好みの自動車デザイン：第51回ーー2ドア・クーペの系譜： 第31回【ドイツ車編②】 初代アウディー・TT、1998（レイク・シルバー・メタリック）『幾何学＋情緒＝傑作』1st Gen. AUDI TT、1998（Lake Silver Metallic）『Geometry+Emotion=Masterpiece』

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Side View: A Surface Design That Embody the Ultimate in Clean Lines

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Flat Surfaces (Smoothing): The gaps between the door glass, pillars, and the body panels have been minimized to the absolute limit. Visual noise (unevenness) has been thoroughly eliminated.

Blister Fenders: To express the power of Audi’s signature “Quattro” (4WD system), the area around the wheel wells is sharply squared off yet smoothly flares outward. This serves as a design element that adds “dynamic strength” to what would otherwise be a merely rounded design.

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Rear View: The most distinctive feature and the pinnacle of aesthetics

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Gently Sloping Tail End: The tail design—which flows seamlessly from the roof to the rear window and then to the tip of the trunk as a single, smooth surface without any steps—is the most sensual and beautiful aspect of the first-generation TT.

Taillight Placement: In perfect harmony (and contrast) with the front headlights, simple rectangular lights are embedded at the corners of the body.

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Fuel Lid: The Iconic Metal Detail

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One of the most famous details of the first-generation TT’s exterior is the round aluminum fuel lid. Its racy design, featuring exposed bolts arranged in a circular pattern, serves as a striking accent against the painted body panels and symbolizes Audi’s premium philosophy of craftsmanship: “using authentic materials (aluminum).”

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4. The Magic of Contrast: The Coexistence of Inanimate and Organic Elements

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The true reason the first-generation TT’s design took the world by storm lies in the fact that two opposing elements—“cold geometry (industrial)” and “glamorous vitality (organic)”—coexist without a single line out of place.

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When a car is built based solely on geometric specifications, it usually ends up looking like “just a box” or a “cold household appliance,” and its appeal (emotion) as a vehicle fades. However, the TT imbues the fender bulges and the curved surfaces along the body sides with an exquisite “sensuality (tension).”

Even the distortion of the scenery reflected on the body surface when light hits it has been meticulously calculated, so that even when stationary, the car exudes a mysterious sense of vitality, as if it were swelling under intense internal pressure. This exquisite control of “coldness and warmth” was where the design team truly showcased their skill.

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5. Design Ideals and Reality: The Drama of Adding the Rear Spoiler

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From a designer’s perspective, there is one “incident” that cannot be ignored. That is the specification change known as the “addition of the rear spoiler,” which took place from late 1999 through 2000, the year following the car’s launch.

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The “Lift” Problem Caused by Too Much Perfection

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The first-generation TT was so perfectly symmetrical, with a roofline featuring smooth arcs like an airplane wing, that it had a weakness: at ultra-high speeds exceeding 180 km/h, it generated strong aerodynamic forces (lift) that caused the body to try to lift off the road. This led to accidents where drivers lost control while driving at high speeds on European autobahns and other highways.

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A Designer’s Dilemma and the Defeat of Form?

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As an immediate countermeasure, Audi issued a recall (modification) to install Electronic Stability Program (ESP) and a small rear spoiler at the end of the trunk as standard equipment.

For the designers of that era, the “perfectly smooth, unbroken line” at the rear end of the trunk—unobstructed by anything—was a symbol of the Bauhaus philosophy and a sacred space they were absolutely unwilling to compromise. Attaching a spoiler that looked like an afterthought seemed like a “defeat” that would tarnish the purity of the design.

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However, looking at the spoiler that was actually installed, it’s clear that Audi’s design team didn’t treat it as a mere aftermarket part; instead, they integrated it with an extremely precise form tailored to the width of the body. Today, among car collectors, the “early models without spoilers” are revered as iconic precisely because of their purity; however, the later models with spoilers can also be seen as another authentic embodiment of the Bauhaus philosophy (“form follows function”), in the sense that their shape evolved in accordance with the natural laws (function) of aerodynamics.

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6. Conclusion: Impact on Modern Car Design

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The first-generation Audi TT is a landmark vehicle that elevated automotive styling—which had previously been constrained by the need to accommodate “engine placement” and “passenger space”—into the realm of “pure industrial design” (the aesthetics of industrial products).

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In terms of packaging (the foundation), it utilized the same standard front-wheel-drive platform as the Volkswagen Golf (Generation IV) and the Audi A3 of that era. Nevertheless, the power of its design—which completely concealed that mundane framework and established a “unique symbol (icon) instantly recognizable to anyone”—can only be described as astonishing.

Amid the current trend in automotive design, where vehicles intimidate one another with excessive character lines and massive grilles, the “aesthetics of subtraction” (less is more) demonstrated by the first-generation TT continues to quietly challenge us designers to ask, “What is a truly beautiful form?”

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#Three-view photos:

#Key Specifications [8N Model]:

Model: APX / BAM

Total Displacement: 1,780 cc, inline-4 DOHC 20-valve turbocharged with intercooler

Fuel Supply: Electronically controlled fuel injection

Maximum Power: 225 ps (165 kW) / 5,900 rpm

Maximum Torque: 28.6 kg·m (280 N·m) / 2,200–5,500 rpm

Drivetrain: Full-time 4WD (quattro)

Seating Capacity: 4 passengers (2+2)

Body Style: 2-door coupe

Wheelbase: 2,425 mm

Overall Length: 4,060 mm

Overall Width: 1,765 mm

Overall Height: 1,340 mm

Curb Weight:

1,330 kg

*Exterior Design Features: The Revival of Bauhaus Design

Within its compact overall length of just over 4 meters,

it brought to life a Bauhaus-inspired three-dimensional geometric composition:

The experiment known as the

[Audi TT] was a resounding success.

We will examine the exterior design features of this rare masterpiece

by focusing on the following five points.

1: Built on the Audi and VW Group’s compact front-wheel-drive chassis, this three-dimensional form—achieved by masterfully employing protractors, compasses, rulers, and cloud-shaped rulers, and by weaving magic through emotive details and line segments—is so flawlessly executed that it is virtually impossible to imitate. ———> The momentum of the Audi design team during the heyday of “Emperor” Piech is palpable throughout.

2: The bold treatment of the overall surfaces and the delightful graphic finesse seen in the contrast between the front fenders and hood, as well as the trim lines on the doors and scuttle—it’s the kind of design you can’t help but want to imitate!

3: The front grille and headlights fit together perfectly, creating an unforgettable, striking expression—the repeated “quarter-circle arcs” create a wonderful rhythm.

4: The indescribable, half-teardrop-shaped beauty of the hardtop section, perched daintily atop the high shoulder line—> Of course, this also contributes to the drag coefficient!

5: The “outstanding sense of stance” created by the long wheelbase and relatively large tires

Now, let’s take a look at each of these

with photos.

1: Built on the Audi/VW Group’s compact front-wheel-drive chassis, this is a three-dimensional form of unparalleled perfection—achieved by masterfully utilizing protractors, compasses, rulers, and cloud-shaped rulers, and then casting a spell with evocative details and lines.

(By significantly rounding out the front corners, the designers succeeded in making the front overhang appear visually equivalent in length to the rear overhang—> This cleverly conceals the long front overhang, a weakness of front-wheel-drive chassis.)

——> The momentum of the Audi design team during the heyday of “Emperor” Piech is palpable.

2: The bold treatment of the overall surfaces and the delightful graphic finesse seen in the contrast between the front fenders and hood, as well as the trim lines on the doors and scuttle panels

—> It’s the kind of design you can’t help but want to imitate!

3: The front grille fits perfectly, and together with the headlights, it creates an unforgettable, striking expression.

――> The repeated “quarter-circle arcs” create a wonderful rhythm.

4: The indescribable, half-teardrop-shaped beauty of the hardtop section, perched lightly atop the high shoulder line

――> Of course, it also contributes to the CD value!

5: The “outstanding sense of stance” created by the long wheelbase and relatively large tires

Next up is my personal

【TT】 experience!

* “Me” and the Audi TT: 【ACCD—Reasons for Returning to School】

#The Narrow Gate: The Profession of Automotive Designer

In the early 1990s, at Art Center College of Design’s School of Industrial Design—

particularly within the Department of Transportation Design—

there was an atmosphere filled with a unique aura.

Due to the slump in the U.S. automotive industry at the time,

the job market for graduates was at an all-time low…

————> For every 20 graduates, there were only 2–3 entry-level positions available.

Despite this,

as always,

superstar designers continued to emerge from among the students.

* Nick Pugh: Presented a masterpiece in the large coupe project featuring a Mazda rotary engine

* Jason Hill (son of Ron Hill, who later became the department chair), who created a futuristic sports car with a striking concept

* Every student’s design shone brilliantly—> The “Honda Acura”-sponsored Indy race car design project, and many others…

The school was teeming with outstanding students.

Amidst all this, I myself,

while taking night classes during my first few semesters, was inspired by the vibrant atmosphere around me

and worked with great enthusiasm,

but as I progressed through my fourth and fifth semesters (graduation occurs after completing eight semesters),

I was crushed by an indescribable pressure,

and midway through my sixth semester, I was diagnosed with depression,

leading me to take a leave of absence before the semester ended.

During my leave of absence,

at the suggestion of my roommate at the time,

I began attending a Christian church,

while working as a *joiner* at

*a company that handled the export of custom cars to Japan,

and at a Japanese antique shop

on Green Street in Pasadena.

Amid all this, in the spring of 1994, through the mediation of a Christian friend, I was baptized

and began my journey as a Christian.