Audi TTS Roadster: Rural roadster

PETER BLEAKNEY FOR THE TORONTO STAR

One of the best-looking cars out there, the Audi TTS Roadster makes for a pleasant journey along Ontario's rural routes.

Peter Bleakney

SPECIAL TO THE STAR

The plan was to point the fetching prow of our red 2009 Audi TTS Roadster northwest and spend a spring Sunday making our way to Goderich – a community on Lake Huron once proclaimed by Queen Elizabeth II to be Canada's prettiest town.

There were a few conditions. We were to place nary a tire tread on a 400-series highway. My wife, Claire, had the green light to nod at any antique store, and I would obediently visit the chosen purveyor of old junk, er, treasures.

And I got to visit the historic Neustadt Springs Brewery in Neustadt. Hey, their website screamed "Welcome Beer Lovers," so I had no choice.

Confession time. I also secretly planned on "exercising" this 265-hp 2.0 L turbo all-wheel-drive rag-top on some back roads – an activity Claire does not much care for. My defence? Hidden padding on my right shoulder and this line at the ready: "Honey, I think I see an antique dealer up ahead."

With the flowers on our magnolia tree about to burst, we threw our stuff in the Audi's shallow trunk and bade farewell. Two seats meant no kids and no dog. No problem.

Living in west Oakville, we jumped on Bronte Road and headed north. After crossing the QEW and the dreaded 401, we were soon in farm country.

With maximum torque of 258 lb.-ft. arriving at 2500 r.p.m., the TTS can get caught flat-footed in the lower rev range. But once the turbo spools up, this red rocket flies. The six-speed S-Tronic twin-clutch box is a delight. It shifts smoothly on its own, but the real fun is in using the paddle shifters to flick through the gears, hearing the rev matching on downshifts, and the cute little woofs on upshifts.

Speed is deceptively effortless in the TTS. On a few occasions, after blowing by some slower traffic, Ms. Navigator was quick to alert me that we were well into impoundment territory via a quick left jab to the right shoulder. Thanks, dear.

In this part of Ontario, curves in the grid of arrow-straight country roads are about as scarce as two-headed sheep, so most of the accelerative forces we experienced were linear, not lateral.

Which suits the TTS to a "T." Despite its 10-mm lowered ride height and 245/40R18 performance tires, Audi's style icon is more of a swift and comfortable two-seat tourer than a true sports car. Yes, it goes, steers and grips like crazy, but it's strangely aloof and uninvolving. It's also let down by somewhat uncommunicative steering that is over-assisted at lower speeds.

Get back to the touring side of the equation, and the TTS excels. The standard adaptive magnetic-ride sports suspension serves up a pleasant and controlled ride, the bolstered sport seats proved comfy over the long haul, and the $1,350 Bose audio upgrade with XM sounded fab.

Add in the $1,500 Enhanced Leather Package (fine nappa seats, leather cowl, console and door pulls), and every aspect of this exquisite cabin is a visual delight. If God is in the details, this is one holy drop-top.

With the side windows up and the standard-powered wind-blocker in place, wind management is very good too.

A useful feature on this day was the compass display in the rear-view mirror. Since we were basically picking back roads willy-nilly, it was good to know we were heading north, or west, or some combination of the two.

Incredibly, Ms. Left Jab found a route to Neustadt Springs Brewery that was completely devoid of antique shops.

We were met at the brewery by owners Val and Andy Stimpson – a charming British couple who immigrated to Canada with the intent of opening a pub, but ended up buying the neglected remains of this historic 1859 brewery in 1996 for $140,000. As Andy put it, "Only mad dogs and Englishmen would have taken this on."

Lucky for us, the Stimpsons' enthusiasm for fine brews matched their persistence. They are now producing international award-winning beers.

Andy took us on a tour of the subterranean tunnels and stone caverns far below the main brewery floor. Guests are always welcome (neustadtsprings.com) and if you're lucky, you'll get to see the couple's prized 2006 Smart TwoFor. (Get it?)

Before departing for nearby Goderich, what space was left in the Audi's trunk was taken up by a nice selection of brews, including their famous 10W30 dark ale.

The next morning it was pouring rain so the Audi's roof stayed put. We ventured into town after breakfast.

Queen Elizabeth wouldn't have thought it the prettiest town in Canada that day. It was cold, dreary and the famed downtown octagonal traffic circle, known as "The Square," was pretty much bereft of human activity.

Right, then. Ideal conditions for visiting the Huron Historic Gaol (1842) – the site of the last public hanging in Canada on Dec. 7, 1869. Three weeks after Nicholas Melady swung for the murder of his father and stepmother, the federal government banned all public executions.

Besides the beaches and a 1.6-kilometre boardwalk, Goderich can claim to have the world's largest salt mine, which extends five kilometres under Lake Huron. I'll bet the Queen didn't venture down there.

So we'd visited the prettiest town in Ontario in the prettiest roadster on the road, and still hadn't perused an antique shop. Not much point by then anyway, as the trunk was full of beer.

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