The new-generation Audi A8 is understandably getting all the love today, but it’s far from the only Audi model making the news. Over in Japan, Audi has introduced an exclusive limited-edition version of the TT sports coupe. It’s officially called the TT 1.8 Lighting Style Edition, and it’s making us wonder (yet again) what we did to deserve not getting any of these special editions in the U.S.

The TT Lighting Style Edition features a steady diet of cosmetic upgrades. It has exclusive color offerings, aesthetic upgrades, and packages that come standard on the model. Audi also picked a good variant of the TT – the 1.8 – to dress up in the exclusive garb. The automaker didn’t say how many of the TT Lighting Style Editions it plans to roll out in the Japanese market, but it did say that the car will be priced in the market at 5.29 million yen, or around $46,200 based on current exchange rates. The price tag is surprisingly modest considering that here in the U.S., the 2.0 TT starts at $43,500. Fortunately, this is one of those times where we don’t really miss out on a special edition model since American customers can basically order the same thing. That said, it still would be nice if Audi sent more of its special edition models to the U.S. That way, we wouldn’t have to keep looking to the other side of the world to satisfy our SE fixes.

Continue after the jump to read more about the Audi TT 1.8 Lighting Style Edition.

What makes the Audi TT 1.8 Lighting Style Edition so special?

The defining features of this Japan-bound, special edition Audi TT are the exterior upgrades that were given to the car. The most prominent of these upgrades is the inclusion of the exclusive S Line Exterior package that sadly isn’t available here in the U.S. market. Among the goodies featured in the package include a black front grille, a platinum gray rear diffuser, and new front and rear bumpers. LED headlights also come standard to the special edition TT, as does the set of 18-inch aluminum wheels. Last but not least are the color offerings for the sports coupe, of which customers can choose from any one of these colors: Glacier White Metallic, Mythos Black Metallic, Scuba Blue Metallic, Tango Red Metallic, or Vegas Yellow. And that’s about it.

We can build something like it here, right?

Yes, we can, which explains why we're not too bummed about missing this particular limited edition Audi TT. For instance, of the five color choices that Audi is offering for the special edition TT, we have all five of them here in the U.S. The only downside is that of the five colors, Vegas Yellow is the only one that comes at no cost. Should a customer decide to get any of the other four color options, they’re on the hook to pay a premium of $575.

We don’t have the S Line Exterior Package, but we do have something akin to it in the form of the Black Optic Package. In a lot of ways, this package is actually a little more comprehensive than the S Line Package since it offers high-gloss black exterior mirrors, a high-gloss black exterior package, and a set of 19-inch five-double-spoke design wheels wrapped in 245/35 summer tires. The whole package costs an extra $1,200 on top of the actual price of the 2.0 TT Coupe.

Throw in an S Sport Seat Package for an extra $1,000 and we’re looking at a price for the TT Coupe amounting to $46,275. That’s right around the same price our friends in Japan would have to pay for the TT Lighting Style Edition.

How does the TT Lighting Style Edition compare to past special editions of the same model

To be honest, it falls short to what we’ve seen from Audi in the past. I don’t know if it’s just a case of Audi trying to mix and match what it thinks qualifies as a limited edition these days, but the Lighting Style Edition does feel a bit lazy. It’s as if the German automaker picked out some packages for the TT, came up with a good name, and then slapped on a limited edition badge on the car before packing up and calling it a day.

There’s not much to the TT Lighting Style Edition that stands out apart from the name. At the very least, it’s a contrast to the TT Black Edition that Audi released for the U.K. market in late 2016. The template is largely similar, but at least the Black Edition received more cosmetic upgrades to it than this one. It had plenty of black finishes, particularly on the single frame grille, the door mirrors, air inlets, and the window capping. It also received a new set of 19-inch Blade-design alloy wheels to complement all the black details in the car. Let’s also not forget the Bang & Olufsen audio system that Audi threw in the cabin of the sports car. By the way, that same Bang and Olufsen system is available here in the U.S. as another option, priced at $950.

Even better, Audi offered the TT Black Edition in TT and TTS variants of the sports car. That meant that it had more power (230 horsepower of the TT and 310 horses for the TTS) than what the company is offering with the TT Lighting Style Edition.

References

Read our full review on the 2018 Audi TT.