Audi TT S Roadster long-term test review – second report:

Like spring showers have given way to a few weeks of summer weather is right and barbeque, our TT S roadster has really started to come into its own. It is the perfect companion on most drives - perfect for livening up a dull Schelp to work, the airport runs, or a cloudy day.

However, in order to avoid personal bias on my part, I also handed over the keys to my colleagues Jon Quirk and Andy Pringle and it's fair to say the feedback is mixed. Jon told me it was 'fantastic spec' and I tend to agree, with simple equipment we have added to KU16 MPE, it feels like you are left wanting for nothing, a rarity in any premium models.

Andy expressed surprise that in the early months I have managed to squeeze 41.4mpg out of it on a drive to the office - I really tried, but it was an ominous sign that frees machine. But he also said 'I do not know why you need a TT roadster into a fast' - is he right?

I tend to drive pretty soft too and from work, especially with the roof down, as most of the route is a busy highway. Only occasionally indulge the full potential of 306bhp car. So is TT S a little excessive? Should we go for the more powerful model instead?

To fully test the trust as a sports car right, we lined it up for a showdown against the high watermark for each dynamic open-top two-seater, Porsche Boxster Spyder. Maybe choose a limited edition, 911-engined Boxster 981 version is a little unfair, but I want to see what TT S as alongside the best of the best, regardless of price.

Boxster was fantastic in all areas was expecting, and you can feel how different ethos of the car as soon as you are inside. You sit much lower to the ground than in TT, steering wheel, pedals and weight control much meatier and feelsome that I almost pushed my foot straight through the clutch pedal as I am back in daintier Audi.

Driving them back-to-back on a country road is brilliant around the Oxfordshire countryside, TT Boxster S makes surprisingly honest, with mid-corner grip tenacious and strong, flexible engines that loud low-down punch thanks to its TurboC. However, there is no substitute for a six-cylinder, and after that in achieving higher rev range Boxster sounds epic.

Where TT tip needs to bend and powering of them, the layout of the mid-engined Boxster and poised chassis that provides a lot of extra options for fun, so as a thrill ride, it's a win without content. But the gap is not as great as I thought, and in other places, the Audi certainly appears his fancy cousin. dress, finger-busting manual roof Spyder is a pain every time you use it - and some parts of the cabin feel badly constructed next to the TT S.

Severe road noise on the surface of the poor, and so-so improvement of the amount of wind noise to Porsche on the way again, and while we loved the engine 3.8-liter, 718 Boxster is four pots Turbo - like TT S - so the gap could be closer when we compare two.

Overall, I thought the TT S satisfying to drive fast, but I think it has a manual gearbox is an important part of it. Six speed at Audi is not the slickest, but for that you need to concentrate, to engage your brain to drive it right, and make sure every subtle shift.

I also love the duality engine derived its hot hatch. It may not mourn or rumble like flat- or straight-six (we're looking at your BMW M2) but could sneak out late at night without waking up the neighborhood is great when you want to go incognito. Still need by raucous when you wring it out, and while not a spine-tingling, it always makes me smile.

Second, and again this is such a minor complaint which is bordered by the knowledge that, but Super Sports Seats difficult to get comfortable in the way again. They had plenty of room for manual adjustments, and the wooden support as well, but a lot of twisting and tweaking is required to find the perfect position - I had to repeat the process every time someone moves a chair.

Next month, I'll give them a test remotely right as we drove to Le Mans for the 24-hour race - so I'll report back them if I find a magic formula, and I will also try and test the boot capacity to its limits , not by doing a booze cruise on the way back, do not worry, but for the summer at the TT S looks very bright. It may not quite be a complete sports car, but it was lovely all the same roadster.

Key specs:

• Model: Audi TT S Roadster 2.0 TFSI Quattro
• Price as tested: £46,675
• Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol, six-speed manual gearbox
• Power: 306bhp
• Torque: 280lb ft
• Top speed: 155mph
• 0-62mph: 5.2 seconds
• Economy: 37.7mpg
• CO2/BIK tax liability: 173g/km/31%
• Boot space: 280 litres

Optional Equipment:

An exhaustive list of everything fitted to our long-termer, and a breakdown of the price.

Base price: £40,450 

Vegas Yellow paint: £550 

Storage and luggage pack: £175 

Comfort and Sound pack: £1,460 

Technology Pack with Audi Connect: £1,795 

Open-Top Driving Pack: £1,000 

Audi Parking system plus, front and rear: £410 

Cruise control: £295

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