Ready to feel old? The first example of the Audi TT went on sale nearly 30 years ago in Europe. First sold in 1998, the Bauhaus-inspired sporty coupe is now about as old as a first Porsche 911 Targa was when it was new, so despite its seeming modernness, the Audi TT is a bona fide classic car. As such, it's the latest machine to get the restomod treatment. Dutch design studio Autoforma took on the task, turning a later-model first-gen cabriolet into a roofless roadster with style that apes the very first Audi TT concept from 1995. And if you like what you see, you'd better start making some phone calls, because this particular machine – called the Autoforma TTS – is a one-off. Channeling The Original TT – No, The Real Original TT The car's commissioner, Dutch designer Jos Baijens, worked with Autoforma to simplify and refine the already stylish lines of the Audi TT, but you won't find ultramodern LED headlights and vaporwave body contours here. In fact, you don't notice any changes at all until you get up close and personal. That's when you'll pick out a new grille with flat, horizontal grille vanes, as well as slightly narrower lower bumper intakes set in the matte gray lower band that runs the circumference of the car. Autoforma Audi TTS Roadster Restomod Exterior Side ProfileAutoforma made one big change to the car's side profile, giving it the same fender vents as the 1995 TT Roadster show car. Held in place by exposed Torx hardware – just like the original – the carbon fiber vents subtly conceal the side-mounted turn signals behind a mesh screen, furthering the simple, show-ready design without running afoul of the local road laws in the Netherlands. Also new is a miniscule air vent on the rocker panel just in front of the rear wheel, again mirroring the '95 concept.The rear is where you might notice the most obvious changes, with a redesigned bumper that incorporates the dual exhaust exits within its contours, rather than tucking them up under a faux diffuser as on the regular TT. Keen eyes will also notice the jettisoned rear spoiler, an addition Audi made to the original car's design in 1999 to prevent catastrophic rear end lift at high speeds. It's not clear if the newly smoothed-out Autoforma TTS has any invisible aero changes to keep the back wheels from overtaking the fronts on the freeway, but we must admit the design is much cleaner. The Biggest Change Is Hiding In Plain Sight It took us a second to realize, but arguably the biggest addition to the redesigned TT roadster is actually a deletion. Autoforma removed the cloth convertible roof and replaced it with a composite rear deck that dovetails into the interior windowsills for an impractical-but-stylish new look. It's a good thing the TTS' owner lives somewhere as legendarily sunny as Holland, because there are no provisions for a hard top – we think a removable, fastback-styled roof with no rear quarter windows would've been cool, recalling the TT coupe show car.Autoforma Audi TTS Roadster Restomod Exterior Rear Quarter HighOther tweaks are minor: a slightly lowered suspension with a wider track improves the stance, while lightweight racing mirrors have been mounted directly to the A-pillar quarter glass to clean up the profile even more. Finally, the whole thing is painted Nimbus Grey Pearl, a warm neutral that looks fantastic set against the car's saddle-colored, baseball-stitched leather interior. The wheels are painted the same matte gray as the rocker panels and lower bumpers. Subtle, But Sweet It'd be uncouth to discuss price on a one-off vehicle like this, but considering many of the new features – bumpers, grille, tonneau cover – are rendered in 3D printed composites and carbon fiber, it can't have been very cheap. We hope Baijens is pleased with his purchase, aping the original 1995 Audi TT that blew the auto world away upon its debut. We might have hoped for more power and improved handling, and there is a fair amount of orange peel in the custom paint, but as a mobile sculpture, the Autoforma TTS is as good as it gets.Source: Autoforma