Vegas-roadster

I owned 2 Mk 1 roadsters and am presently driving a Mk 2 roadster. I plan to by a Mk 3 roadster this year as prices on low mileage 2016 TTs have really dropped and will drop more. Shopping around I saw that 2016 TTS coupes were about the same price as the base TT roadster but the TTS coupe did not tickle me like the Mk 2 TTRS did.
I'm not a tech guy so I can appreciate the OP's desire for the purity of a manual plus a big boost in HP. The Mk 3 version of any TT is better than its comparable Mk 2 but when you are comparing a TTS to a TTRS it is apples and oranges. Personally, I would never buy a 7-8 year old car because at the 10 year mark you begin to see degradation issues like hoses, mounts, etc. and I keep my cars 6-7 years, but the Mk 2 TTRS is a great car.

farmerjones

One of the biggest advance of the Mk3 is the new AWD programing, allowing 50/50 lock when the computer is anticipating wheel spins under hard acceleration or cornering. Throw in torque vectoring and it's just in another league in the way power is put down over the Mk2, especially accelerating out of corners hard.

If you really want to experience how much the AWD tuning changes the car drive a 2015-16 S3 and then a 2017 S3 with the new software....it's like night and day, especially with understeer mitigation. If you really want a Mk3 to have more power I can personally say the APR tunes are cheap, reliable and boost the performance above a Mk2 TT RS with ease. Plus fuel economy goes up!

VGM911

Assuming this is true, why doesn't Audi do this as part of the cars' standard equipment? Surely the cost isn't prohibitive...

farmerjones

I've put on nearly 40,000 miles on my 2016 TT with an APR tune. Never a single issue or check engine light. The last 12,000 miles has average 29.9 MPG overall. Puts out over 300 horsepower and is faster than a stock TTS, all for less than $1000. I couldn't have been more happy with the results, and it totally transforms the car for quick to down-right fast. Some tunes are a little "scary" or have questionable quality, but I don't think APR falls into that category. Audi want's to maintain a "hierarchy" of performance versus price versus variants in it's lineup, hence many models have their horsepower turned down from what is easily achievable reliably. Just look at how many different states of power there are with the 2.0T engine around the world, all using almost identical parts. Every manufacturer does this, from cars to tractors to busses.

ourlee

farmerjones

I agree...the MQB platform's quality seems to be in a whole different league compared to previous Audi cars, especially as they age. Good advice in my eyes as well.

robbky48

Thank you all for some awesome info. i know I will not be happy with an auto trans. I do worry that I will miss some of the mk3 improvements. I really love my TTS but it is lacking something and I know exactly what that is. I may look at a few other cars but this is my one and only toy and it needs to excite me when I see it in the garage. The Porsche Cayman and 718 just fall short visually for me. I am sure they are fantastic cars but I want it all. I was so close to purchasing a 2017 Lotus Evora 400. my goodness what a looker for someone on a budget but then I see all sorts of problems with quality control. Again I do appreciate everyones time and input. My toy is basically a drive and enjoy car. I do not track or race. I simply want an engaging experience when I drive. The DSG does not do that for me at all. it is solid and very quick but there is something missing.

Huey52

I have moments when I think your way and contemplate a 2019 Miata RF manual trans. Certainly not as refined nor as powerful as the Mk3 TTS but more seat o' the pants engaging.

ourlee

Randall_G

Too bad this is your only car. I also considered the MK2 TTRS, because it's available with a MT. Since I own two other cars with a MT, I've settled on buying a MK3 TTS or TTRS. I'm certain I would not be satisfied if my only car didn't have a clutch pedal.

I second the vote for the latest generation of the Miata. Nothing else like it for sale today--small, light, and nimble. And, surprisingly zippy. The Alfa Romeo 4C comes close, but no MT.