Audi TT speedster 'will be built'

By Tim Pollard

Motor Industry

20 May 2008 12:15

Audi will build a limited production run of the TT speedster we scooped last week, CAR Online can reveal. The company is planning to make between 50-100 of the chop-top TT especially for the Middle East market.

Although spokesmen in Europe have denied any production plans for the unusual open-top TT we spied on test in southern Germany, Audi's marketing director for the Middle East, Bernd Rosenbichler, told us they were planning a small production run for enthusiasts in hotter climes.

'We have been asked [by Audi AG] if we could imagine bringing this car here,' he told CAR. 'We are planning on making the worldwide premiere of this car here and then launching it just for the region.'

Audi TT speedster: just like the concept

The production car will remain very close in design to the 2007 TT Clubsport Quattro concept – as proved by our spy photos. The wraparound windscreen lip remains, as does the strictly two-seater cabin.

Why launch the speedster in the Middle East? The region has just a handful of rainy days a year, making the lack of any roof less of a problem. And Audi is desperately trying to boost its image in this wealthy market; selling a bespoke car built just for the region is a pretty good way of communicating its commitment to the Middle East.

Click here to read our original scoop on the speedster

Click here to read our report on the 2007 Clubsport concept

By Tim Pollard