What: TT Open Sky concept
Model Family: TT (Mk1, type 8N)
Debuted: 2001 Frankfurt IAA, Frankfurt, Germany
Year: 2001
Number Produced: Undetermined, 2 Shown in Press Photos
Model / Generation Code(s): type 8N
Chassis / Matrix:
Engine: 1.8-liter Turbo
Transmission: 6-speed Manual
Power: unknown
Peak Torque: unknown
Acceleration (0-100 km / 62 mph: unknown
RELATED
Concept Cars:
Road Cars: TT type 8N (Mk1)
Race Cars: TT DTM
SUMMARY
The launch of the Audi TT Open Sky concept at the 2001 Frankfurt IAA motor show in Germany was largely missed by most of the world’s press as the September 11th attacks on the United States upstaged most new introductions from that day.
Another reason the car received so little spotlight was due to its creator – Magna Steyr… not Audi. The OEM supplier knew the TT better than anyone outside of Ingolstadt though. The Austrian company had engineered both the TT Coupe and TT Roadster for production, translating Audi Design’s vision into vehicles that could be built on an assembly line. For their own study, Magna’s engineers revisited the TT with an eye toward creating the best of both worlds: the security of a coupe with the open-air freedom of a roadster.
The solution was an innovative removable roof system. The “Open Sky” featured two fiberglass composite panels that could be detached at the push of a button. A secondary press of the button triggered an automated mechanism that neatly stowed the roof halves in the trunk. It was a clever idea, offering roadster fun without giving up winter usability—a problem Audi and other brands were actively trying to solve in that era.
Structurally, Magna Steyr combined elements from both versions of the production TT. The roadster’s reinforced front end, floor, A-pillars, and doorsills provided rigidity, while the coupe’s rear section ensured a distinctive roofline when the panels were in place. A hidden B-pillar was integrated into the triangular side window and rollover bar, delivering safety without disrupting the car’s profile. It was thoughtful engineering, executed by a team that already knew the TT inside and out.
Assets found below include original press photography, exclusive auto show photography and original Magna Steyr press release.
PHOTO GALLERY
PRESSÂ RELEASE
Audi TT “Open Sky” Concept Study;Â
A Perfect Symbiosis Between A Roadster And A Coupe
[source: Magna Steyr]
At IAA 2001 in Frankfurt, Magna Steyr amazes visitors when it presents the attractive “Open Sky” concept study based on the Audi TT. This additional body top variant combines the characteristic features of a roadster with those of a coupe.Â
The Audi TT “Open Sky” concept study is an independent further development by Magna Steyr, and it is an additional proof of the Austro-American automotive supplier’s styling, body top and prototype design know-how and creativity, ably supported by the group’s recognized complete vehicle competence. The reasons why the development engineers of the Magna Steyr Engineering Center in Graz decided to base their concept study, which perfectly captures the spirit of the time, on the Audi TT, are simple: they know the Audi TT inside out. After all, the production-fit development of the TT Coupe and the TT Roadster on behalf of Audi AG was their achievement. The main feature of the “Open Sky” concept exhibited in Frankfurt is an easily removable top consisting of two halves made of glass fiber composite.
Asophisticated device guarantees that both roof halves, once removed, can be fitted quickly and easily in the boot. At the push of a button, the device activates the roof halves; a further push of the button lets them disappear in the recess.
The “Open Sky” variant is not just a roadster and a coupe combination in terms of appearance and functionality – it is just that in every other respect, too. To develop the body structure, the front end, the floor, the A-pillar and the doorsill of the TT Roadster – duly adapted and modified – were combined with the rear of the TT Coupe. A new feature is the internal B-pillar – invisible from the outside – in the front part of the triangular side window, which is also part of the integrated rollover bar.
In a nutshell, the “Open Sky” concept offers the sheer driving pleasure of a roadster without compromising the unrestricted winter capability of a closed body top.