Next Audi TT will pop out of the oven in Frankfurt in 2005

In case you were wondering, it is a metaphorical oven of which I write. Ingolstadt-ers are planning a joyful September debut for the new TT next year at the Frankfurt Auto Show. The exterior may or may not look remotely close to the super-streamlined rendering at right, as all we really know for sure is that the next-gen model will stay faithful to Freeman Thomas' original design. Snagged from the Le Mans Concept will be head- and taillamps, plus a retractable rear spoiler to supply that elusive quarry, downforce (you do remember the early-model TT downforce debacle, don't you?). The underlying chassis will be the PQ35 platform used in the A3 and VW Golf MkV, with offerings of both Quattro and front-wheel drive. Proposed engines mimic the A4's lineup with the exception of a 150-hp NA base model, and there's even talk of an RS version creating 350-hp.