Audi TT: Makeover shows make great television. A dowdy-looking girl is treated to a million euro restyle. Then she reappears in a designer suit to the appreciation of the audience.
It's addictive TV, even if the end result is an illusion. By the time our heroine has returned home, she'll have reverted to type.
The original Audi TT was much the same. Here was a standard Volkswagen Golf that had been dragged through a design studio and fitted with a posh suit. It's Bauhaus-looks made it a style icon and it was a huge success, but you didn't have to drive it far to realise that underneath all the bravado, it was still a tarted-up Golf.
Audi's brand image has come a long way since the original TT was unveiled back in 1998. Today, Audi regards itself as not just a style-setter, but as the maker of sporting motorcars. The new TT therefore tries to fix what was wrong, while leaving the best bits well alone.
The styling is instantly familiar. The curvaceous silhouette is familiar but the car is less symmetrical than before.
Apparently, the stylists wanted to give the car a sense of "forward momentum" and the headlights now boast an angry frown. Some of the design purity has been lost, and the new model is unlikely to turn heads in quite the same way as the "must-have" original, but it's still a handsome car.
And the interior's a delight. Nobody mixes plastic, leather and aluminium quite like Audi and the TT is arguably its finest work to date. The aluminium pedals and circular air vents are pinched from the old model, but the fascia is now tilted towards the driver and there's a lovely new, flat-bottomed steering wheel.
Those who found the old car a little claustrophobic will also appreciate the extra cabin space. The cockpit is longer and wider than before, and the side windows no longer feel like they've been modelled on a letter box.
For two passengers, the TT is ideal, but don't even think about describing this car as a four-seater. The rear bench is a no-go zone, even for children. It's really no more than a glorified parcel shelf, to complement the meagre boot.
While the aesthetics are a logical evolution of what's gone before, the bits you can't see are dramatically different. The key to the transformation is a new structure, which mixes aluminium with steel. Audi reckons that the new V6 model is 50 per cent stiffer than its predecessor, but 80kg lighter.
They're also making a big noise about the new "magnetic ride" system. Apparently, this employs microscopic magnetic particles in the dampers that respond to an electric current to micro-manage the ride quality. The system is an option on every model and won't be available to buy until January, but it was fitted to all our test cars.
Few owners will know or even care how the suspension works, but they will appreciate a dramatic improvement in the way the TT drives.
For the first time, the TT can properly be described as a sporting car. It corners hard and flat and while the steering could still do with a little more feel, it's much better than before. And the ride quality, while firm, could never be described as harsh. For the first time, the TT is as much about the drive as the arrival.
Two models will be available at launch - a 2-litre TFSI, which is likely to cost just under €50,000, and a 3.2 V6 quattro at just over €70,000.
The former engine is shared with the Volkswagen Golf GTi and it's terrific. There's plenty of mid-range pull, it sounds good and it will zip its way to 100km/h from rest in a mere 6.6 seconds. Direct injection petrol technology also helps it achieve an excellent combined consumption of 36.7mpg (7.7 L/100km).
The 2-litre is so good that it's difficult to make a case for the V6. It offers an extra 50bhp but the benefit is offset by an extra 150kg. In the real world, it's barely any quicker, travels 9.3 miles less on a gallon of unleaded and is likely to cost €20,000 more. The benefits of quattro four-wheel drive are also modest. One option that's worth considering, though, is Audi's brilliant DSG gearbox, now rechristened S-tronic and combining ultra-smooth automatic shifts with paddle-shift manual control. Next year there'll also be a diesel TT.
There will be those who claim that the new TT still isn't sporting enough and that the rival Nissan 350Z is both faster and more entertaining.
Some will also claim that Alfa's Brera is more striking. Both are valid arguments, but the Audi's strength lies in its sophistication and it's all-round appeal. The TT has always been a nice car to own but now it's also a good drive. This is a makeover with a lasting benefit.
FactFile
Power: 1,984cc 200bhp turbo and 3,189cc V6; 250bhp
Fuel consumption: combined 36.7mpg for 2-litre; 27.4mpg for 3.2 V6 (both manual) 0-100km/h for each engine 6.6 sec for 2-litre ; 5.9 sec for 3.2 V6 (both manual)
Top speed: 240/250 km/h (limited)
Dimensions: New TT gain over old TT - Length 4,178mm (+137mm) Width 1,945mm (excl mirrors) (+78mm) Height 1,352mm (+7mm) Luggage 290/700 (seats folded) (+70/+208)
Specification: alloy wheels, electric mirrors/windows, automatic air conditioning, trip computer
Arrival date: September
Prices: 2-litre will start below €50,000 while 3.2 V6 is likely to start at just over €70,000
Future versions: 2.0T quattro: 2007
TT 'S': 2008?
Diesel version: 2007?