New Audi A3

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new-bmw-z4-vs-new-audi-tt-roadster

Sports

Audi is a brand that sets the standard for interior quality, and this, combined with its vast and ever-growing model line-up, has helped it become one of the ‘big three’ German prestige car makers, along with BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

The A3 hatchback, A4 executive saloon and Q7 SUV have all won their classes at the What Car? Car of the Year Awards in recent years, while the TT coupé is the most decorated car in the history of the ceremony.

At least some of Audi's success over the past 30 years can be attributed to the growth in sales of vehicles with four-wheel drive; the company arguably led the way in bringing 4x4 technology into the mainstream, with its Quattro coupé in the early 1980s.

Today, most Audis are available with at least the option of four-wheel drive, while the list of SUVs from the brand includes the Q2, Q3, Q5 and Q7.

AUDI

<h2>Infotainment</h2><h3><a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/tt/sports/review/n13">Audi TT Roadster</a></h3>The TT dispenses with a separate infotainment screen and presents everything on a configurable 12.3in digital display in front of the driver. It’s controlled via a handy rotary dial by the gear selector and has straightforward menus. For Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, you need to add the Smartphone Interface (£400) and Technology Pack (£1495). The latter includes a 36-month subscription to online services and wireless phone charging.

<h3><a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/z4/sports/review/n64">BMW Z4</a></h3>Like the TT, the Z4 has sat-nav, DAB radio and Bluetooth as standard, plus a one-year subscription to Apple CarPlay (there’s no Android Auto). The separate 10.3in screen it very clear, the graphics look slick and the menus are even easier to work through than the TT’s. As well as being controlled by a rotary dial, the display is a touchscreen that’s ideal for using CarPlay. It’s a shame that so many of its features are subscription-based, though.<hr /><h2><a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/new-bmw-z4-vs-new-audi-tt-roadster/n19423">&lt; Previous</a> | <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/new-bmw-z4-vs-new-audi-tt-roadster/n19425">Next: Space and practicality &gt;</a></h2>

<h3><a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/z4/sports/review/n64">BMW Z4</a></h3>Like the TT, the Z4 has sat-nav, DAB radio and Bluetooth as standard, plus a one-year subscription to Apple CarPlay (there’s no Android Auto). The separate 10.3in screen it very clear, the graphics look slick and the menus are even easier to work through than the TT’s. As well as being controlled by a rotary dial, the display is a touchscreen that’s ideal for using CarPlay. It’s a shame that so many of its features are subscription-based, though.<hr /><h2><a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/new-bmw-z4-vs-new-audi-tt-roadster/n19423">&lt; Previous</a> | <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/new-bmw-z4-vs-new-audi-tt-roadster/n19425">Next: Space and practicality &gt;</a></h2>Page 3 of 6

New BMW Z4 vs new Audi TT Roadster

The old BMW Z4 wasn’t much fun to drive, but this new one promises to rectify that. Let’s see if it’s a better sports car than the recently refreshed Audi TT Roadster

New BMW Z4 vs new Audi TT Roadster        

Coupe

Yes, Aston Martin is the preferred manufacturer of a certain (not so) secret agent, but its latest cars offer a lot more than the chance to indulge your Bond fantasies.

The DB11 grand tourer, for example, won its price point at the What Car? Car of the Year Awards, thanks to its beautifully crafted interior and the fact that it’s both fun in the corners and a convincing long-distance cruiser. Meanwhile, the latest Vantage is Aston Martin’s best sports car to date.

The modern Aston Martin isn’t afraid to move with the times, either, with a luxury SUV part of its future model plans.

ASTON MARTIN

In many ways, modern Bentleys offer the best of both worlds, blending traditional British craftsmanship with modern mechanicals developed with the help of the company’s owner, Volkswagen.

The Bentayga SUV, for example, is closely related to Audi’s brilliantly engineered Q7 (another VW Group car). Yet the Bentayga still feels every inch a Bentley, thanks to its hand-finished interior and the fact that it’s available with Bentley’s outrageous W12 engine.

Other Bentleys you can buy today include the Flying Spur and Mulsanne saloons and the Continental GT coupé.

BENTLEY

Munich-based BMW is most famous for its sports saloons, in particular the 3 Series and 5 Series. However, it actually builds almost every type of car imaginable: everything from two-seat convertibles to seven-seat MPVs.

The cheapest model in the BMW range is the 1 Series hatchback, which is a rival to the Audi A3, Mercedes-Benz A-Class and Volkswagen Golf. Meanwhile, at the other extreme is the i8 plug-in hybrid sports car, which costs more than £100,000.

BMW was also quick to capitalise on the rise of the SUV and now has six in its range: the X1, X2, X3, X4, X5 and X6.

All of this makes it one of the big three German prestige brands, along with Audi and Mercedes-Benz.

If Caterham were a band, it would be a one-hit wonder. But a one-hit wonder with a catchy, seasonal song that re-enters the charts year after year.

The ‘song’ in question is the Seven, a lightweight, two-seat sports car that started life as a Lotus.

Caterham itself was a Lotus dealer. However, when Lotus decided to discontinue the Seven in 1973 so that it could concentrate on more complicated and expensive cars, Caterham bought the rights to the design.

It’s been building the Seven ever since, although Caterham has continued to refine the car and now offers numerous versions and power outputs.

CATERHAM

Picture a Chevrolet and chances are something huge and all-American springs to mind. However, in reality, the cars sold on these shores were all a sensible size, aimed at budget-conscious buyers.

The early cars, for example, started life as Daewoos but were rebranded after Chevrolet’s owner, General Motors, bought the ailing South Korean firm’s car division. Meanwhile, later models were based on Vauxhalls.

Chevrolet withdrew from Europe in 2015 after struggling to make an impact, but used examples do at least have the virtue of being incredibly cheap.

CHEVROLET

DS has only existed as a standalone manufacturer since 2015&nbsp;(prior to that the badge was used on upmarket&nbsp;Citroëns), but it is now the premium brand in the PSA Group, which also includes&nbsp;Citroën, Peugeot and Vauxhall.

In 2018, DS stated that it planned to launch a new model every year, with all of these influenced by the French fashion industry and&nbsp;designed&nbsp;to take on the ubiquitous offerings of Audi, BMW and Mercedes.

First to arrive (that same year) was the&nbsp;DS 7 Crossback – a large SUV that competes with the Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC. Then in 2019 this was followed by the smaller DS3 Crossback SUV, which is not only available&nbsp;with petrol and diesel engines, but also in fully electric E-Tense form.

More recently, DS&nbsp;unveiled its answer to the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E-Class luxury saloons. And while this DS 9 won't now go on sale until 2021, when it does arrive it will be offered with a choice of petrol, hybrid and fully electric power.

One of the world’s most famous brands and an integral part of the Formula 1 grid since the first championship in 1950, Ferrari fully lives up to its exalted reputation, producing some of the best sports cars money can buy.

Its entry-level model (although that term hardly seems appropriate) is the Portofino convertible, which is powered by a twin-turbo V8 and capable of blasting from 0-62mph in 3.5sec.

Then further up the range you find the mid-engined 488s, in coupé and Spider forms, and two GT cars: the GTC4 Lusso and the appropriately named 812 Superfast, a V12 monster that can hit 211mph.

FERRARI

Modern Fiats fall into two categories: the retro models and those with more functional designs.

Cars in the first camp appeal to the heart and include the 124 Spider sports car and the 500 series: a hatchback, a convertible, an SUV and two MPVs.

By contrast, the remaining models rely on their practicality and attractive pricing, with the Panda city car, Tipo hatchback and Fullback pick-up truck all prime examples.

Fiat can trace its roots back to the 19th century but is now part of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles group, along with Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Jeep and Maserati.

FIAT

Ford builds some of the most popular cars in the UK, including the Fiesta and Focus hatchbacks.

This success is partly down to longevity and the fact that there’s a Ford dealer around every corner. However, it’s also because Fords tend to offer good value and be among the best cars in their respective classes to drive.

The company’s huge range also helps; it offers everything from the small – but surprisingly practical – Ka+ to the large and lavishly equipped Edge SUV.

Meanwhile, other highlights of the range include the S-Max and Galaxy people carriers, the Mondeo executive car and the Ranger pick-up.

FORD

Lamborghinis have been adorning bedroom posters since the mid-1960s. Not bad for a company whose origins lie in making tractors.

Today, Lamborghini is part of the Volkswagen Group, and as well as bolstering its core sports car portfolio, it has branched out to launch the Urus – a luxurious SUV that’s a rival to the similarly rapid Bentley Bentayga W12 and Porsche Cayenne Turbo.

LAMBORGHINI

In the same way that Infiniti acts as Nissan’s premium arm, Lexus has a similar tie-in with Toyota. And since most of Toyota’s models are offered as hybrids, it’s no surprise to see the same from Lexus, although there are some traditional petrol engines, too.

The brand focuses heavily on SUVs – namely the NX and RX – but also has the CT hatchback, ES executive saloon and LS luxury car among its portfolio. More small and large SUVs are expected in the future.

Like Toyota, Lexus has built a very strong reputation for reliability and regularly finishes very close to the top of our annual Reliability Survey.

LEXUS

Mazda can be summed up in a single word: bold. Not only do its cars generally look like nothing else on the market, but it’s also invested heavily in innovative engine technology.

So, while many car makers have moved to smaller turbocharged engines, Mazda instead offers larger motors that are still efficient. For example, the entry-level petrol option in the Mazda 3 is a 2.0-litre unit –&nbsp;far larger than what you’ll find in most rivals – but it remains very clean.

Highlights of Mazda’s line-up include the MX-5 sports car, which has won our Convertible of the Year Award multiple times, and the CX-5 large SUV, which was named as our inaugural best car for dog owners.

MAZDA

To many, McLaren will always be best known for its motorsport activities, but it also has a growing range of high-performance cars designed to challenge the likes of Ferrari and Porsche.

Most McLaren models share two key components: a central tub made out of carbonfibre and a powerful V8 petrol engine. And with cars ranging from the entry-level 540C to the hardcore (but still road legal) Senna, McLaren cars rival everything from the Jaguar F-Type to the Porsche 911 and Ferrari’s 488 Pista.

MCLAREN

Mercedes’ line-up is vast – ranging from the A-Class family hatchback through to staple saloons such as the C-Class and E-Class, and onwards towards multiple SUVs, luxury saloons and even sports cars. Coupés and convertibles are thrown into the mix as well.

As one of the ‘big three’ German brands, Mercedes most often finds itself competing with Audi and BMW but more recently has found itself fending off Jaguar and Volvo, too.

Mercedes models are known for comfort. One example of this is the E-Class, because while the Audi A6 has a plusher interior and the BMW 5 Series handles better, the E-Class is probably the most comfortable for a long motorway journey.

MERCEDES-BENZ

Talk about taking an idea and running with it. The big-selling Mini hatchback is still at the core of the firm’s range, but its cute styling and relatively compact dimensions have been spun off into an estate (the Clubman) and an SUV (the Countryman), as well as a convertible.

Despite its small size, the Mini is a firmly premium product, and the three-door hatchback counts the Audi A1 and Volkswagen Polo among its key rivals.

The fact that Mini is owned by BMW brings some big advantages –&nbsp;not least the fact that its infotainment system is based on BMW’s industry-leading iDrive.

MINI

Porsche is best known as the quintessential sports car maker, but its line-up is increasingly diverse, interesting and successful, from its SUV family to the Panamera hatchback and shooting brake and, in time, a planned family of electric vehicles.

Whatever your choice, What Car?’s testers rate the cars highly; Porsche has an unusually high percentage of five and four-star cars.

Without exception, its sports cars are class leaders or among the class leaders, standing out for combining driving thrills with surprising luxury and comfort. Likewise, its SUVs are among the sharpest handling, as well as offering high levels of practicality and quality. Meanwhile, the Panamera is a true rival to the very best large executive saloons.

Porsche also sees itself as an electric car pioneer and has already enjoyed sales success with its plug-in hybrid range. Its first all-electric sports car is imminent, signalling the firm’s intent to stay relevant for many years to come.

PORSCHE

The VW Group famously spends more money on research and development than any rival – and as a result, perhaps it should be no surprise that our testers rate its cars so consistently highly.

The fact that many of those cars use the same underpinnings also helps, because it means that if they get it right once, they have the foundations to keep on getting it right.

However, the Volkswagen brand faces plenty of tough competition, often from within, because the rapidly rising Seat and Skoda brands that are also part of the group have access to the same technology.

VOLKSWAGEN

We like the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/tt/coupe/review/n12">Audi TT</a>. So much so, in fact, that over the years it's won more What Car? Awards than any other model. It’s not one of the cheaper variants that we’re focusing on here, though, or even the sporty TT S. No, this is the top dog with the big guns: the range-topping Audi TT RS.

Because the TT will soon be discontinued, the RS is now available only in Coupé form (you’ll have to seek out a used example of the Roadster version if you fancy one that offers al fresco thrills). But Audi has introduced a limited-run Iconic Edition variant, which brings more aggressive styling. This isn’t backed up by a power hike, but then the 2.5-litre turbocharged five-cylinder petrol unit in the TT RS (an engine it shares with the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/rs3/hatchback/review/n175">Audi RS3</a> hot hatch) already produced a mighty 394bhp.

<iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6OHghl-JhHg" width="560"></iframe>

Whether you go for the Iconic Edition or not, that muscle is sent to all four wheels via a quick-shifting seven-speed <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/buying/automatic-gearboxes-everything-you-need-to-know/n17022">dual-clutch automatic gearbox</a> to help combine seriously impressive performance figures with ease of use. And the TT RS certainly has its closest rivals – the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/alpine/a110/coupe/review/n185">Alpine A110</a>, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/bmw/m2/coupe/review/n17172">BMW M2</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/porsche/cayman/coupe/review/n17361">Porsche 718 Cayman</a> S – licked for straight-line pace.

Here’s the thing, though: the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/sports-cars/n24412">best sports cars</a> aren’t just quick in a straight line, but also properly good fun through corners. So, read on to find out how the TT RS compares with the competition in this and other respects, plus whether it's worth the extra over a regular TT.

If, after that, you decide one of these models is right for you, don’t consider parting with any cash until you’ve checked out how much you could save by using our free What Car? <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals">New Car Buying service</a>. There are lots of great <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals/category/sports">sports car deals</a> to be had.

The Audi TT RS isn’t the sharpest driver’s car in the class, but few similarly priced sports cars can match its outright pace and beautifully constructed interior

Audi TT RS

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Ride comfort shouldn’t be sacrificed at the altar of handling sharpness</li> <li>Plenty of power from a melodic engine</li> <li>Handling that doesn’t come at the expense of a back-breaking ride​​​​​</li> <li> Practicality is not essential but nice to have </li></ul>

Driving fun is right at the top of any sports car buyer's priority list, and every one of our award candidates has backroad entertainment coded into its DNA.

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New BMW Z4 vs new Audi TT Roadster

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