Prototype "Audi TT Monoposto"

1999 - Ascari

Ascari GmbH, based in Röttingen, Germany, specialises in designing and building automotive prototypes. It worked with Audi on the first-generation TT (8N) to develop unique vehicles for testing innovative configurations and preparing possible limited editions.

In 1999, a bold and unexpected project was born: the Ascari Monoposto, developed on the basis of the Audi TT Roadster 8N. This study aimed to explore a radical vision of the German sportswoman. The goal was clear: merge the spirit of a single-seater and the versatility of a road car, to offer a pure and immersive driving experience.

A prototype designed as a limited series

From the beginning, the Monoposto was not intended to remain a simple exercise of style. Ascari planned to produce a small series, around 150 copies, to seduce customers in search of extreme sensations. But the project will never go beyond the prototype stage: only two units would have been built. One stayed with Audi, the other stayed with Ascari.

A Radical Philosophy

A single-seater without a windscreen or soft top, it was conceived to combine the sensations of a motorcycle with the stability and safety of a sports car. The driver sits alone behind a small Makralon® wind deflector, exposed to the elements and in direct contact with the road.

Visually, the transformation is striking. The bodywork has been stripped of all superfluous, the passenger seat has disappeared, and a massive safety arch reinforces the whole, giving the Monoposto a mid-way pace between a speedster and a classic race car.

Under the hood: solid and known

If the exterior upsets the codes, the mechanics remain faithful to the spirit TT 225 hp of the time. The Monoposto is equipped with the 1.8 T 20V four-cylinder engine (BAM code) associated with the K04 turbocharger, with a power output of around 240 hp. The quattro transmission and 6-speed manual transmission are retained, as is much of the chassis. Ascari has, however, optimized the package: recalibrated suspensions, 4-piston brakes and 18-inch rims, in order to enhance dynamic performance.

A concept that will never see the road

The project was never successful for economic and regulatory reasons. Producing in series such an atypical vehicle, without a windshield and intended for the road, posed many challenges, especially in terms of homologation. Audi and Ascari have therefore chosen to leave the Monoposto at the prototype stage.

A vision that still intrigues

Today, the Ascari Monoposto remains a fascinating curiosity in the history of TT. It illustrates how far Audi was prepared to push the concept of its iconic coupe in the late 1990s: a return to the very essence of driving, raw and without a filter. Few projects will have embodied this idea of the motorcycle car with such radicality.

Source : http://www.ascari.de