TIPPING THE SCALES

f you have a few grand to spend on an occasional car to take on long trips but which must also justify itself as a daily driver if it needs to, thanks to the 1990s burst of sports cars there are lots of options. You might look at BMW’s Z3 for example, although it is a bit cramped, or Mazda’s MX-5, well that’s worse and not really an ideal touring car. An Alfa Romeo GTV might seem a good idea, until you find it stuck on the driveway waiting for that part to come over from an obscure scrapyard in Italy, and V6 ones are too expensive now anyway. Here’s where the Audi TT steps in. It’s based on the Mk4 Golf which, despite the reams of pub anecdotes to the contrary, is a very good thing. Maintenance is undemanding, performance very good