EVEN with a climate that can be best described as either very warm or very wet, the Singapore market has a surprisingly wide range of convertible models with numerous permutations - big or small, four cylinders or six, two seats or four, with a fabric top or retractable hard top, and so on. But none is quite as fun or intimate as a compact roadster.

With its shorter wheelbase and two-seater layout, the roadster is a very personal kind of a car. Everything about it smacks of a serious lifestyle choice. Forget the practicality of a 2+2 seater convertible with an all-weather retractable steel roof, the roadster with a classic fabric roof has to be the ultimate indulgence. This is one car that doesn't want to give other people a lift or worry about damage from falling branches.

The new Audi TT Roadster is like that. As with the Coupe, the second-generation TT boasts much improved styling. The original car was pretty but a little too dinky. The new car is longer and wider and its expanded dimensions not only make it better-proportioned but also benefit interior space. It is now the right size, both visually as well as physically.

But unlike the 2+2 Coupe, the Roadster has only two seats (its profile is also distinct because of its boot lid, unlike the Coupe's rear hatch). Because it has a convertible body which requires additional reinforcement, it is slightly heavier - 35kg - than the coupe, bringing kerb weight to 1,295kg. But this is still relatively low due to the use of Audi Space Frame technology, which employs lightweight aluminium in the construction of both the roadster and the coupe.

As a result, there is hardly any weight deficit to blunt the roadster's performance. Both cars are available with either a two-litre, turbocharged direct injection engine driving the front wheels, or as a 3.2-litre V6 quatro or all-wheel-drive.

The former is the same engine found in the accomplished Volkswagen Golf GTI. It is mated to the equally competent six-speed dual-clutch gearbox (called S tronic in the Audi).

But still, the roadster displays slightly different driving dynamics than the coupe. The 2.0 TFSI engine remains scintillating but the absence of a fixed roof seems to affect its balance.

The open-top body has superb rigidity (no scuttle shake is evident in the typically well-built Audi cabin). The car displays the same impeccable road manners, but its handling just feels less tight. In terms of performance though, it is similar to the coupe and is only 0.1 of a second slower in a zero-to-100kmh sprint.

The roadster has a very different personality. With a fully automatic roof that opens in just 12 seconds, it has a more outgoing character than the coupe. One novel feature is the electrically operated wind deflector behind the fixed rollover hoops.

At the touch of a button, the mesh screen slides up to cut down significantly on wind buffeting. When the roof is up, its additional acoustic mat under the headlining provides for better acoustic and thermal insulation.

Nothing can be more attention-seeking than a premium convertible driven topless in city traffic. But then, nothing will be as fun to drive as a TT Roadster with the top down. It is responsive, agile and exceedingly well made. And that helps when you have to sniff the exhaust of something less stylish.

Engine - 1,984cc turbocharged
Gearbox - 6-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission
Max power - 200 hp @ 5,100-6,000 rpm
Max torque - 280 Nm @ 1,800-5,000 rpm
0-100 kmh - 6.5 secs
Top speed - 237 kph
Price - $201,000 (with COE)
Distributor - Premium Automobiles. Tel 6566-1111