Rescuing an Imola yellow Audi TTS

[LEE337]

Trying to find an Audi TT 2.0TFSI to serve as a 2nd car / run-around / occasional trackday.
Looking for: manual, below average mileage, one that isn't front wheel drive, for less than £4k, ideally not silver or black

Hours of looking through Autotrader, eBay, Gumtree, FB marketplace unsuccessfully - I thought I was beaten.

Then... this appears...in budget!

2009 Audi TTS (272bhp) Manual
Imola Yellow
102k
Long MOT

All sounds well...however...

1. Advertised from a place that buys insurance write-offs and just sells them as is from a small back-alley style unit
...Usually a red flag, although in this instance the seller was 100% honest, genuine and generally a nice guy!

2. Cat N write off from damage to the front bumper, N/S front wing, and N/S door
...not normally terrible, but paint matching faded yellow might be interesting!

3. Previous owner replaced the wing with a grey one, then wrapped both front wings in fake carbon fibre wrap.
... again, not terrible, reversible if the paint on the yellow wing stays intact when removing...

4. No paperwork. At all. Not a single piece of service history
...Ah. no proof of cambelt, oil changes, nothing!

5. It's been modified (unknown remap / exhaust / suspension possibly, difficult to tell under the dirt but it doesn't sit like a stock car)


Only an idiot would surely consider buying a written off, modified 'performance' car, with zero history!

Well idiot did.

Edited by LEE337 on Friday 29th March 20:24

[The Rotrex Kid]

You have cojones for sure! Good luck!

[LEE337]

While searching for images of what an Imola yellow TTS should look like, I stumbled across a picture of this exact car (OE09 MLV) being driven on track




Not abnormal, so I followed the link to:
https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-reviews/14201/ni...

Turns out, the car was used I assume as some sort of Audi press car by Auto Express in 2009




I keep looking for any other reviews of TTS' from 2009, but nothing else so far!

[LEE337]

The last few hours since picking the car up have also thrown another bit of info my way, I'd say better than the review history..

Browsing Facebook for Imola yellow TTS' threw up a post from 2019:




so I follow the link again, and sure enough OE09 MLV makes another appearance




Along with a healthy looking pack of service history!



I have sent the original seller a message to see if they recall any of the dealerships that did the work so I could get duplicate invoices, but nothing so far.
Although at least if the post is to be believed, it had a cambelt in 2019 along with a full service, and Full service History up to that point.


Fingers crossed I hear back from them!

[iacabu]

So far seems to be a great buy! I certainly enjoyed the drive home!

Looking forward to seeing it get some care and attention over the next few weeks

[Mad Maximus]

Looks a cracking buy to me.

[E63eeeeee...]

When I was looking at Mk2 TTSs, I really wanted a yellow one, so slightly jealous. In the end I found I didn't really fit in them and bought a 640d instead, but if I'd seen a yellow one for sale I might have just gone for it and done some modding for more space. Sounds like you've done really well here. Will be following with interest.

[LEE337]

Gave it a quick wash and peeled one of the carbon wraps off - so much better!

[Bright Halo]

Looks really good in yellow. I am prejudiced though as I have a yellow Boxster.
Sounds like you may well have got a good one.

[Antj]

This looks a good buy, I like it as it has a story.

Keen to follow

[ubbs]

OE registration prefix were usually Audi press office cars, many years ago I went to have a look at an RS3 in Grimsby and that had an OE registered prefix. It was in a few magazines.

[zsdom]

LEE337 said:

Gave it a quick wash and peeled one of the carbon wraps off - so much better!

Thats 100% been lowered, looking at it, it’s possibly on coilovers but the smaller wheels could make it look lower than it is

Here’s mine on 18” with -30mm springs

[TeaNoSugar]

LEE337 said:

Gave it a quick wash and peeled one of the carbon wraps off - so much better!

That looks like a cracking car for £4k.
As someone else said it looks very low though, I’d be wanting to put it back on standard suspension (but lots of people like lowered cars I guess).
Previous service history looks promising, hopefully that owner will get back in touch with you.

[the-norseman]

Was gonna say sometimes VW Group UK press cars have O plates on them and sometimes K (Milton Keynes) I've owned an ex-press SEAT Leon Cupra R in yellow before.

[Spinakerr]

The colour really elevates it! I hope you can get a symapthetic respray for the wings and get it back to standard ride height. Perfect for under 5k all in...

[Mr Tidy]

LEE337 said:

Only an idiot would surely consider buying a written off, modified 'performance' car, with zero history!

Well idiot did.

That made me laugh, but TBF it looks like a good buy at that sort of money.

[LEE337]

Did a little bit of testing the acceleration today, 1.4 seconds quicker than the manufacturer's 0-60 time!

I think there is no doubt it has been remapped!

60ft - 1.85s
0-60 - 4.00s

[Marcodude]

Nice car. Quite like that colour, better than the boring greys Audi do so well.

The 0-60 seems optimistic. A stage 2 TTS was around 4.7 on a good day.

[the-norseman]

A lot of the press cars were mapped, to make them appear faster to the press.

[beambeam1]

Looks like a great buy for the money especially now you have found some history and be sure that up to a certain point in time it has been looked after and well maintained. Look forward to seeing how this turns out.