What will they cost?

Despite the Audi TT’s superior performance, it’s actually comparatively efficient by sports car standards. It emits a lot less CO2 than the VW Scirocco, for starters, which will save you a decent chunk each year in VED.

Company car drivers will also be better off by choosing the Audi, courtesy of its lower BIK tax bills. However, those buying privately can expect to spend fractionally more on the TT.

It’s more expensive to buy or finance and over the course of three years it’s several hundred pounds more expensive to run once all the typical bills have been factored in. That’s a small difference – one resulting primarily from slightly more expensive servicing and smaller discounts at the outset.

You can expect a TT to go farther on a tank of fuel, though. In our real-world True MPG tests it returned 32.6mpg, which gives it a range of almost 400 miles. The Scirocco, meanwhile, averaged 29.3mpg, so will cover 355 miles. Opting for the Scirocco with a manual gearbox delivers only marginal efficiency benefits, while the TT is available with only a six-speed auto if you want four-wheel drive.

Both cars come with a DAB radio, electric, heated mirrors, automatic lights and wipers and a tyre pressure-monitoring system as standard, although it’s a shame that you have to pay extra to have cruise control fitted to both.

You do get more for your money in the Scirocco, though. Standard features include sat-nav, dual-zone climate control and rear parking sensors. The TT makes do with conventional air conditioning, and you have to pay extra for niceties such as sat-nav and rear parking sensors.