2023 Audi TT Given Sendoff Limited Edition Model

Matt Posky
by Matt Posky

Audi is discontinuing the TT this year and will be offering a Final Edition built in limited quantities. Based on the Roadster, the model is focused on giving a visual nod to the original that debuted in 1998 so you’ll have something to talk about with friends. But the first thing they’re going to bring up is why the cloth top is gray rather than the original black.


The answer is that Audi wanted to differentiate the model from everything else that wore the TT badge. But it clashes with the convertible's singular color scheme of Goodwood Green with a Palomino Brown leather interior.

While both are exclusive colors for the TT Roadster Final Edition, they’re also throwbacks to some of the hues available on the first generation. Audi offered a slew of colors back then, including eight individual greens. However, Goodwood Green is probably the best compromise if you’re limited to using just one and it pairs extremely well with the brown being used on the interior.


The 20-inch wheels are also a throwback, even though they don’t denote any specific time period. Instead, they’re emblematic of some of the Y-spoke designs that were typically available for those willing to spend a bit more dough on their TT. We’ve also seen plenty of Audi vehicles weaning aftermarket BBS wheels and these look like they could have come straight from the catalog.

The interior is done up extra fancy as part of the S line, which means It comes with Bluetooth connectivity, built-in seat belt microphones (creepy) for voice command, the brand’s Virtual Cockpit display, and some additional infotainment upgrades. It also comes with some carbon accenting and the extended leather package that adds more animal skin to the door armrests, center console, airbag cap, and around the instrument cluster.


Most of that will be in the same Palomino Brown as the seats. But many of the black leather bits that aren’t will be given some brown stitching (e.g. steering wheel, gear selector boot, and floor mats) to provide a more cohesive interior look in addition to serving as a reference to the “baseball stitching” available on the original TT.

Exterior tweaks can also be attributed to the S line and help explain why the roof is gray. Audi originally offered it on the 2019 TT Roadster 20th Anniversary Edition. Perhaps the company had some spare material lying around the factory or wanted to use something from the past that would make the Final Edition extra rare.


While some won’t like how it plays off the brown upholstery, it does mesh well with some of the aggressive exterior embellishments. A platinum gray matte exterior bumper trim and side trim elements have been included as part of the S line. However, Audi stripped the car of any relevant badging “for increased exclusivity.”

Considering how Audi is marketing the TT Roadster Final Edition and limiting its production, with just 50 units being allocated to the United States, our guess is that the brand sees this as more of a collectible model. That’s also reflected by the price. Despite being a sporty car offering all-wheel drive, the TT is outperformed by loads of vehicles in (and even below) its price range.


The Final Edition doesn’t do anything to remedy this and even makes things a little worse by way of its $67,800 MSRP plus an additional $1,095 destination charge.


That's pretty steep considering the the standard 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine offering 228 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque has gone totally untouched. There have also been no changes announced for the 7-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission and standard quattro all-wheel drive.

But you’re buying a more-analog experience that’s tragically absent from a lot of today’s sports cars. It doesn’t even come with a centrally mounted touchscreen, which is probably a factory delete I’d pay extra for on most modern automobiles. While it’s been years since I’ve climbed inside of a TT, the cockpit hasn’t changed much and there’s something classy about it. Infotainment features and navigational tools are hidden inside the core instrument cluster, leaving the rest of the cabin clean and unmarred by the gaudy digitization automakers are trying their hardest to popularize.


It’s certainly not for everyone. But you’ll immediately know whether or not the Final Edition or any TT is something you want to see in your garage as it really is the last of its kind for Audi and probably Volkswagen Group as a whole.

[Images: Audi]

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Matt Posky
Matt Posky

A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.

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  • L&L I have a 2004 Xb right now the odometer reads 265,000 miles no mayor issues ,pay 14,500 . you don't need complaints about this lunch box the best .
  • Jeanbaptiste 2022 Tesla model 3 performance ~35000 miles tires - ~$1000ish. Several cabin filters ~$50
  • El scotto No rag-top, no rag-top(s) = not a prestigious car brand. Think it through. All of the high-end Germans and Lexus have rag-tops. Corvette is really its own brand.World-leading engines. AMG, M, S and well Lexus is third-world tough. GM makes one of the best V-8s in the world in Bowling Green. But nooooo, noooo, we're GM only Corvettes get Corvette engines. Balderdash! I say. Put Corvette engines in the top-tier Cadillacs. I know GM could make a world-class 3.5 liter V-6 but they don't or won't. In the interior everything that gets touched, including your butt, has to feel good. No exceptions.Some think that those who pay above MSRP and brag about it are idiots. Go the opposite direction, and offer an extended 10-year 100,000-mile factory warranty. At a reasonable price. That's Acura's current business model.
  • Carrera 2014 Toyota Corolla with 192,000 miles bought new. Oil changes every 5,000 miles, 1 coolant flush, and a bunch of air filters and in cabin air filters, and wipers. On my 4th set of tires.Original brake pads ( manual transmission), original spark plugs. Nothing else...it's a Toyota. Did most of oil changes either free at Toyota or myself. Also 3 batteries.2022 Acura TLX A-Spec AWD 13,000 miles now but bought new.Two oil changes...2006 Hyundai Elantra gifted from a colleague with 318,000 when I got it, and 335,000 now. It needed some TLC. A set of cheap Chinese tires ($275), AC compressor, evaporator, expansion valve package ( $290) , two TYC headlights $120, one battery ( $95), two oil changes, air filters, Denso alternator ( $185), coolant, and labor for AC job ( $200).
  • Mike-NB2 This is a mostly uninformed vote, but I'll go with the Mazda 3 too.I haven't driven a new Civic, so I can't say anything about it, but two weeks ago I had a 2023 Corolla as a rental. While I can understand why so many people buy these, I was surprised at how bad the CVT is. Many rentals I've driven have a CVT and while I know it has one and can tell, they aren't usually too bad. I'd never own a car with a CVT, but I can live with one as a rental. But the Corolla's CVT was terrible. It was like it screamed "CVT!" the whole time. On the highway with cruise control on, I could feel it adjusting to track the set speed. Passing on the highway (two-lane) was risky. The engine isn't under-powered, but the CVT makes it seem that way.A minor complaint is about the steering. It's waaaay over-assisted. At low speeds, it's like a 70s LTD with one-finger effort. Maybe that's deliberate though, given the Corolla's demographic.
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