You’ll either love it or hate it. Either way, they made it.
Audi already killed off the TT for its next-gen vehicle line-up, so this is everything but a serious attempt to ramp up interest in the sports coupe. Instead, Audi let its trainees get practical and design and build this one-off off-road machine.
Audi TT Safari is inspired by the legendary Audi 200 Safari, which dominated 1987 WRC Safari Rally, winning 1st and 2nd place.
The rugged-looking TT will be making a debut at the 2019 GTI meetup at Wörthersee, Austria (29 May – 1 June), where thousands of VW enthusiasts flock up each year to share their passion.
The offroader is raised and equipped with a number of new body panels.
The front bumper is redesigned to incorporate a row of rally lights with additional lights integrated into the side vents down low. In the back, the dual exhaust is lifted higher and integrated into the rear bumper.
The rear spoiler, window, and trunk are removed. Instead, Audi’s trainees put a rack with two spare tires and a set of rails so you can still take some camping equipment with you in the bush.
A set of (impossible to miss) wheel arches cover the top of the tires, which stick halfway out of the original fenders.
Inside, the interior matches the paint job with yellow accents and stitching contrasting the grey base color. The steering wheel is borrowed from an R8 and also color-coded to match the style.
Under the radical body, you’ll find an RS powertrain. The turbocharged, 2.5-liter inline 5-cylinder engine produces 394 horsepower and 354 lbs-ft of torque. That’s handled by a 7-speed DSG transmission and delivered to all four wheels by Audi’s Quattro AWD system.
In combination with the massive 215/60R17 off-road tires, the TT Safari should really move some dirt and gravel under your butt.
We can’t hope this thing will last a full rally – there’s not even a roll cage in there. However, if there’s any Audi 200 DNA in it, it will at least perform reasonably on the trail. Fingers crossed for some offroad footage soon!
