The TT has a truly original yet widely appealing design. At $31,000 for the base coupe and $33,000 for the base roadster, it's affordable (if not as inexpensive as a Miata). And owners are passionate to the point of absurdity.

Several design gurus I talked to agree that this may prove to be one of the most profound automotive design statements of our time. Christopher Mount, editor-in-chief of the design magazine I.D. and the curator of several classic-car shows at New York City's Museum of Modern Art, argues that what makes sports cars unique is the extent to which form reflects function -- and that the Audi TT achieves this like few others. The Bauhaus-inspired design draws attention to the wheels, the most essential element of any car, and relies on simplicity and symmetry for the rest. Every element, from the overall shape of the car to its interior detailing, echoes the simple, circular theme. Art Center's Okuyama agrees. "For longevity, you really need to be simple," he says. "This will last for a very long time as a design statement."

And (I hesitate to add this) there's one last argument -- a pet theory, really -- in favor of Audi's classic status. It appears that the Audi attracts both sexes in a way few sports cars do. As much as I love Corvettes, for example, during the years I drove one, it seemed to my dismay to elicit more lustful stares from men than from women. But the Audi gets equal-opportunity admiration: While Mount describes the car as "masculine" and even "macho," Audi fan message boards are full of owners claiming that it turns "more girls' heads than guys'" and the like. I'm not sure if "babe magnetism" has entered the curatorial lexicon of classic cars, but I'm pretty sure it can't hurt.

Odds: Almost a sure bet.

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