Dutch firm Autoforma has revealed a tribute to the 1995 Audi TTS – the concept car that previewed the original drop-top TT several years before its launch.
Although the TT made it to production with minimal changes, Autoforma’s new restomod effectively undoes all those tweaks, resetting the small roadster to its purest form.
Key changes include squarer, narrower grilles around the lower section of the front bumper; the reinstatement of vents on the front wings; and the removal of the fabric roof in favour of a hard panel that sits flush with the rear deck. The spoiler that was added to the TT shortly after its 1998 launch has also been removed.
Meanwhile, the suspension has been lowered and its track has been widened, giving a more sporting appearance.
Completing the package is primer-grey paint similar to that by the TTS concept, as well as the baseball-leather interior that was offered as an option on the production car.
The Autoforma TTS was commissioned by Dutch eyewear and interior designer Jos Baijens, who was among the country’s first TT owners in 1998. The firm said Baijens played a key role in “co-designing” the car, creating his ultimate TT.
The creation of Autoforma’s restomod reflects a change in perception of the TT. Although it was an industry disruptor and big seller upon its launch in 1998, it slowly lost its edge through its second and third generations, while buyer demand for small coupés also dropped. That led to its cancellation in 2023. Meanwhile, values of Mk1 TTs remained pitiful for a number of years, owing to high production numbers and a poor image. Yet that has now rebounded, with particularly well-preserved examples now attracting five-figure prices.
Audi last year revealed the Concept C, a first look at the sports car that will spearhead the brand’s reinvention – inspired by the Mk1 TT in both spirit and styling.
Much like its ancestor, it represents an almost complete break from Audi’s recent designs and is set to make it to production largely unchanged.