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Audi had a choice. Hide the liver spots for another year or bring out Gen II a year ahead of time.

Before facing the need for angioplasty, Audi decided to skip a 2007 version and go directly to the next generation TT coupe. The 2008 bowed this spring.

The remake boasts a more aggressive look highlighted by a single-frame grille with large air inlets that suggest serious power lurks under the hood.

While old TT looked like a distant relative of the VW Beetle, the new TT looks as if those who carve Porsche sports cars out of clay tinkered with it.

It’s more menacing like an energetic sports car rather than more mileage minded.

The 2008 TT also boasts larger dimensions — 1.6 inches added to the wheelbase, 5.4 inches to the length, 3.1 inches to the width. The wider and longer stance provides even more road holding ability as well as agility in a car already known for staying glued to the pavement.

And the new dimensions contribute to cabin comfort — at least upfront, where shoulders now can twitch without striking door panel or window. The also seats are lower slung to keep your head from getting rapped on the door arch every time you enter or exit. Very good seat support as well, essential in an active sports car.

In back, however, the minuscule seats are only there to avoid the higher insurance premiums of a two seater. Entry is an adventure. Front seats barely move forward to create an aisle to the back. If you do manage to slip inside, you ride with your melon against the backlight or your body curled across the seats in the fetal position to prevent head injury.

Both rear seat backs fold flat to provide space for two sets of golf clubs. With the seats up, better try tennis.

A decal on the hatch lid signals the peril. It shows the lid about to hit a head with a one-word warning in bold letters — “Achtung.” Suspect that translates into something stronger than “pass the bratwurst.”

Whoever designed the rear seat also did the glove box. Other than a set of gloves, an owner’s manual and the built-in case for your glasses, little else fits.

We tested the TT coupe with its 3.2-liter, 250-horsepower 6-cylinder with a smooth-shifting 5-speed manual. The engine is packed with power and loves to sprint in the fast lane whenever lingerers vacate.

Thanks to extensive use of aluminum, Audi reduced vehicle weight by 166 pounds, roughly equal to one passenger. Still, fuel economy is only 17 m.p.g. city/24 m.p.g. highway. Obviously more aluminum is needed.

The TT coupe claims zero- to 60-m.p.h. acceleration of 5.5 seconds; no, we didn’t try it. Standard electronic stability control, traction control and sports-tuned suspension along with optional 18-inch, performance radials ($800) ensure quick acceleration without sacrificing control. And four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock are standard to make the 60- to zero-m.p.h. return trip uneventful.

The test car also came with optional magnetic ride suspension ($1,400), which is recommended for performance enthusiasts and those who spend some serious time on the track with their TT. If you know what an apex is and where to find it in a curve, you’ll probably benefit from the stiffer and firmer magnetic ride and performance summer radials.

If any twist in the road finds you on the sidewalls — and enjoying it — you might as well stick with the standard 17-inch all-season radials and save some money. If you do go for the summer treads, you’ll have to add a set of winter tires or garage it in the Snow Belt.

To the weekend warrior, magnetic ride lets you feel the tar marks; without it you don’t. With or without, handling is very limber and steering very precise. The car sits flat in tight corners at speed. No lean. No roll. It helps, of course, that the test car came with quattro, Audi’s full-time four-wheel-drive, that transmits power to the axle needing it the most to ensure control. With quattro, the car feels as if it’s riding in a slot in the road.

Noteworthy features include a spoiler that rises from the deck lid at 75 m.p.h. to keep the rear end planted. It retracts at speeds less than 50 m.p.h., though you can push a button to raise the spoiler at any speed if you like the look.

Base price of the 3.2 TT coupe quattro with manual is $41,500, and includes heated power seats, automatic air conditioning, AM/FM stereo with in-dash CD player, headrests that cradle the neck in a rear impact, power locks and a power plug in the center console. The TT also boasts novel cupholders — two large ones with a thin one between to create space for mug handles or, as an Audi spokesman confided, to carry your can of Red Bull energy drink to stay alert on the track without winding up with a hot cup of Starbucks in the lap.

That eliminates the need for a second “Achtung” decal.

2008 AUDI TT COUPE 3.2 QUATTRO

Wheelbase: 97.2 inches

Length: 164.5 inches

Engine: 3.2-liter, 250-h.p. 6-cylinder

Transmission: 5-speed manual

Fuel economy: 17 m.p.g. City/24 m.p.g. Highway

Price as tested: $47,300 *

THE STICKER

$41,500 Base

$1,400 Magnetic ride suspension

$1,100 Enhanced interior with leather seats

$1,000 Audio package with Sirius satellite radio and Bose premium sound system

$800 18-inch high-performance summer tires

$800 Xenon headlights

$450 Bluetooth phone

$250 iPod interface in glove box

* Add $720 for freight.

PLUSES

– Redesign.

– Performance.

– Sure-footed handling.

– Quattro.

MINUSES

– Mileage.

– Rear-seat discomfort.

– Price.

– Does anyone need a Red Bull holder?