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Audi TT Unofficial "Revival" Concept Looks Like Pure 1990s Design Turned EV

The Audi TT is still around, but not for long. The Mk3 generation came out roughly one year after the Golf 7 and A3 hatchbacks, which means it should be discontinued pretty soon. It won't be long before people start feeling nostalgic, but not for the modern versions.
Audi TT Unofficial "Revival" Concept Looks Like Pure 1990s Design Turned EV 10 photos
Photo: doinnext_cong/Instagram
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The Mk3 TT certainly has some design mojo. It has a lot of character for such a little sports car, from the R8-like design to the clamshell hood and the cockpit-like dashboard with no infotainment screen. But many Audi fans believe the first-gen was better, more original in some way.

Why feel nostalgic for that car? It's not even that old. Well, your brain tricks you into thinking 1998 wasn't that long ago, but we're talking 23 years in the past. The first iPhone came out in 2007, and that feels like an eternity ago.

At that time, Audi was just getting its foot in the door. The first A8 came out in the mid-1990, and German compacts were becoming quite popular. While at first, the TT didn't seem like much of a sports car, especially when compared to RWD rivals, it's now appreciated for its Avant-garden design.

The original TT was based on a concept by Freeman Thomas, who also worked on the Bettle reboot. Peter Schreyer, who you might know from Kia, was responsible for the transition from concept to production. Their combined vision was short, rounded, with precise lines and bulging fenders, like an espresso version of the rounded design of that era.

Many enthusiasts are trying to collect mint-condition first-gen TT coupes. Unfortunately, most of them have been heavily modified, or the 1.8-liter turbo wasn't well maintained. Wouldn't it be wonderful if Audi just built a 4th-gen that looked like it was made in the late 1990s yet was powered by EV tech?

There have been rumors, but unfortunately, this rendered concept is purely speculative, which doesn't stop us from enjoying it. We've actually shown a simple frontal view of Cong's work at the beginning of the month, but fresh angles let us appreciate the complexity of the design.

The shape is reminiscent of the first iMac, which ironically also came out in 1998. Gentle curves form a bubble-like shape, and the Audi's vents are similar to those needed to cool Apple's computer.

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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