealer and, for example, a 93-octane tune on a 1.8T with a K04 bumps the power like in the chart above. Tunes cost $500 and probably the most reliable power you can add to your car.
 

For the VR6 engines, APR’s ECU programming doesn’t yield big bumps in power like it does for the 1.8Ts, nor does an exhaust upgrade. However, a VR6 with a free-flowing exhaust makes the most wonderful exhaust noise.
With that said, these come with 247 horsepower and 236 lb.-ft. from the factory, so they already have a jump on the 1.8Ts in the power department. In spending the money to source and install a custom turbo setup on a VR6, it’s a big spend that, dollar for dollar, won’t net you the same results it would with a beefed-up 1.8T. I spent more than I care to admit on my VR6 turbo setup in just parts. If I had to pay a shop to do the install I would have put a down payment on a house instead.
There are some nice turbo and supercharger kits available for the 3.2 VR6 engines, but none of them are worth the money in the long run (see above). But a properly set up VR6T can be an absolute track monster (on a road course or in a straight line), it all depends on how comfortable you are in spending $6,000 to $10,000 on your setup. The huge plus side to adding forced induction to the VR6 is that the blocks and internals are very beefy. I have a friend who drag races a Mk3 GTI with a stock-internal 12-valve VR6. With a massive turbo and E85, he broke into the 8s at the quarter mile last season. To say those engines are robust is an understatement.
Before taking it out for track use, check your bushings and other suspension components. The balance in those cars is pretty good, but being able to get the car to turn is key. A nice, big rear sway bar helps. You might eventually want coil-overs and bigger front brakes. Don’t just throw power at it.
Meatier, stickier tires of course make a difference. Depending on which you bought, it might have 16 or 17 inch wheels. The stock alloys are fine, just put a 225mm or 245mm-wide tire on them.
Something people don’t think of with these cars is that they’re really easy to see out of. They’re kind of quirky styling-wise, and that can be good or bad.

Jeff, at TT Stuff
TTstuff.com
East Syracuse, NY
(315) 299-4805

The big appeals of this car are the looks and tunability. To this day, the billet aluminum and symmetry remain ageless. There is a TT for everyone. The 225-horsepower Quattro is the choice of many. The ALMS edition is rare, as well as baseball leather interiors, and 3.2 S-line packages. There is a color and package for all tastes.
In my opinion, the European Quattro Sport is the best model. It has Recaro buckets in the front, rear seat delete kit, black roof and mirrors, multi-spoke wheels, and the S-line package. Regardless of what you get, check: Have the timing belt, water pump, and tensioner been replaced? Has the fluid in the Haldex AWD system been changed at the proper maintenance intervals? Does the AWD system fully function? [See post No. 3 in this thread for details on how to check this.]
The original water pump has a plastic impeller which can crack. Mine crumbled in my hand upon removal at about 60,000 miles. We recommend a water pump with a metal impeller.

In my opinion, the best place to begin modifying is the suspension. The 1.8T engine is easy to add quite a bit of horsepower with only a few bolt-ons and remap. But when I added coilovers, a beefed-up rear sway, and polyurethane bushings, the car really came to life. Not many TT’s have the VR6 to start, but the DSG transmission can make it quite a project to add a turbo.

As an enthusiast, nothing is better than a manual gearbox. However, DSG has its benefits. A daily commute at rush hour can be demanding in a manual. But with DSG, you get the comfort of an automatic and the fun of shifting F1-style with a flick of your wrist.

The TT does have some dreaded issues. The center display for the navigation system will start losing or dimming pixels. Not many TTs had navigation, and it’s an out-of-date system by now anyway.
The glovebox latch can stick shut. If the glovebox latch is broken, a new glovebox is needed. Audi does not sell just a latch. A new glovebox costs north of $400.
Most of the mechanical failures can be avoided as long as you keep up on your maintenance. I’ve had customers inform me that they are over 250,000 miles and these cars are getting to be 15 years old. That’s pretty impressive if you ask me.

 
Specs
2000 Audi TT Coupe 1.8T Quattro
Layout: FA
Engine: 1.8-liter DOHC inline-4, 5 valves per cylinder, iron block, aluminum head
Output: 222 hp @ 5900 rpm, 206 lb.-ft. @ 2200 rpm
Transaxle: 6-speed manual
Suspension, F/R: MacPherson strut/double wishbone
Steering: Hydraulic-assisted rack & pinion
Brakes, F/R: vented disc/vented disc
Wheels: 17-in. alloy
Curb weight: 3075 lbs.
Fuel economy, city/highway: 18 mpg/26 mpg
 
[Top 3 photos courtesy NGP Racing. Last 2 photos courtesy TT Stuff.]