Pistoletto? PulemeTT!

I remember how it all began. The first sketches - harbingers of the revolution in the Audi-design, the shock of the first images, "live" questions in the prototype and enthusiastic eyes after my return from Paris Motor Show 1998, where TT debut as a production car: "Did you see? Touched? Tried? "It is easy to guess that it was women's eyes. TT proclaimed a new era in the life of Audi. "Drum" with a "herring" in the rearview mirror finally disappeared over the horizon, but that's what happened to the Audi TT itself: he was a victim of global stamp of the incompatibility of "real men" and "well, very trendy," and the majority was perceived as a female. Or frivolous. Optional for concentration. What to do: if you Bolshoi caught the eye of a blonde two-tone patent-leather shoes and a coat from D & G, it says a lot. Although it is still nothing. Meanwhile, the entire first year of sales of the Audi TT individuals who have a habit to meet on clothes, over and over again pulled out of ditches. There is no dispute: if spoylerok, who are now equipped with every TT, screwed from the very beginning of production, the rear wheels would be pressed to the pavement and more incidents have been less. But these drivers went to the TT does not like to Twingo! More specifically, they expected that the nature of the machine will be soft and accommodating. They do not react to the vehicle with due deference, thought that if the mind is fashionable to extravagance, so empty inside, or spineless. Wrong. Confused with the dolls. And paid the price. The idea that "Teteshka" is the same woman's car, the girls, "tattoo" - a youngster, lesbian, my head was too hammered at once. The first machine was brought to Moscow itself, which is also indicative - woman, good friend of mine. After the first "travel" to Lubyanka Square in Moscow and embankments Yauza in Sokolniki and crept back to doubt stiffer suspension, sharp steering wheel, gas pedal nerve, limited visibility. Who needs it? But as far as TT peculiar and interesting not only from the outside, it became clear in the conditions close to the fighting - the final year of school Audi Driving Experience at the Nurburgring. And now - the Monte Carlo and upgraded TT. The new V6 engine in the 250 hp with a specially tuned 'voice', 'compression' suspension, brakes on the RS4 and a number of changes and additions, which contribute to sport (see page 40, 41). But the most interesting and trump everything else - is a unique transmission that allows almost instantaneous change gears without taking your hands off the steering wheel and not pressing any pedals! You say, not great news, seen. However, such a transmission on serial machines have not met! Here's the deal here: Direct Sequential Gearshift arranged so that the gears 1st, 3rd and 5th gears are sitting on the same shaft, and the 2nd, 4th and 6th - on the other. Each shaft - its multi-plate clutch. Here, the first shaft is located inside the second! (Audi engineers used a brilliant second shaft inner emptiness - the first time in the famous construction Quattro.) When in a transfer, such as third and fourth gears are also engaged, too, spinning and just waiting for an electrohydraulic drive will include the 4th gear. The switching process takes just 0.2 seconds, which is quite comparable to the speed of gearshift advanced driver. The driver now also TT as it makes the F1 driver by pressing the fingers on the levers, blades. DSG has three modes: D and S - and sports a simple circuit, but would help to shift gears manually, and purely manual. Throne? Let's see the Monte Carlo? Put the lever to the S, disable ESP, at the same time push the brake pedal and gas. When the tachometer needle stops around 3500 rev / min, release the brake. No smoke, dust and much noise machine breaks away. The sound of the TT is now quite different, it was selected specifically for the new engine. But the benefits of its powerful nature recede into the background: first want to understand the advantages of the new box. The road from Nice to Monaco this helps. D mode allows you to move on "automatic", without feeling anything but joy from the process. Outside the window, the sea, under the wheels of perfect asphalt road winds along the mountain coast, are included in the transmission when you think about it. Let's try to pull the plastic blade with three fingers under the wheel - changes! Left - lowers, right - increases. Let's go faster. That's where the manual control of delights. I realized that when men say they love manual gearbox, while the women do not like, they say, is really about various things. Men prefer to manage the process themselves and include the required transmission. Women's annoying to have to synchronize the work of the right arm and left leg, that is, they do not like, by and large, the clutch pedal and the lever are not bad. Because sometimes, too, love to hold the finger on the pulse and monitor the situation. And what gives a sense of control, this new box! The fact that the shift in 0.2 seconds is perceived as an instant - is one thing. Other - now in a turn, you can switch at any moment: in the beginning, middle, end - and not worry about the stability of the car because the clutch is always on. On the steering wheel at high speed sensation is some instability. Like a ball at the top of the sphere, the car is ready to respond instantly to even the intention to change direction. In the high-speed cornering feel the suspension that the "Consolidate" and you can write exactly the arc that you want - limits of the car did not seem to exist. And with the included ESP you feel like a little prince, with impunity. S-mode keeps the engine speed in the zone of maximum power - from 5 to 6000. At 4000 switches to a lower gear. The engine in this mode, talking in a loud voice, so it is appropriate to use it, solving the problem is really athletic. And a funny observation. When you throw in a high speed gas pedal, the revs down, but, having reached 4 thousand, the transmission decreases and the tachometer needle moves to the mark "5000". The car is accelerating at the same time. And so, until the speed drops below 60 km / h. Saturday morning in Monte Carlo, we were greeted by welcoming the sun and the desert streets. The rich were still asleep, pilots preparing for the Australian F1 somewhere not here, walking their dog butler. No one decent does not get. And like a shot - TT still ... And please, for the hunter ran beast: Porsche Cayenne S with Italian numbers toured us as parked. Here's to him we perched carefully. The main thing that he left the high road, but we'll see, "Cayenne", he or coyote ... We drove 20 kilometers on the Italian territory is buried in a turnpike toll road, turned back. Did not understand, perhaps, in this ragatstso «D & G», that the gray frog hanging on his tail, in spite of all his tricks and overtaking on the right lane