Audi is suffering lately. A somewhat bland product lineup and inconsistent naming strategies have both newcomers and die-hards losing interest, and the brand’s sales are declining as a result. But the German automaker has been here before, and its solution to the problem last time might be its savior today as well. In the 1990s, the company was reeling from stale offerings and an overhyped safety scandal that almost led to extinction, but then came the stylish TT coupe in 1999 (2000 for the U.S. market). Suddenly, Audi had a philosophical flagship that, despite its reasonable price, gave all other models something to work toward in terms of design and desirability.
