Audi looks to play it safe with new TT

Officially unveiled at Geneva on Tuesday morning, the third generation coupé is, visually at least, a gentle evolution of the outgoing model; however, there are huge changes under the skin.

That's not to say the new car looks identical; it's more angular and masculine especially at the front where the grille is very similar in design to the one found on the range-topping R8 supercar. Yet it's still unmistakably a TT.

Perhaps the cleverest trick is that Audi has managed to increase the car's wheelbase -- so that there's more interior space, yet has somehow managed to make the car itself smaller -- it's 20mm shorter and 8mm slimmer. And, thanks to an aluminum chassis, it's 50kg lighter too.

As well as more interior space, the new car comes with more power -- thanks to an improved range of three four-cylinder engines offering outputs of up to 310PS, a 2-liter turbodiesel unit and for the range-topping TTS model, permanent Quattro all-wheel-drive.

Inside, the TT is the first Audi car to get the company's much-hyped virtual cockpit, whereby all main control switches and multimedia functions are combined in a single digital unit.

The TT will go on sale in Europe this autumn.