Audi TT Shooting Brake to debut at Tokyo
Audi has released pictures for their TT Shooting Brake Concept that is set to debut at Tokyo. This is clearly a
representation of the next generation of Audi TT. Audi's design team has knocked this one out of the park. The original
Audi TT is looking a little dated and this new design is a brilliant attempt to evolve its compact sports coupe. The
grill on this concept is particularly striking, and the interior is just beautiful. We have a good feeling that the
majority of this concept 'study' will find its way into the production version. Audi's press release and photos are
after the jump.
[HT to the
German Car Blog]
Compact and powerfully athletic
Audi Shooting Brake Concept
Audi is unveiling a new highlight in the sporty compact segment at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show: the Shooting Brake
Concept is a study vehicle offering a further trailblazing interpretation of Audis current formal idiom, blending the
powerful dynamism of a sports car with a new sense of spaciousness and greater functionality. With its powerful 250
bhp, 3.2-litre six-cylinder engine and quattro permanent four-wheel drive, the Shooting Brake Concept produces a
quality of road behaviour that in every respect lives up to its visual impact. The study vehicle sprints from 0 to 100
km/h in just six seconds, and its top speed is electronically governed at 250 km/h.
Its front end is characterised by the striking single-frame radiator grille with dominant horizontal slats in chrome.
The tapered shape at the front further accentuated by prominent air inlets at the sides and the dynamic cut of the
clear-glass headlights give the face its decidedly forceful character. A presence that echoes the characteristic
front-end design of the current A4 racing models in the DTM and the visionary Audi RSQ study.
One new element in the portfolio of design features is the upward swoop behind the rear side window. This, together
with the wide C-post, accentuates the prominent rear end. This is where the visual emphasis of the Shooting Brake
Concept, painted in Bionic White, pearl effect, is to be found: the flat trapezoid of the rear window and the
pronounced arching, convex shape of the panel forming the luggage compartment lid are the opposite extreme to the flat
nose end. They give the vehicle a crouched appearance, as if ready to leap.
As is typical of every Audi study car, in addition to its design qualities the Shooting Brake Concept features a raft
of technical innovations for Tokyo. These include the adaptive damping system Audi magnetic ride, an evolutionary
version of navigation system plus with touch screen monitor and character recognition, and the new LED headlight
technology.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Swat Lax 19 10:45PM (12/18/2005)
At first blush, I like it.
Is that an Ipod docked into the stereo like a tape deck?
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Jon F. 10:45PM (12/18/2005)
Very nice looking car, but it needs more cowbell in the engine area.
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Dave 10:45PM (12/18/2005)
So Audi designed a Saab 9-3x..Wheee!
Maybe they will actually produce it. :)
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quandmeme 10:45PM (12/18/2005)
My neighbors drive current TTs so I checked this out even though my tastes are more Japanese. After everyone's done talking about the performance (because that is more important than gadgets) tell me about the CD player? Is that a slot-loaded ipod instead of a CD player?
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David S. 10:45PM (12/18/2005)
Wow, excellent to see another potential hatchback coming to the market. Hopefully the "Americans don't want hatchbacks" view is finally being put to rest.
But WHAT is with the name? "Shooting Break" sounds like a reason to recall a car, not a concept car.
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Lee Gibson 10:45PM (12/18/2005)
"dominant horizontal slats in chrome"
I think somebody needs to get the designers and the copy writers in the same room and have a geometry lesson.
Two teams enter...one team leaves.
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Tankstelle 10:45PM (12/18/2005)
IF that it is an I-Pod in the dash, I think that it is a bad idea. I very much prefer the BMW method of including an aux input in the center console so that any mp3 player can be used, plus it can charge without any visible wires.
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Jon F. 10:45PM (12/18/2005)
Shooting Brake = English terms for fancy station wagon used to relax in during hunts. Term dates back to times when you bought a chassis and then had a coach builder install a body. They Shooting brake body would have cages for dogs and room for provisions for making tea.
Not sure why they applied it to this car other than it sounds cool
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Craig 10:45PM (12/18/2005)
I have to admit I'm a bit disapointed in the hardtop. Unless I'm missing something, would Audi seriously launch this vehicle in its current form as a hatchback? The current coupe may be long in the tooth but the lines are still sexy as hell. This on the other hand couldn't be distinguished from as Dave pointed out, a 9-3x from behind or the side...someone please confirm that this hatchback isn't what we're getting...
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foad 10:45PM (12/18/2005)
My girlfriend has a TT and I really like it, but I have a few beefs with this concept.
I don't like the hatchback look to the rear end. It should just be a normal coupe.
Also the headlights look they are from a Ford Focus.
I hope the look is further refined before it hits production, if it ever does.
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Lee Gibson 10:45PM (12/18/2005)
David, check your Wikipedia.
"In the United Kingdom, a very specific type, rare these days, is known as a shooting brake. These are modifications of luxury coup?with an estate car-like back fitted. They generally remain with two side doors. The purpose of them, historically, is obvious from the name; they were vehicles for the well-off shooter and hunter, giving space to carry shotguns and other equipment. They have rarely been made by the factory and are generally aftermarket conversions; some are still made. Up through the early 1960s many of them were built as woodies, making them some of the most exclusive and luxurious woodies ever built.
The word 'brake' in 'shooting brake' may come from the French term for station wagon, break."
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Ray 10:45PM (12/18/2005)
There are tonnes of information Honda, Madza, Nissan, Subaru, Suzuki, Mitsubishi, and even German cars for Tokyo Autoshow. But I haven't seen one for Toyota. I thought that Toyota is one of the autoshow participants. Please correct me if I am wrong.
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Richard 10:45PM (12/18/2005)
I like it, except for the boxy backside. The elegant arch of the TT coupe's cockpit is what caused me to get one in the first place. Glad it's just a concept. Maybe take the hatch area and put it on an A3 two-door for the USA, and take the rest of it and make it into the next TT. The grille is sweet, though I wonder about license plate placement.
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Richard 10:45PM (12/18/2005)
What a hot rocket. Too bad this design team didn't design the "new" GTI...
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333 10:45PM (12/18/2005)
Toyota likes to announce in the very last seconds, like IS250 350 prices annouced today 11, and goes on sale on the 14, 3 days prior to sale
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Richard Warren 10:45PM (12/18/2005)
I'm in, the grille even looks good
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Dan Clarke 10:45PM (12/18/2005)
"Shooting Brake"... pretentious, Moi?
Who needs another "agressive profile" showing up in the rear mirror?
Spend the money on better fuel economy.
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John 10:45PM (12/18/2005)
It's an interesting Audi design, for sure but it doesn't have that iconic sense that the original TT does (disclaimer: I have a TT coupe). The original was all curves and circles and had a simple, clean, taut sense. This new concept feels more contrived, like many of Audi's newer efforts.
That said, I don't know how you follow an original...
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leased 10:45PM (12/18/2005)
When I woke up to see this on leftlanenews I thought I was looking at an autobild rendering. It looks "real" but not quite right... It's cool, but looks kinda contrived. Le Mans looked better.
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Nels Nelson 10:45PM (12/18/2005)
This reinforces my opinion that GM should build the Nomad concept instead of the Saturn Sky.
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