Audi TT

We take a second look at revolutionary Coupé

AE TT for this we know and love it - a svelte, style-conscious coupé - will die off following a looming transformation into a coupé-style crossover around the time of the original model's 25th birthday.

Yes, the Mk1 TT really is almost a quarter of a century old. And yet, looking at the 1999 example in front of me (part of Audi UK's heritage fleet), you wouldn't know it. This is still a fabulous car to behold, with its curvaceous, minimalistic design - said to be inspired by the German Bauhaus movement - ageing amazingly well.

Stepping around the back, there's something missing - a spoiler, which leads us to a tricky subject that must be broached when talking about this car. A series of fatal high-speed crashes, all taking place on German autobahns, led to a recall early in the TT's life to tame its behaviour at speeds above 110mph or so. The twostage recall involved recalibration of the ESP, suspension tweaks, and yes, the fitting of a rear spoiler that interrupted the coupé's sleek lines.

Two-and-a-bit decades on, the sight of a bespoilered TT is so ubiquitous that seeing one without seems odd at first. It turns out the fitting of the aero device wasn't a legal requirement, so a very few Mk1s - this one included

- went without, and those examples now tend to be more valuable. Given that we're driving around rural Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire rather than a chunk of derestricted autobahn, I don't think we'll need the extra downforce.