Despite the best efforts of the car industry, one of the great unknowns in the market is how to create an icon instead of another also-ran.
Audi achieved the icon dream with its original TT, a car that met the basic mantra of car design: smooth clean sweeping lines that any five-year-old can draw on the back of a schoolbook without any artistic mastery. It was, in a word, cute.
However, for all its good looks, the previous version also fell into the category of what some refer to as "a hairdresser's car".
In case you didn't realise it, this is not a compliment. It refers to a vehicle that's more style than substance, like a well-groomed leather-trouser-clad coiffeur who is a little light on topics that don't involve himself.
Beneath its heartwarming exterior, the original TT was little more than a spruced up version of the VW Golf. True, the 3.2-litre version captured the imagination when mated with the first DSG dual clutch gearbox on the market. Yet the run-of-the-mill 1.8-litre versions never really captured the true essence of sports car handling and was more a fashion statement than a sports car.
This new version is different on both counts. Styling is far more muscular and the drive is far more invigorating. The TT has substance behind its looks.
First to the looks: here the new TT seems an altogether more mouthwatering proposition. Despite being ever so slightly taller than the outgoing model, it actually looks squatter, while the longer front nose and sleeker lights give it a slightly menacing look.
In profile, the TT has a longer stretch of sideglass and more deeply sculpted swage lines. There are lovely detail touches throughout, such as the tail-lights with their distinct internal squares, making TTs very easy to spot from behind after dark. And a rear strip brakelight ensures that all behind know you are coming to a stop. Throughout the car little lighting and styling touches impress, worthy of the likes of Audi's future R8 supercar, due out next year.
They have also taken some of the lessons of the original TT to heart.
Instead of the add-on rear spoiler on the previous version - which was every bit the afterthought it looked - the new TT features a discrete folding system that deploys the spoiler at motorway speeds and tucks it away when speeds fall below 80km/h. Of course, for the egotists, it can be deployed at the push of a button.
The most striking first impression of the new car is a sense that the build quality is among the best in its category, with quality plastics and trim on the inside. It also feels much more spacious inside compared with the old version.
That's partly due to eight extra centimetres of cabin length, which has allowed for more seat travel.
You also sit very low in the car, which means taller drivers won't feel as cramped as they did in previous versions.
Unfortunately what extra room there is does not mean this car is anything more than a 2+2. Unlike the RX-8 - the only rival really with decent back seats - the TT's rear seats are strictly for infants or shopping bags.
The good news round the back is that bootspace has been increased by 20 litres to 290 litres and the rear seats flip down to offer up to 700 litres of space. It's not very tall but it's a pretty impressive load area for a sports car.
The new car has a lower centre of gravity and is significantly stiffer than the previous version; all adding to its cornering and road-going ability.
The new TT's handling is a vast improvement. Perhaps it's the flat-bottomed steering wheel or the addictive rasp of the exhaust, but it just entices you to push on through the apex of bends, even if you know that it would be that much better with Quattro four-wheel-drive holding you to the bend.
Admittedly the new TT still retains some links to its cousin the Golf: most notably the 2-litre engine from the GTi. But that's only to its benefit, for the GTi's power source is fantastic, particularly when matched with the dual-clutch DSG transmission.
This glorious six-speed gearbox is a must-have on the TT and manages to change up or down in the blink of an eye, and so smoothly that in realistic rev ranges it's only when you watch the needle on the rev counter blip that you realise it's actually taken effect. Our only gripe is with the decision by Audi to rebrand it S-Tronic. There was nothing wrong with the original abbreviated name, so why change it?
The 2-litre engine also offers plenty of mid-range pull, it sounds as throaty as the looks suggest and it will zip its way to 100km/h from rest in 6.4 seconds. Direct injection petrol technology also helps it achieve an excellent official combined consumption of 7.7 L/100km (36.7mpg).
The 2-litre is so good, in fact, that it's difficult to make a case for the 3.2-litre V6. It offers an extra 50bhp but the benefit is offset by an extra 150kg. What it does have is Quattro control.
The 2-litre packs all the punch one realistically needs for Irish roads, but the front wheels have a tendency to behave quite skittishly on all but the most immaculate surfaces. Of course it's as meek as a church mouse under everyday conditions, but if you attempt to open the throttle in a hurry, you're virtually guaranteed to see the little flicker of the ESP light in the dashboard as the system tinkers with the power delivery to maintain traction.
The test car was shod with Continental Sport Contact 2 low-profile tyres, and we never got to try it with any other tyres, to see if that would improve front wheel grip, but an active traction control certainly was a feature of our week in the TT.
Of course, to allay this problem you could opt for the quattro system on the larger engine, but with only 0.7 seconds between the two cars from 0-100km/h and €11,700 in the price, don't expect to see too many 3.2-litre versions around.
With that sort of price difference it simply doesn't make sense, either in terms of performance or resale potential. Better to spend some of that money on Audi's ever-voluminous options list. This includes a new "magnetic" ride suspension system for €2,043, which allows you to switch to sports mode if so desired. Wiser money will make sure to opt for S-Tronic versions, paddle shift leather steering wheels (€374) and cruise control (€427).
For those prepared to wait a while, a diesel version will be out later next year. For now the 2-litre is the best all-rounder.
The competition is tight for sports car icons and there are faster and more fun rivals out there. Its main challenge in premium image stakes will come from BMW's Z4 Coupé, once it expands its engine range, and the good looking Alfa Romeo Brera.
In terms of fun, the threat comes from the glorious Honda S2000 and the Mazda RX-8. Then there's its kissing cousin, the VW Golf GTi.
Yet the premium badge, the extra bootspace and the new more muscular look combine well with an improved driving experience to suggest that most coupé owners will opt for the four-rings, if only to make more of a statement to their neighbours than they can with the rest. There are now equally beautiful rivals out there, but the good news for TT fans is that Audi has concentrated its efforts on making the substance match the style.