Audi Fan Club

Audi A2 Launch

2011-02-28T22:54:00.000-08:00

The last we heard about development of a second-generation Audi A2 model was that the project was on hold due to the lack of a suitable platform.

Now it’s been reported that a platform has been found and that the car is on track for a debut in early 2015, more than two years later than originally planned.

Like the previous generation, sold in Europe between 1999 and 2005, the new A2 is thought to be a tallish practical hatch that will sit between the A1 and A3 models in Audi’s lineup. It will also feature aluminum in its construction, but this time only for its body and not its platform as well. In this way Audi will be able to keep the car at a reasonable pricetag, solving one of the biggest issues of its expensive predecessor.

Audi A1 Good Small Car

2011-02-28T22:53:00.000-08:00

It’s being called the Next Big Audi by the marketing gurus, and for the German luxury brand, the arrival of the A1 is certainly a big event. But that doesn’t make the Polo-sized three-door hatchback a big car. Instead, its relying on the cute factor, its premium positioning – and the increasing trend favouring smaller cars – for sales success. Fortunately, that’s not all the A1 has to offer. By DEON SCHOEMAN.
The A2 may have been ahead of its time, because it pre-empted the market’s appetite for small, advanced and eco-friendlier cars by at least a decade. But with hindsight, the cost of its eventual failure could be considered as school fees for Audi’s second small car attempt. And this time, the new small Audi does appear to be destined for success.

For starters, let’s confirm that the A1 feels every inch an Audi – and nothing like the Volkswagen Polo it shares some underpinnings with. But that’s not really a surprise, after all an A3 doesn’t feel like a Golf either.
Driving the A1 is to be presented with that typically solid, engaging dynamic experience that’s dictated by the Four Rings’ hatchback DNA. Which means it feels like a scaled-down A3 and not like a Polo clone. And of course, the design is unmistakably Audi.
That the A1 attracts a lot of attention is a good sign. And it certainly turns heads, although the novelty factor also plays a role, for now. Besides, this smallest Audi is not pretty in the conventional sense of the word.
To my mind, the best perspective is from the front, where the big, single-frame grille and LED daytime running lights emphatically confirm the hatchback’s Audi identity. But at the rear, the execution is a little more avant garde – even controversial – thanks to a tailgate with an unusual overbite, and tail light clusters that stand proud from the metalwork.

Somehow, that rear makes the A1 look a little old-fashioned. Add the shorter, almost squashed dimensions, and the result can be awkward and even dumpy from some angles. But it’s also eye-catching, especially when the arced roofline is emphasised by the optional pillars in a contrasting hue.

Audi A1 Review

2011-02-28T22:52:00.000-08:00

Audi’s new A1 has the style, performance – and that premium four-ringed badge – to cause them
a major headache.
The ‘baby’ Audi offers a curvy appearance to the world rather than the squarer lines of the Mini and prices start at the appealingly low level of just over £13,000.

The test car, a 1.4 TFSI Sport, came with a distinctive chromed roofline – one of a number of personalisation options that is likely to prove popular with customers in this sector of the market.
A1 buyers can choose from turbo-charged 1.2 or 1.4 petrol engines and there’s a diesel option too that’s expected to prove the best seller.
Trim levels range from SE through to Sport and S Line – and it won’t take too many option box ticks to see prices nudging £20,000 for the flagship model.
The A1 wrings better performance from its 1.4 litre engine than the Mini’s lower output 1.6 power plant and is capable of hitting 60mph in under nine seconds.
There’s also an agreeably rorty note from the engine when it’s asked to perform – though if you are too carefree with your right foot you’ll never get anywhere near Audi’s combined cycle economy figure of 53.3mpg.
Though this is the smallest Audi since the A2 of 1999, the German firm does not appear to have stinted on quality.
The paintwork is beautifully finished and the cabin is made from quality materials – concentrated Vorspurng Durch Technik indeed.
The seats are very comfortable and the driving position is good.
There was a quality sat nav in the test car and the solidity and chunkiness of the handbrake made it clear from the outset that this was no run-of-the-mill supermini –even if it is based on a VW Polo.
There’s enough room, just, for four adults to sit comfortably inside and the A1 also scores over the Mini by virtue of its slightly larger boot.
Despite its slightly cutesy looks and kerb weight of just over a tonne there’s a reassuringly solid feel about the A1 on the road. It handles and steers well though doesn’t quite go about its business as enthusiastically as its Mini rival, with its trademark gokart handling ability.

Audi A3 Sedan

2011-02-28T22:51:00.000-08:00

Audi has been busy in the art room, as they have just released a few sketches of the A3 concept that is heading to the Geneva Motor Show.

This version of the A3 isn’t the normal hatchback that we’re all used to seeing though, as the A3 that Audi has drawn features four-doors. It seems the German automaker is going to bring a sedan version of the A3 to the market, or at least to the Geneva Motor Show.
Audi describes the A3 sedan concept as a “four-seater notchback sedan”. It is around 174-inches long, making it about six inches longer than the five-door model. The front fascia is classically Audi, but a tad more aggressive than we’re used to seeing from the company. The headlights feature numerous LED bulbs that flank a trapezoidal grille.
The cabin of the Audi A3 sedan is very low slung and it features an arching roofline that ends in a very thin C-pillar. This gives the vehicle a four-door coupe look, similar to the much larger Audi A7.

Audi Q5 2.0 TDI launch imminent

2011-02-01T20:44:00.000-08:00

2011 Audi Q5 SUV

Audi India seems to be all set to usher in a cheaper variant of it’s hot selling Q5 SUV by plonking in the 2 liter TDI Engine into the Q5′s engine bay. This engine, which is a retuned version of the popular 2.0 TDI Volkswagen engine that sits in the engine bays of a wide range of cars ranging from the Volkswagen Passat to the Skoda Laura, the Audi A4 and A6.

2011 Audi Q5 SUV

The engine develops about 170 Bhp of power and 350 Nm of torque coupled to a 7 speed tranny which, while not awe inspiring, will be powerful enough to endow the butch and muscular Q5 SUV with above average performance.This, as the Q5 2.0 TDI weighing in at 1845 Kilos is still about 100 kilos lighter than the Toyota Fortuner, which has similar power and torque figures from it’s 3 Liter D-4D Toyota Diesel engine.

Also, the Q5 2.0 TDI will be slightly more fuel efficient than the 3.0 TDI engine, which is another point in favor of the smaller engine. Apart from the engine change, the Audi Q5 2.0 TDI might come with a stripped out equipment list to make it considerably cheaper than the bigger engined version. These changes, along with a cut down price tag that would make the Audi Q5 a lot more appealing to folks who otherwise would have fallen hook, line and sinker to the new 2011 BMW X3, which will be arriving soon.

2011 Audi Q5 SUV

Eight reasons to buy Audi A7

2011-01-03T07:41:00.000-08:00

Just spent a few days driving Audi's new A7 in the UK, and have come away very impressed. Here's a few quick reasons why:
Good point number 1: The driving position is very good: no longer do you feel the need to pull the steering wheel all the way out just to get comfortable (so often an Audi bugbear of mine). Plus the seats can be set at just the right height so you can feel snug and sporty, but still look out over the bonnet, place the car, and not feel like you’re sitting in a SUV
Good point number 2: The steering, which is a revelation for a mainstream Audi. There’s still no genuine feel, but what non-Porsche/Lotus/Caterham has feel these days? But it is sharp, direct and linear. I presumed this was because this particular car didn’t have the Drive Select system which constantly varies the set-up, without ever finding the perfect compromise. But despite a lack of dash-mounted button, a delve into the menu did discover that this car was Drive Select-equipped, and in Comfort, Auto or Dynamic the steering was never ultra-light, ultra-heavy, nor suddenly switching between the two mid-roundabout. Simply, it was just good. Not perfect, but a long stride in the right direction.
Good point number 3: The steering wheel, which had a thin rim and was small in diameter. With the small central boss it reminded me of the wheel in our long-term XJ, only this one was nicer to hold. Amazing how a small wheel can make a big car seem more agile and sporty.
Good point 4: The Audi A7's ride proved very supple, and only at low speeds did the air springs struggle to smoothe off small bumps. Another step forward for Audi.
Good point 5: The 3.0-litre supercharged engine, which while not exactly economical, snarls towards the redline and is as quick as you ever need. Surely this V6 has way more than the claimed 296bhp/325lb ft? This is a heavy car, after all...

Good point 6: The touchpad, which is intuitive, great for a left-hander like me, and finally adds six 'favourite' buttons for the radio, even if they are on the driver's side and awkward for the passenger to reach. The system pioneered on the A8 is already been fettled. That's progress for you.
Good point 7: The seat heater controls, which are now a button rather than a dial-button combo. You used you have to press a button, spin a dial, then press the dial. Now you press a button and they are on. My rump is roasted more easily.
Good point 8: There's finally a ‘sync’ button so the driver can control his/her temperature settings, and the those of the passenger.
Of course the Audi A7 isn't perfect. It lacks the stylistic grace of the A5 Coupe, has none of the impact of the first-generation Mercedes CLS (though nor does the new CLS Mk2), the air-con controls are still set too low while the never-used SIM/card reader panels takes up the majority of the dash, there seems to be no repeatable way to switch the gearbox between its Automatic and Sport modes. And while I'm in grumble mode, the pale boot covering reflects badly off the hatchback's glass panel.
But overall I came away mightily impressed by the new A7: the build quality and top-notch materials are ever-present, and now there's hope for the enthusiast driver too. Well done, Audi.

Audi Beats Own Sales Record

2011-01-01T22:02:00.003-08:00

Audi has beaten its own sales record in the U.S. by selling its 93,507th vehicle on Monday evening. The previous record was 93,506 vehicles sold across the U.S. in 2007. Audi’s Chief Operating Officer, Mark Del Rosso explains that Audi believes that it will cross the 100,000 vehicles barrier for the year 2010, making it the fourth global market after China, Germany and the United Kingdom with sales numbers exceeding the 100,000 vehicles mark.

Audi R18 Le Mans Racing Prototype

2011-01-01T22:02:00.001-08:00

Leave it to Audi to improve on its already impressive chest of victories at the Le Mans 24 Hours through the completely redesigned Audi R18. During its decade-long history at the Le Mans 24 Hours, Audi has won the race nine times through its open-top models, the R8, R10 TDI and the R15 TDI models. The new Audi R18 opts for a closed-top design, in an effort to reduce driver fatigue and improve on the aerodynamics of the vehicle.

2010 Audi Q7 30 Year Quattro Edition Photos

2010-08-18T22:12:00.000-07:00

A special edition of Audi Q7 is released to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Quattro. Audi Q7 “30 year quattro” Edition is developed specially for the Italian market and offers a long list of additional equipment for the SUV.

2010 Audi Q7 Quattro Edition

Autonomous Audi TTS

2010-07-12T19:12:00.001-07:00

Audi presented their latest sport car made for the Autonomous Audi TTS and the high-speed test up Pikes Peak in Colorado.

The new sport car has the Quattro technology and it marks 30 years on the automotive stage.

The Pikes Peak Autonomous Audi TTS is based on the Audi TTS sport-car and has a drive-by-wire throttle, a semiautomatic DSG gearbox and the computing hardware is complex, having two computers: one running safety critical algorithms using Oracle Java Real-Time System (Java RTS) and the other runs vehicle dynamics algorithms.

I think these photos tell more about this sport car.

2010 Audi R8 Spyder 4.2 FSI - Photo, Detail, Price, features

2010-07-12T19:07:00.000-07:00

Audi is adding another model to its R8 high-performance sports car lineup: Hot on the heels of the R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI quattro comes another model with a V8 engine. The 4.2-liter FSI produces 316 kW (430 hp) and launches the open-top two-seater to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 4.8 seconds on its way to a top speed of 299 km/h (185.79 mph). The engine is mated to the R tronic sequential manual gearbox; quattro permanent all-wheel drive is standard.

The R8 Spyder 4.2 FSI quattro has a lightweight cloth top with a fully automatic drive. Its body is an aluminum Audi Space Frame with large-area components of carbon fiber composite material. A fit and finish typical of Audi, excellent everyday practicality and optional high-end technologies – from LED headlights to seatbelt microphone – complete the profile of the model athlete.
The R8 Spyder 4.2 FSI quattro will be rolling into German showrooms in the third quarter of 2010. Sales will be starting soon at a base price of €121,000.

2011 Audi A8 L Pricing, New Engines Announced

2010-07-12T19:05:00.000-07:00

German manufacturer Audi released today the pricing for its new flagship vehicle for the Chinese market, the A8 L. Set to be released onto the market later this year, the vehicle will be sold starting at EUR79,900 ($100,600) for the 3.0 TDI version.

The A8 L will become the top version of Audi's flagship A8 and is 130 millimeters (0.43 ft) longer than the standard-wheelbase version. It comes with an extensive array of engines: two V6 engines (TDI 250 hp, TFSI 290 hp), two 4.2l V8s (TDI 350 hp, FSI 372 hp) and a whooping W12 unit.

This top of the range engine, a 6.3l FSI, develops 500 hp and a peak torque of 625 Nm at 3,250 rpm. The W12 powerplant is paired to an eight-speed tiptronic transmission.

The unit allows for a 0 to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) acceleration in 4.9 seconds, while on its way to the electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h (155.34 mph). The high-performance, high-output engine does however come at a cost: the unit consumes 12.0l of fuel every 100 km, or 19.6 US mpg (below the previous version, which are 13.6 l/100 km).

On the inside, the A8 L comes wrapped in valonea leather, tanned with plant extracts. As an option, a panoramic glass roof with two glass panels is being offered, as is the MMI navigation plus with high-capacity hard disk.

Back to the pricing, Audi will sell, as said, the entry level 3.0 TDI for EUR79,900. The price list is completed with the 3.0 TFSI (EUR80,400/$101,230), the 4.2 FSI (EUR94,300/$118,730), the 4.2 TDI (EUR95,800/$120,620)) and the W12 (EUR137,000/$172,500)

Audi S5 Sportback Grand Prix Photos

2010-07-04T19:14:00.000-07:00

The German-based Audi cars enhancement expert Senner Tuning has unveiled its latest program, which lends the 2009 Audi S5 Sportback more athletic stance and styling as well as boosted output figures

ABT Tweaks the New Audi A8 with 385 hp diesel

2010-06-25T21:33:00.002-07:00

Though not as an Audi S8 substitute that was expected of ABT, the diesel powered AS8 yet appears to be a promising start for ABT. The 2011 A8 has a 4.2-liter V8 TDI engine. ABT Sportsline used this as the based and tweaked the turbo diesel engine boost the performance output. Because of this performance improvement exercise, the power levels have gained from 350HP to 385HP whereas the torque levels have increased to 880Nm or 649 lb-ft at its peak.

The new Audi comes with styling upgrades. The New Audi A8 comes bundled with a body kit consisting of a front spoiler, side skirt, a somewhat discreet boot lid spoiler, a new rear apron housing a diffuser and the new quad tail pipes. The customer may opt between a 20” or a 21” ABT CR alloy wheels wrapped in sport tires. The A8 also includes a black foil matte.

Autonomous Audi TT-S Receives Retro Color Scheme

2010-06-25T21:33:00.001-07:00

Touted as a modern take on the Pikes Peak-competing Sport Quattro S1 rally car of the 1980s, the special TT-S has been adorned with the same red, gray, and black stripes of yore. Unlike the 80s, however, an advanced assembly of electronic controls will help propel the TT-S on the route it needs to travel. From 1985-1987, Michele Mouton, Bobby Unser, and Walter Röhrl claimed victories at Pikes Peak with the original Quattro, and if the autonomous TT-S can reel in a time even remotely close to the three rally drivers (Röhrl finished in 10 minutes and 47 seconds in 1987), you can consider us impressed.

Dubbed Shelley, after 1985 Pikes Peak winner Mouton, the TT-S will continue testing before hitting the mountains for its special event in September. Assuming Shelley stays on course, it would be the first vehicle of its kind to clear the 12.4-mile, 156-turn ascent to the 14,110-foot peak.

2011 Audi R8 GT

2010-06-21T23:12:00.000-07:00

Now even more powerful, lighter and faster: Audi presents the Audi R8 GT - a limited-production version of the Audi R8 high-performance sports car. The output of its 5.2-liter V10 has been increased to 412 kW (560 hp); vehicle weight has been reduced by roughly 100 kilograms (220.46 lb). The Audi R8 GT accelerates from zero to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 3.6 seconds and reaches a top speed of 320 km/h (198.84 mph).

The R8 high-performance sports car has been a winner from the very beginning. This applies to both the production models, winners of the "World Performance Car" Award in 2008 (R8) and in 2010 (R8 V10), and to the race car, the R8 LMS, which won 23 races in its first season and claimed three championships. The genes of the race version are now coming to the street - in the Audi R8 GT. The exclusive series is limited to 333 units. Each Audi R8 GT has a badge with its production number on the shift lever knob.

Consistent use of lightweight construction: 100 kilograms (220.46 lb) trimmed

The production Audi R8 V10 5.2 FSI quattro is already a shining example of the Audi's lightweight construction philosophy. Its aluminum Audi Space Frame (ASF) body weighs only 210 kilograms (462.97 lb). The aluminum body panels are joined to the frame of extruded profiles and cast nodes by means of positive and friction connections. The engine frame is made of ultra lightweight magnesium.

2011 Audi TTS Roadster Details and Pricing

2010-06-21T22:47:00.000-07:00

The Audi TTS, both in Coupe and Roadster body styles, combine enthralling sportiness with cultivated comfort. Its two-liter TFSI with the large turbocharger and many additional modifications pumps out 200 kW (272 hp) and 350 Nm (258.15 lb-ft) of torque, the latter from 2,500 to 5,000 rpm. It accelerates the Audi TTS Coupe with the optional S tronic from zero to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 5.2 seconds, up to a governed top speed of 250 km/h (155.34 mph). With the S tronic, the Coupé consumes an average of only 7.7 liters of fuel per 100 km (30.55 US mpg).

The Audi TTS comes standard with the Audi magnetic ride adaptive shock absorber technology, the Sport button and a high-performance brake system. Visual cues to its identity are provided by the 18-inch wheels with size 245/40 tires and a new grille combined with chrome air inlets. A new color combination - spectral silver/black - is available for the interior.

The dynamic spearhead of the TT model series is the TT RS, which is likewise available as a Coupe or a Roadster. Its turbocharged, inline 5-cylinder engine draws 250 kW (340 hp) of power from 2.5 liters of displacement. 450 Nm (331.90 lb-ft) of torque are available between 1,600 and 5,300 rpm. It nevertheless averages just 9.2 liters of fuel per 100 km (25.57 US mpg).

The Audi TT RS Coupe rockets from 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62.14 mph) in 4.6 seconds; quattro GmbH will raise the top speed from 250 to 280 km/h (155.34 to 173.98 mph) upon request. A sound flap in the exhaust system further intensifies the distinctive five-cylinder sound. A manual six-speed transmission with a sportily narrow gearing currently delivers the power to the quattro permanent all-wheel drive. Starting this fall, Audi will also offer the option of the TT RS with a newly developed version of the S tronic that can handle the tremendous torque of the powerful five-cylinder engine. The compact layout of the seven-speed, dual-clutch transmission makes it suitable for transverse mounting in combination with the quattro all-wheel drive system.

The Audi TT RS Coupe with the S tronic launches itself from zero to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 4.4 seconds. The TT RS Roadster requires 0.1 seconds more for this discipline - a bat of an eye less than with the manual transmission. Distinctive design details, 18-inch wheels and an extremely powerful brake system are standard with the TT RS.

Audi Audio Concept Uses 62 Speakers

2010-06-17T07:10:00.000-07:00

Right now, if you happen to find yourself in a honkin’ German SUV and you want a great sound system, you’re in luck. Audi will be happy to supply you with a Q7 that boasts a Bang & Olufsen sound system with a dizzying 14 speakers, but that’s child’s play compared to what the Four-Rings are up to with the Institute for Digital Media Technology. The two have partnered to create a special Q7 prototype with 62 speakers, including five woofers and five tweeters. This isn’t some Pimp My Ride exercise, though. Each one of those speakers is individually driven by an advanced computer to create a universal audio sweet spot in the cabin.

IDMT calls the technology wave field synthesis, and the system can individually delay speaker impulses to keep the sound in check. It’s less of a cacophony and more of personalized stereo experience no matter where the listener is sitting inside the vehicle.

The wave field tech has been applied to the Linden Lichtspiele Cinema with an epic 192-speaker system. The only downside is that neither movie companies nor the recording industry are creating material with wave field encoding.

New 2011 Audi A7 Sportback

2010-06-17T07:08:00.000-07:00

With people growing impatient waiting for the new Audi A7 to be launched, renderings of the car have started being splashed all about quite liberally. Most of everything about the car is known and therefore the task of rendering is not so difficult one.

The A8 and 2012 A7 have been said to hold similar looks. Sportback concept was a preview of the A7 and shown last year at the Detroit Auto Show. The difference between the A8 and A7 is that the A7 would be more oriented towards the luxury segment and functionality wise superior. Debuting in September at the Paris Auto Show and sales starting in spring 2011 the A7 would have the Mercedes-Benz CLS, the Porsche Panamera, and the Aston Martin Rapide as its close competitors.

Three engines are going to be used to power the Audi A7. A 2.8 Liter FSI and 3.0 Liter TFSI V6s as well as a 4.0 Liter TFSI V8 all three different direct gasoline injection engines. Then there is the diesel version also. This would have a 2.7 Liter V6 and a 3.0 Liter TDI V6 that would either be turbocharged and twin charged versions of the present one. All engines would be mated to a dual clutch, seven speed automatic gearbox and have an all-wheel drive

2012 Audi A3 Rendered

2010-06-05T20:30:00.000-07:00

The A3 will get the latest iteration of the MMI control system, which directs a state-of-the-art navigation system with high-resolution map graphics, and a powerful stereo. Voice activation will allow you to keep your eyes on the road. We expect the A3 to be as luxurious as compact cars can possibly get, once again giving it a significant advantage over the Golf.

Body styles will again include the five-door "Sportback" that we’re used to over here as well as the slightly shorter three-door hatch and soft-top cabriolet that are offered in Europe. We love the current A3 cabriolet, which is more compact and more elegant than any of its competing folding-metal-top competitors, and we applaud Audi for choosing to stick with the cloth roof. The cabrio will be launched in late 2013, and while there are currently no plans to bring it or the three-door to the U.S., perhaps Audi will reconsider as premium customers go for smaller and more-efficient cars.

2011 Audi A1 flips on its side during promo stunt

2010-05-26T19:06:00.000-07:00

2011 Audi A1 flips on its side during stunt

Sometimes things just don’t go as planned. We recently saw a perfect example of that during Volvo’s crash avoidance system demo to the media where an S60 sedan had a technological glitch causing it to crash in the back of a truck (thankfully no one was injured).

Audi recently experienced something similar when it decided to show the new A1 hatchbacks cart-like maneuverability by taking it on a skateboard half-pipe in Brussels. While performing the stunt, the A1 flipped onto its side and smoke started to blow out of the engine bay.

Audi employees quickly rushed to the scene and tried to push the car back on its wheels… even before the stunt driver escaped. We guess they were trying to avoid anyone from taking pictures, which obviously didn’t work.

APR Motorsport Audi S4 Expects Podium at Lime Rock

2010-05-26T19:05:00.000-07:00

The APR Motorsports Audi S4 in action at VIR. (Courtesy APR Motorsports)

PR Motorsports introduced its brand new Audi S4 to the Grand Am Continental Tire Sports car Challenge Grand Sport class. The car had never been raced anywhere by anyone, and had the teething problems one would expect from a totally untested car in a demanding racing series.

The Audi qualified in the top five at the Homestead and Barber rounds, and showed it had the speed to run with the podium winners. Reliability was the car’s downfall, but with each race, more problems were fixed and more was learned.

Through constant development, the team believes it has fixed all the problems that hindered the car in the past.

“This is what developing a new program is about, something goes wrong and you develop a fix and learn from it. We know we have the pace, and the reliability is getting better all the time,” said APR Director of Motorsport Jeff Mishtawy, in a press release.

Audi to Offer Internet Access in 2011 A8 Sedan

2010-05-26T19:03:00.000-07:00

Audi has announced that its upcoming 2011 Audi A8 will be released with the option of a factory-installed wireless Internet hotspot inside the car. The A8 will be the first car worldwide to offer the WLAN option and expect passengers to be able to surf the internet at speeds up to 7.2 Mbit/s wile in motion. All the pilot needs to do is insert a SIM card into the Bluetooth car phone and you are surfing! The WLAN hotspot can connect up to eight Wi-Fi ready devices and even supports WPA2 encryption.

Jon Sibal dreams up Audi R8 GT Spyder

2010-05-12T18:45:00.001-07:00

Photo Rendering: Audi R8 GT Spyder by Jon Sibal

The Audi R8 is really hot but the drop top Audi R8 Spyder makes our hearts beat a little faster. Of course, the new Audi R8 GT makes us go crazy, but Jon Sibal wondered what if Audi created a R8 GT Spyder. Well, if they do, it’ll look something like this (at least according to Sibal).

Audi A8 review

2010-05-12T18:30:00.000-07:00

Audi A8

The Audi A8 is the flagship for the brand and while sales of the car itself will be dwarfed by the A4, A3 and, soon, the A1, it plays a crucial role in convincing car-buyers Audi is the right choice for them, whichever model they choose.

Plus the new technologies introduced in the A8 will soon surface elsewhere with the new A1 already earmarked for some of the premier car’s kit.
But for those who are actually looking to buy an A8 rather than bathe in the reflected glory, we can report the new car has undergone some significant improvements to make it an even more compelling choice.

The new A8 will be available in normal and long wheelbase form with a choice of two new petrol and two new diesel engines. They bring increases of between 15 and 22 per cent, reduced CO2 emissions of between 15 and 22 per cent, and improved fuel economy.

Audi A8

A8 3.0 TDI quattro

• This V6 is expected to account for 85 per cent of all cars sold. More powerful than the outgoing model, it has been boosted from 230bhp to 247bhp. CO2 emissions have been reduced from 224g/km to a class-leading 174g/km. Fuel economy is improved from 33.6mpg to a class-leading 42.8mpg. Start-stop technology is now fitted as standard.

A8 4.2 TDI quattro

• It too is more powerful than the outgoing model, its output being increased from 322bhp to a class-leading 345bhp while, CO2 emissions have been reduced from 249g/km to 199g/km. Fuel economy is improved from 30.1mpg to 37.2mpg. It covers 0-62 mph in 5.5 seconds.

Audi A8

A8 4.2 FSI quattro

• Again more powerful than the outgoing model it has been taken from 345bhp to 367bhp while CO2 emissions are down from 259g/km to a class-leading 219g/km. Fuel economy is improved from 25.9mpg to a class-leading 29.7mpg.

A8 3.0 TFSI

• This supercharged version will come with 286bhp, a 0-62mph time of 6.1 seconds, 31mpg and 213g/km of CO2.

All models are mated with a new eight speed Tiptronic transmission.

The two normal wheelbase 4.2-litre models go on sale this month with the 3.0-litre models and long wheelbase versions following later in the year.

We had the opportunity to put the 4.2-litre TDI version through its paces at the launch of its UK spec right-hand drive versions in Le Castellet, in the south of France.

(Follow the link to read Deputy Editor Stuart Milne’s first impressions of the car from the Audi A8 international launch when he had the opportunity to drive the left hand drive versions of the car.)

With prices that range from £54,835 to £66,450 and an options range which can make the final price tag a six figure sum, Audi appreciates its customers can afford the best but don’t necessarily want to put that wealth on show too much.

And for a car which is now wider and longer than luxury saloon rivals; the BMW 7 Series, the Mercedes Benz S-Class and the Jaguar XJ, it manages to conceal its bulk within a very elegant exterior.

The combination of conservative styling and cutting-edge technology, including all LED highlights, is pure Audi.

The new interior follows that theme inside with the new Multi Media Interface integrated discreetly into the dash with the controls sitting just in front of a new gearstick design (described as “yacht style” by Audi, think upside-down golfing wood) which feels very natural to use.

This is where a lot of Audi’s latest batch of the clever stuff comes into play.

Driving smart

The MMI-housed Navigation system works with the transmission and headlights.

This means the gearbox “knows” if there’re a series of corners coming up, the headlights “know” what kind of road you’re on and will vary to suit the location e.g. junction lights at a crossroads, even continental set-up lights when you cross the channel, bringing a new meaning to automatic lights.

And there was indeed a different response depending on whether I was on the winding mountain roads or the motorway. Spooky at first, but if you’ve got the money, something you could soon get used to.

The satnav can also link up with online services including weather reports and Google points of interest. Later this year the technology should be in place to make the car itself a mobile hotspot allowing complete access to the Internet, including Google earth for integration into the mapping.

All models benefit from Audi’s quattro four wheel drive system but the 4.2-litre TDI, which is due to take a smaller but significant proportion of diesel sales than the 3.0-litre, also benefits from the quattro sports differential, previously featured in the S4 quattro, as standard.

In essence it sees pulling power directed to the outer wheel when cornering which increases stability and the potential for quicker acceleration out of bends.

Despite its all-aluminium lighter and stiffer frame, the Audi A8 is still a lot of car and though this feature may not be required for motorway cruisers it certainly made a difference on our twisting route.

As for ride comfort, the standard 4 corner adaptive air suspension helps ensure the comfort levels you’d expect from a luxury saloon with full double glazing and leather keeping occupants comfortable and cosseted.

Safety

The new A8 also comes with a new raft of safety devices under the banner of its pre-sense systems, some available as standard but with the option to add further features.

These include improved adaptive cruise control (now with two radars rather than just one), as well as night vision thermal imaging (the camera is concealed within one of the rings of the Audi badge) which can pick out pedestrians ahead and display them on the screen.

This is also a feature in the BMW 7 Series launched and updated to include the 740d last year.

Available in SE and SE Executive trim, the new Audi A8 is the supremely competent car one would expect from the super-efficient German manufacturer’s flagship model.

Its abilities on road, refinement and newly-improved CO2 emissions and fuel economy should put it on any luxury saloon buyer’s shortlist.
At which point it might just come down to brand, and whether Audi has convinced you it is the one for you.

Key facts:

Model tested: A8 4.2 TDI Quattro
On the road price: £63,900
Price range: £54,835 to £66,450
Date tested: May 2010
Road tester: Adrian Higgins

2011 Audi R8 GT Set for First Public Appearance at 2010 Worthersee Tour

2010-05-12T18:28:00.000-07:00

2011 Audi R8 GT Picture

Look for the 560-horsepower 2011 Audi R8 GT to be one of the showstoppers at the 2010 Worthersee Tour here, which kicks off on Wednesday. The R8 GT, which has the Porsche 911 GT3 in the crosshairs, makes its first public appearance at the annual Worthersee event.

The limited-edition version of the R8 was formally unveiled at an exclusive gala in Monte Carlo on May 1. Audi is also showing off a stable of seven special A1 models at the Worthersee Tour, including a "Hot Rod" version with a Daytona Gray paint job and an "extremely low ride height," the automaker said in a statement.

While the R8 GT — decked out in orange exterior paint — is a no-brainer for Audi's Worthersee plans, the automaker noted that "the A1 fits in with the GTI meet because customization has always been a central topic for the Audi fans at the Worthersee."

The A1s have been tweaked with add-on parts, special paint finishes and adhesive films for this appearance, Audi said.

Look for the A1 "Fashion" model in Aubergine, as well as the A1 "Follow Me" in Citrus Yellow with a black checkerboard pattern that takes its inspiration from airport ground control vehicles, said Audi.

Audi's A8 a step up in performance

2010-05-12T18:25:00.000-07:00

Audi's flagship sedan, the A8, will arrive this fall in its newest generation, again offering its signature combination of performance and elegance — with a heavy dose of excellent German automotive engineering.

Also as before, the A8 will come in two sizes, standard length and long wheelbase, with the latter being the kind of vehicle that pampers the rear-seat occupants in luxury and comfort while a chauffer handles the driving duties up front.

The standard-length model will be 202 inches long, while the expanded one will be 207.4 inches long. The extra length shows up in the back seat, mostly in extra legroom.

Audi, the luxury subsidiary of Volkswagen, says the new A8 will introduce “a new era in progressive excellence” and will combine “dynamic exterior and luxurious interior design with sporty driving characteristics, while providing the highest level of comfort and convenience equipment in the segment.”

2011 Audi A4, A5, Q5 get 8-speed automatic, Q5 also gets 2.0L TFSI

2010-05-12T18:23:00.000-07:00

Audi Q5

2011 order guides are out at Audi dealers, and the important numbers are eight and four. In addition to the updated 2011 Q7 and new-for-2011 A8, some models of the A4, A5, and Q5 will be getting eight-speed transmissions. The guides also confirm a new, turbocharged four-cylinder Q5 model.

Six Gears Versus Eight

The new ZF-sourced eight-speed will be labeled Tiptronic and take the place of Audi’s six-speed unit in Quattro-equipped vehicles with the turbocharged, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. This includes the A4 2.0T Quattro sedan and Avant and also the A5 2.0T Quattro coupe and cabriolet. All Q7s—both strengths of supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 as well as the 3.0-liter V-6 turbo-diesel—as well as the A8 and A8L, will get the ZF eight-speed.

Auto-equipped models sticking with either a CVT or the six-speed automatic include the front-wheel-drive A4 and A5, all A6 and S6 models, the S5 coupe, and the 3.2-liter Q5. Other cars currently using dual-clutch automated manuals—S5 cabriolet, A3, TT, etc.—are unaffected.

Q5 Goes Turbo Four

Another interesting tidbit gleaned from the order guide is the appearance of a new Q5 model equipped with a 2.0-liter TFSI engine for 2011. It’s likely the newer 211-hp EA888 engine, which develops 258 lb-ft of torque, and it too will be paired with the eight-speed automatic. With less weight, more torque, and better fuel economy than the 3.2 V-6, we’ve found the 2.0T to be a better match for the A4, and we expect the same to be true with the Q5.

All of the new 2011 models will be on sale this fall.

Slim Fast: Future Audi A4 to Shed Some 330 Pounds Read more: http://wot.motortrend.com/6679413/future/slim-fast-future-audi-a4-to-shed-some-330-pound

2010-05-12T18:22:00.000-07:00

Audi A4

According to a senior design chief at Audi AG, the next generation A4 will be 330 pounds (150 kilograms) lighter than the current model.

Heinrich Timm (pictured), Audi’s Head of Aluminum and Lightweight Design Center says the company will employ advanced materials and manufacturing techniques to reduce the overall mass of its most popular sedan and cites the many benefits of the cuts, including, but not limited to, increased fuel efficiency and dynamic performance as well as reduced operating costs (related to raw materials).

The rationale sounds good, but can it be done? Timm would know. Since 1982 he has been the pioneering force behind the development of several high tech manufacturing processes that Audi now uses across its range of vehicles, most notably, for the aluminum space frames found in the A8 and R8. Timm and his team have been working to reverse what he calls the “weight spiral” that has occurred in the C-segment over the last several decades. His research has shows that C-segment vehicles (Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, etc) have gained roughly ten percent in weight with each generation..html#ixzz0nlhPG4yJ

Next-Gen B9 Audi A4 Shedding More Than 300 Pounds

2010-05-12T18:20:00.000-07:00

Audi plans to reduce the total weight of the future A4 with about 330 pounds to improve performance, ride and consumption.

Although the public still enjoys the current generation, the new A4 already begins to take shape in design workshops of Ingolstadt. Audi plans to make the mid-size luxury sedan unbeatable in the premium segment, offering more than BMW and Mercedes.

So, in order to do that, Audi though of a process of weight reduction for the next Audi A4 generation. The 3 Series’ rival could lose up to 330 lbs, an explicit goal, fixed by Heinrich Timm, Head of the Audi Lightweight Design Centre. Reaching this goal would bring to an improved ride, performance well above the current ones, lower fuel consumption and lower CO2 emissions.

The 330 lbs will be lost by using an aluminum structure, of composite materials such as carbon fiber, and by improving the production methods. The philosophy first experienced on the future A4 will then be borrowed by the entire line-up of the German automaker of Ingolstadt.

2010 Audi R8 GT Latest Pictures

2010-05-05T05:36:00.001-07:00

2010 Audi R8 GT Latest Pictures

2010-05-05T05:36:00.000-07:00

Audi RS5

2010-04-21T07:36:00.000-07:00

Audi RS5 is coming to North America by September 2011.
European sales of the left-hand-drive RS5 start in June 2010.
RS5 base pretax price in Germany is 65,300 euros (U.S. $88,650), 32.4 percent over the S5 price.

2011 Audi RS5 Confirmed For U.S. once again

2010-04-21T07:35:00.000-07:00

The new 2011 Audi RS5, complete with its 450 horsepower FSI V-8 engine and seven-speed S tronic dual clutch gearbox, is slated to go on sale in Europe this July but we still don’t have any confirmation of the vehicle coming to the U.S.

The guys at Automobile Magazine, however, recently reported that the car is destined for the U.S., which would make it one of the first RS models to be sold in the U.S. since the demise of the RS4 Cabriolet back in 2008. Now Inside Line is reporting the same, but warns that it won't be here until November 2011.

Each model sold in the U.S. will reportedly come fully loaded, which means they should feature the new rear-axle sport differential, Dynamic Ride Control software upgrades, and possibly the chromed Boysen sport exhaust--all of which are offered as options overseas.

Audi sales soar as luxury segment increases in U.S

2010-04-21T07:33:00.000-07:00

The nation's recession has slowed Audi of America's plans to more than double its sales by the middle of the decade.
But as luxury sales start to pick up again, the German brand is standing out among its competitors.

Audi's U.S. sales have soared 35% so far this year -- the largest jump among luxury brands.

As the nation's economic troubles begin to wear off, Johan de Nysschen, president of Audi of America, said Audi is in "a position of unprecedented strength."

The company's American division posted the best first-quarter sales in its history. Globally, Audi outsold luxury competitor Mercedes-Benz during the first quarter, de Nysschen said Monday during a speech to the Automotive Press Association in Detroit.

Audi models are moving quickly, de Nysschen said. "We've been running short since August last year."

Overall, the luxury segment is picking up. Luxury vehicle sales, which fell 19% last year, are up nearly 4% through March, according to Autodata.

2012 Audi A6 Rendered

2010-04-10T00:28:00.000-07:00

2012 Audi A6
We surely can't say Audi has been lazy recently. The Bavarian carmaker has been churning out one new product after another, from the R8 supercar to the 10Best-winning S4, and the upcoming A1, a technology-laden premium city car.

But we haven't heard much lately from the comfy and powerful executive sedan that’s the backbone of the brand, the A6. And that’s because the current model is just about ready to retire. Its successor's design was locked in a year ago, and we expect the next car to be unveiled at any of this fall's upcoming auto shows, likely in Paris or Los Angeles.

Internally called C7, the next-generation A6 will be built on Audi's modular-longitudinal platform. This means its front axle moves further to the front, and the nose-heavy look of the current C6 will disappear. The front end, in fact, will look a lot like the Sportback concept, which is essentially the upcoming A7, which is due to launch this summer and is closely related to the A6.

Audi RS5 headed for the States

2010-04-01T22:20:00.001-07:00

Audi RS5

It's been a little while since anything with an RS badge came our way from Ingolstadt, but it if you believe the whispers floating around the Web these days, there may be hope for a U.S.-spec Audi RS5 just yet. Automobile is reporting that the company is seriously mulling bringing the S5's meaner brother to our neck of the woods.

The Kingdom of Quattro pulled the sheets off of the sinister coupe at this year's Geneva Motor Show, and our jaws have been on the floor ever since. Under the hood sits a tweaked 4.2-liter V8 with 450 horsepower at the crank. The mill is bolted to none other than the Audi Quattro all-wheel drive system, complete with a new torque-vectoring rear diff.

Audi R8 V10 Wins World Performance Car

2010-04-01T22:19:00.000-07:00

Earlier today at the New York Auto Show, the Audi R8 V10 took home the honor of 2010 World Performance Car, beating out the Ferrari California and the Porsche 911 GT3. The R8 was chosen from an original list of 16 cars by a jury of 59 members from 25 countries around the globe.

Audi: R8 goes topless

2010-03-19T17:55:00.000-07:00

2011 AUDI A8

The new A8 luxury four-door sedan is more aggressive and much larger than the previous version. Longer (5,137 millimetres) and wider (1,949 mm) than its immediate competition, the new A8 is lower for a more sporting silhouette.

That attitude is backed up with performance. Not only is the A8's latest aluminum space frame torsionally stiffer than before, it's also lighter. Factor in the increased output from the 372-horsepower 4.2-litre FSI V8 and the all-wheel-drive A8 scampers to 100 kilometres an hour in just 5.7 seconds.
Audi: R8 To go along with that performance are a number of luxury and functional touches. A camera-based system allows the A8 to auto-dim its LED headlights. The automatic climate control system has four separate climate zones and the 12-way-adjustable front seats can be exchanged for a pair of 22-way seats that are ventilated as well as heated and can be had with a pneumatic massager.

The A8's audio system is a 1,400-watt Bang & Olufsen stereo with 19 speakers.

AUDI R8 SPYDER 5.2 FSI QUATTRO

Audi S5 Cabriolet Drive Now

2010-03-13T01:44:00.000-08:00

Audi S5 Cabriolet

All casual refinement can be undermined by the introduction of one vital element: passengers. Photograph: Simon Stuart-Miller

Like "serviette", cabriolet is a word that doesn't sit comfortably in the English language. Somehow it sounds simultaneously pretentious and, well, a bit common. Which is unfortunate, because the Audi S5 Cabriolet is neither. In fact, it's avowedly unpretentious and uncommonly tasteful, with the possible exception of the slightly oversized front grille.

2010 Audi A8 hybrid

2010-03-13T01:42:00.000-08:00

2010 Audi A8 hybrid

Audi R8 LMS Evolution Version

2010-03-12T01:09:00.000-08:00

Audi R8 LMS

Audi A8 Hybrid

2010-03-07T08:46:00.000-08:00

Audi says its A8 Hybrid, introduced this week at the Geneva auto show, can accelerate from zero to 60 miles per hour in 7.6 seconds.

Audi RS5 official images

2010-02-25T10:36:00.000-08:00

Audi RS5 official images
RS version of the A5 unveiled ahead of its Geneva Motor Show debut featuring 444bhp V8.
Audi RS5
Auto Express Car Reviews
February 2010

Audi's mystery Geneva model has stepped into the spotlight! Earlier today leaked images of the RS5 appeared on the internet, but now Audi has released official pictures and all the details on the latest model to wear the hallowed RS badge.

Power will come from Audi's venerable 4.2-litre V8 - the same engine used by the RS4 - but turned up to tyre-smoking 444bhp. Hooked up to a seven-speed S Tronic twin-clutch gearbox as standard and using Audi's legendary Quattro all-wheel drive, it should provide scintillating performance. The 0-60mph sprint takes 4.6 seconds and the top speed is limited to 155mph, although Audi can increase that to 174mph on request.

V8-powered Audi R8 Spyder

2010-02-25T10:35:00.000-08:00

2011 Audi R8 Spyder 5.2L V10

The Audi R8 Spyder was introduced at Frankfurt with a stonking V10 powertrain nestled snugly in its boot, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the righteous 525-horsepower mill will be the R8 droptop's only source of power. Our West Coast friends at Inside LIne insist that the more reasonable 4.2-liter V8 that powers the "base" R8 is going to be offered as well... eventually.
The availability of a V8-powered Spyder could drop the price of entry by $30,000 or more, and it could prove to be an attractive option to potential customers who are more interested in the R8 Spyder as a fashion statement than as a near-supercar with outstanding performance. IL estimates that a V8-powered, topless R8 could arrive in showrooms sometime next year.

Audi's new all-electric concept car

2010-02-17T23:31:00.000-08:00

The Audi e-tron might look like a run-of-the-mill, high-performance sports car, but don't let appearances fool you. This all-electric prototype isn't just four wheels and an accelerator. Audi made extensive use of aluminum and carbon fiber in building the car — which is based on the German carmaker's vaunted midengine R8 supercar — and made the doors, roof and other body panels of fiber-reinforced plastic. Driver inputs are all space-age: the rearview mirrors have been replaced with closed-circuit television monitors, and the propulsion system is state-of-the-art electric. This car is truly a look into the future of the automobile, and is completely

Audi Announces the RS6 Plus Sport and RS6 Plus Audi Exclusive Limited Editions

2010-02-17T23:26:00.000-08:00

The Audi RS6 currently comes with a top speed of 188 miles per hour, a brute 580 horse power, 479 pound-feet torque and covers a 0-62 miles per hour cue in 4.5 seconds. Fans have long been complaining about the unavailability of the car in United States, an anger that has been strengthened with Audi’s announcement of offering two new limited-edition equipment packages for the RS6.

The two packages are called the RS6 Plus Sport and the RS6 Plus Audi Exclusive, and the production will be limited to only 500 units. Both the editions will sport a Carbon design package for the engine compartment. Additionally, there will be 20-inch wheels, an uprated sports suspension and a numbered badge in the interior. The difference between the two packages is minor. The RS6 Plus Sport package gets a leather-covered instrument panel hood and center console, with floor mats bearing the RS6 logo. The Audi Exclusive package comes with a custom paint job and leather-covered seat upholstery, controls, door trim inserts, front center armrest, and armrests.

Audi Launches New Sport

2010-02-15T09:07:00.001-08:00

Audi is offering two new limited-edition equipment packages for its RS6 super-sedan and Avant wagon that will be restricted to just 500 units to reflect their exclusivity. The two packages are the "RS6 Sport" and "RS6 Audi Exclusive," both of which come with a special carbon design package for the engine compartment, 20 inch wheels and a specially-tuned suspension kit.

The Sport version also features a dash and center console covered in leather and floor mats embossed with the RS6 logo. Concerning the Audi Exclusive package, customers can also specify a custom paint job as well as leather trim for the seat upholstery, controls, door trim inserts and armrests. Premium carbon fiber, aluminum, leather, and Alcantara also adorn much of the cabin.

Otherwise, the cars are largely normal--if you can call the RS6 normal--and come powered by a 5.0-liter V-10 FSI engine with direct-injection and twin-turbochargers boosting output to 580 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque. Not surprisingly, the five-seater offers the performance of a supercar, with 0-62 mph sprints in just 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 181 mph.

An Audi limo

2010-02-15T09:04:00.000-08:00

It is clear that Audi is on an aggressive drive to match and then beat luxury stalwarts Mercedes-Benz and BMW at their own game. And in many segments, it seems to be already giving its two German rivals a run for their money.

The exception lies in the limousine segment. Audi's flagship A8, for all its lightweight and innovative construction, has not won over the towkays swayed by the Merc S-class and BMW 7-series.

But things may change with the new A8. In view of growing environmental awareness (or sheer power hunger), Audi will for the first time include diesel-powered models in its A8 line-up here.

Its 4.2-litre V8 turbodiesel has 350bhp and a massive 800Nm of torque. This allows it to outsprint the more powerful 372bhp 4.2-litre FSI petrol model to 100kmh. It clocks 5.5 seconds, versus the FSI's 5.7 seconds.

Both reach an electronically governed top speed of 250kmh but the 4.2 turbodiesel will be far more miserly on fuel, consuming just 10.2 litres for every 100km in the city, compared with 13.3 litres for its petrol sibling.

Audi also offers a 3.0-litre TDI with just 250bhp but a respectable 550Nm of torque. This model is even more economical, sipping 6.6 litres of diesel for every 100km in the city.

Two more engines will be added a little later: a 260bhp 3.2-litre V6 FSI and a very frugal 3-litre TDI rated at 6 litres every 100km.

As expected of a flagship, the new A8 is literally packed to the gills with a raft of the latest electronic bells and whistles. The front headlights are completely LED-powered, with GPS-guided 'predictive lighting'. It even compensates for an oncoming vehicle by dipping more as the car closes in to reduce glare, while keeping the beam on the kerbside as high as possible.

Another innovative feature is MMI Touch, which is Audi's Multi Media Interface with a touch pad. The driver can write his destination on the pad and the navigation will do the rest.

Amazingly, the system recognises handwriting as bad as a doctor's. It will even decipher Chinese characters for the China market.

Audi joins the hi-fi war with a B&O sound system (an option) that pushes out 1,400 watts through 19 speakers. Even the standard issue 600-watt Bose system sounds good and will interface with your iPhone via the dedicated hardwire connector or Bluetooth.

If we were to list all the A8's innovative gadgets, there would not be space left for the drive impression, which is as follows:

The 4.2 V8 FSI delivers expected performance with a definite sporty inclination and exhaust note. Its throttle response is sharp and would be my first choice had I not tried the 4.2 V8 TDI. While the noise this turbodiesel makes cannot compare with the sporty aria from the FSI, it pulls away more effortlessly than a petrol car.

The shove you feel as you hit the accelerator pedal is astounding. The car has enough torque to overcome the full-time quattro system. In fact, traction control and stability control intervene occasionally to keep the car in check.

Spy Photos With Audi A1

2010-02-07T22:04:00.000-08:00

Looks like some spy photos with the future come Audi A1 came up, the car is programmed to be unveiled next week. As you can see from the photos, this Audi A1 comes with some pretty cool drawings, I’m sure that this car will have all the attention on the road.

Under the hood the Audi A1 will have one of the following, in the list is a 1.2 liter TFSI with 63kW (86 PS) and 160 Nm, a 1.6 liter TDI churning out 77kW (105 PS) and 250 Nm of torque and an 1.4 liter TFSI packing 90kW (122 PS) and 200 Nm. TheAudi A1 is should appear on the market this summer and Audi expects to sell over 80.000 cars this year.

2010 Audi R8 V10 LMS GT3

2010-02-06T22:09:00.000-08:00

The Audi R8 LMS, which takes the fixed head version of this formidable, V10-powered lightweight aluminium supercar as its basis, was developed by Audi Sport in close cooperation with quattro GmbH for “customer” motor sport teams. The first thoroughbred “customer” sports car in the Audi brand’s illustrious near 30-year modern motor sport history adopts an even more extreme edge through the even more extensive use of weight-paring carbon fibre, the installation of a race-spec gearbox and the removal of all standard interior trim.

United Autosports, a newly formed British racing team based in Leeds, Yorkshire, has secured two examples of the specially enhanced and race prepared super car, which has already justified its £267,000 ‘list price’ by achieving 23 race victories throughout Europe in 2009, its debut season.

Audi A5 Sportback driven

2010-02-01T09:19:00.000-08:00

You could call the low-slung, broad-shouldered, wind-swept A5 Sportback a three-in-one Audi. According to the company's sales pitch, the model offers the elegance of a coupe, comfort of a sedan and practicality of an estate.

But like three-in-one sachet beverages, the Sportback has its virtues and drawbacks. The latter has nothing to do with taste, for the new car will find favour with most people at first sight.

In fact, the Sportback will easily qualify as one of the most beautiful and sumptuous Audis around.

Rather, the marriage of three genres has necessitated some compromises (as marriages tend to).

The car's coupe-like rear quarter naturally means restricted headroom for occupants in the second row. Audi alleviated this somewhat by lowering the rear seats. How successful this is depends on how tall you are.

A 'liftback' boot lid is also heftier and more unwieldy. In this case, Audi could probably have done something to prevent muscle fatigue but did not.

And because of its relative bulk, dynamic traits normally associated with a coupe are not all that apparent at the wheel.

As an Avant, the Sportback is neither here nor there. Its 480-litre stowage is not class-leading (not even among sedans), although it is more usable because of its unobstructed flatness.

Backrests of its rear seats can be folded forward (almost flat) for another 500 litres of luggage space if needed. Which is a good thing.

Audi’s Second Electric E-Tron

2010-02-01T09:17:00.000-08:00

The Audi E-Tron that was unveiled at the Detroit auto show
Audi introduced a second electric car prototype in Detroit today, and it’s a family affair. Like the two-seater sports car Audi showed off recently in Frankfurt and Los Angeles, the new concept is also named E-Tron. The automaker is not trying to be confusing, said Michael Dick, a member of Audi’s Management Board, interviewed in Detroit. Audi says that “E-Tron” will be the name for a family of electric cars — hopefully to gain the same kind of resonance as “quattro” and “TDI.”

Mr. Dick describes the Detroit E-Tron as a kind of mini R8, or alternately as the “little brother” of Audi’s other electric E-Tron concept. “It is smaller and lighter than the other E-Tron, and the technical investment is not so great,” he said. “It is completely new, and something of a scaling exercise from the other car.” The new E-Tron, with two electric motors in the rear axle (the other e-tron has four motors), is capable of zero to 62 miles per hour in 5.9 seconds, with speed governed at 124 miles per hour. Range is estimated at 155 miles.

Weighing just under 3,000 pounds (with almost 900 pounds of batteries), the aluminum-and-plastic-bodied, rear-wheel-drive concept car has a combined output of 204 horsepower. A big 45-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack is behind the passenger compartment and in front of the rear axle.

2010 Audi R8 5.2 FSI

2010-01-15T08:15:00.000-08:00

The Audi R8 5.2 FSI is easily among the dozen fastest street-legals on planet Earth.
The car is the 2010 Audi R8 5.2 FSI -- a billion-candlepower version of the R8 sports coupe with a Lamborghini V-10 engine wedged amidships. To drive one is to mind-meld with an off-world creature of magnificent grace and dramatic pace, a being that can by turns be tender and sophisticated or -- once you kick the loud pedal -- an unholy freakin' animal. The primal aurality of this car at 8,000 rpm will actually cause your DNA to devolve. Ugh. Mook-ah.

The Audi isn't simply quick (zero to 60 in 3.7 seconds) or fast (a quarter-mile in less than 12 seconds), though it easily qualifies as among the dozen fastest street-legals on planet Earth. It isn't only that it will cause your organs to slosh to one side of your rib cage like an untrussed load of pork bellies. It's that the whole package -- the death-grip Pirellis, the mid-engine layout, the all-wheel drive, the carbon-ceramic brakes, the milfoil layering of electronic safety systems, the preternatural balance of the thing -- so thoroughly augments and flatters the abilities of the humanoid behind the wheel. The man-machine interface is so supple, so syncretic, the bit stream from the four wheels through the seat and steering so vivid and real-time that at times I could taste the carbon fiber.

I got out of the Audi feeling 10 feet tall and ready to tame the nearest Toruk.

Audi’s Second Electric E-Tron

2010-01-15T08:14:00.000-08:00

The Audi E-Tron that was unveiled at the Detroit auto show on Monday. It is the second concept Audi has revealed with the E-Tron name.
Audi introduced a second electric car prototype in Detroit today, and it’s a family affair. Like the two-seater sports car Audi showed off recently in Frankfurt and Los Angeles, the new concept is also named E-Tron. The automaker is not trying to be confusing, said Michael Dick, a member of Audi’s Management Board, interviewed in Detroit. Audi says that “E-Tron” will be the name for a family of electric cars — hopefully to gain the same kind of resonance as “quattro” and “TDI.”

Mr. Dick describes the Detroit E-Tron as a kind of mini R8, or alternately as the “little brother” of Audi’s other electric E-Tron concept. “It is smaller and lighter than the other E-Tron, and the technical investment is not so great,” he said. “It is completely new, and something of a scaling exercise from the other car.” The new E-Tron, with two electric motors in the rear axle (the other e-tron has four motors), is capable of zero to 62 miles per hour in 5.9 seconds, with speed governed at 124 miles per hour. Range is estimated at 155 miles.

Audi Says A5 TDI Suicide Ad Is a Fake

2010-01-09T08:40:00.000-08:00

2010 Audi A5 TDI Picture

An Audi A5-themed ad, making the rounds on the Internet and showing a businessman trying to commit suicide, is definitely not the work of Audi, the automaker says.
A purported Audi ad of a man unsuccessfully trying to kill himself in an Audi A5 TDI is a fake, confirmed Audi of America on Friday in an e-mailed message to Inside Line.

"You or your staff might have caught wind of a purported Audi TDI commercial that made its way around the Web this week featuring [an] attempted and failed suicide," said Audi of America spokesman Christian Bokich. "This video was not commissioned, funded or produced by any Audi organization worldwide."

The video shows a man in a parking structure who attempts to kill himself by carbon monoxide poisoning. He threads a hose from the exhaust into the window of the Audi. When the fuel gauge reads empty, the man appears to be dead. But he wakes up. "Good for the environment. Good for you," says the tagline to the ad. The man is then shown trying to choke himself by rolling up the window of the car on his neck.

2010 Audi A8

2010-01-06T01:31:00.000-08:00

The current generation Audi A8 or otherwise coded the D3 has been with us since 2003. Only receiving a few minimal facelifts, it’s rivals, the Mercedes S-Class, Lexus LS, BMW 7-Series and everything that falls within the same category have all but moved on past facelifts and onto new models already. That’s a fact but the truth is, the design will have to stay on for at least another two years as the next generation ‘D4′ A8 isn’t due to arrive until 2010. A prototype has been spotted undergoing cold weather testing while hidden under the current D3 body. The first give away was that it was odd to see an almost obsolete model undergoing testing at such a late stage in its life cycle, and that it needed extended fender flares, a stretched wheelbase and wider track, what other visual cues could a trained eye need?

Audi A8

2010 Audi A8

The A8 will use an extended version of the modular platform used in the A4 but predictably will be built using more exclusive and exotic materials such as aluminum and magnesium to save weight and improve dynamics. The engine line up will very likely be the same as the current range, starting with the 2.8 liter petrol onto the middle class 4.2 liter V8 FSI and Audi’s all new 6 liter V12 TDI to top the segment.

2010 Audi A8

There will also be other units depending on country and demand and this will include superchagred units as well as an increased application of Audi’s latest valve-lift system. Those passionate about motor engineering might not be too happy but Audi’s 6 liter W12 engine is reportedly being phased out due to its high costs and emissions. Expect the base model to retain its FWD layout but All-Wheel-Drive variants will feature later on with Audi’s latest Quattro torque vectoring systems, which distribute drive individually between each axle and between the rear wheels for improved traction and stability.

Audi R8 by Cargraphic

2009-12-26T20:54:00.000-08:00

We’ve seen a couple of Cargraphic designs recently, most notably, their Corvette ZO6 and their Porsche Cayenne. Today we received pictures of a R8 they prepared with a new airlift suspension system and subtle bodykit. No power increases to report but hopefully the mix of practical additions should create a more balanced driving experience.

The white-on-white donor car hides the new airlift suspension unit that can elevate the front end by 72mm in just 15 seconds. The practical application here is that your front spoiler raises high enough to stop any damage to either the front spoiler or the suspension parts. At speeds above 50km/h, the car will automatically lower using its system of air bellows and a separate compressor.

The whole unit is TÜV certified and doesn’t restrict the owner to a specific choice of tyres.

Elsewhere, there’s a choice of 19 inch or 20 inch lightweight alloy wheels. A Cargraphic stainless steel exhaust setup is also fitted to this car. Cargraphic offers a number of body options including the spoiler seen in a couple of the pictures.

Audi Q7 Diesel, a 5,500-Pound Fuel Miser

2009-12-26T20:52:00.000-08:00

The Audi Q7 3.0 TDI is an SUV to consider if your needs call for a three-row SUV and you want the best possible fuel economy and range for that kind of vehicle. Drive gently and this 5,500-pound Audi will reward you with almost 30 mpg. The EPA rates it at 17 mpg city, 25 mpg highway, 20 mpg combined. I got 27 mpg in a long weekend of driving, mostly highway miles. With its massive 26.4 gallon fuel tank, you'll go 600 miles between fill-ups. Highway cruising is where a diesel-engine vehicle is most at home.

The all-wheel-drive Audi Q7 doesn't have quite the bulky feel of a Cadillac Escalade. But the tall silhouette and massive Audi-signature grille, big enough to keep salmon from being sucked into a nuclear plant water intake, are a fair indicator of the official specs: 200.3 inches long and a weight of 2.75 tons. The 225-hp diesel is the slowest of the three Audi Q7s, although 0-60 mph in 8.5 seconds is still pretty good. As with most other diesel-engine cars and SUVs I've driven this year, it's virtually impossible to tell it's a diesel from the inside, except when starting up and driving away on cool mornings. From the outside you hear a slight clatter at idle and, if you sniff hard, you'd notice the slightest bit of diesel odor. As with many other low-emissions diesels, the Q7 injects urea into the exhaust stream to further purify the emissions. The tank is good for 7,500-10,000 miles, so it can be handled when you go in for an oil change.

Audi has plenty of technology features and options. An iPod adapter comes standard. Audi's MMI (multimedia interface) cockpit controller was for the longest time the smarter, easier-to-use alternative to BMW iDrive; the current iDrive has since leapfrogged Audi. (Expect a significant Audi enhancement in 2010.) If you order navigation ($2,500, a lot to pay), you'll see 3D topography with building shapes in some areas thanks to an nVidia processor, get real time traffic, and a 40-GB hard disk that reserves 10 GB for ripped CD music. A blind spot departure warning system is offered but not lane departure warning. The daytime running lights are LEDs, as are the taillights. There's no rear seat entertainment package offered, but you can add one easily through a mobile entertainment dealer.

2010 Audi A3 TDI named Green Car of the Year

2009-12-25T20:40:00.000-08:00

The 2010 Audi A3 TDI was named Green Car of the Year at the L.A. Auto Show today, giving the Germans and clean diesel technology back-to-back wins.

The four-door hatchback, which has a base sticker price of $29,950, "offers it all," said Ron Cogan, publisher of Green Car Journal, which sponsors the annual award, praising the car's sporty performance and superior fuel economy.

The winner's "quiet, clean diesel engine delivers loads of low-end torque and a fun-to-drive experience, all with the functionality of a five-passenger hatchback," Cogan said.

The A3 TDI (which stands for turbo direct injection) has an EPA highway fuel economy rating of 42 MPG -- a 50% improvement over the gasoline-powered A3.

The other finalists for the award were the 2010 models of the Honda Insight hybrid, Toyota Prius hybrid, Volkswagen Golf TDI and Mercury Milan hybrid, the only nominee from an American automaker.

The A3 TDI is powered by the same engine as last year's Green Car of the Year, the VW Jetta TDI. Audi is owned by Volkswagen.

Consecutive victories by clean-diesel technology over gas-electric hybrid cars gave Johan de Nysschen, president of Audi of America, an opportunity to wag a finger at Washington policymakers who have fallen in love with hybrid and all-electric technology.

Nysschen called on politicians to define the fuel economy and environmental targets they want automakers to meet and then "let the industry pick the technology."

Diesel power trains, which are common in Europe, have been a tough sell in America, where consumers retain bad memories of the smoky, poor-performing diesel cars that roamed the nation's highways in the 1970s.

Nysschen said he believed American car buyers would slowly come around to the idea of diesel as a viable option in the hunt for higher mileage. He said an A3 TDI driven from New York to Santa Monica achieved fuel economy of up to 51 MPG at certain points on the trip.

99g/km Audi A3 Available To Order

2009-12-25T20:37:00.000-08:00

A new Audi A3, officially the most economical ever, is available to order from this week. It's a special version of the 1.6 TDI, a car which was already impressive in that it had combined fuel economy of 68.9mpg and a CO2 rating of 109g/km.

The new model goes several steps beyond that. A combination of higher gearing, reduced ride height, better underbody aerodynamics and 15" wheels (one inch smaller than normal) with low-rolling resistance tyres means that this one has an official combined economy figure of 74.3mpg, while CO2 emissions have dropped to 99g/km. And that means the car is exempt from annual road tax.

Performance isn't affected: top speed is still 121mph, and the 0-62mph remains at 11.4 seconds as with the other 1.6 TDIs.

As well as being the most economical A3 ever, this is also the cheapest in the current range, with an on-the-road price of £18,005. It comes in only one version, with three doors, the standard trim level (there are no SE or S line equivalents) and a five-speed manual gearbox driving the front wheels.

2010 Audi S5 quattro Cabriolet

2009-12-21T09:11:00.000-08:00

If any engine puts the final nail into the coffin of the mainstream V-8, it's the new 3.0-liter supercharged V-6 in Audi's 2010 S5 Cabriolet and S4 sedan. Rated 333 horsepower and 325 pound-feet, it's 20 horses shy of the 4.2-liter V-8's power number and its match on twist. We got a quick sampling of the new engine in the cloth-lid S5.

Our testing reveals the S5 ragtop is just half a second slower -- or less quick -- from 0-60 mph than the V-8 Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG and V-8 S5 coupe. In the quarter mile, it's 0.8 second slower than the Benz, 0.5 slower than the S5 hardtop. The Cabriolet's new engine seems poised for the new CAFE order, with 17/26 mpg EPA numbers, versus 16/24 for the S5 V-8 coupe with the S tronic and 14/22 for the manual coupe. (The S4 sedan with the supercharged 3.0 gets 18/27 mpg with the manual; 18/28 with S tronic.) Engine downsizing, even among expensive German performance cars, is the Next Big Thing, and Audi has trumped BMW, which is going back to a six-cylinder engine for the next M3.

The 3.0 TFSI features gas direct injection and the intercooled supercharger -- "T" typically means "turbocharged" in VW and Audi engines, but apparently SFSI doesn't seem sporty enough. While its sound is distinctively blown-V-6, Audi has tuned it to sound the part of a V-8 killer, but with a higher pitch. The brappy soundtrack is accentuated by back-pressure burbles during upshifts of the seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission, when you get aggressive with the throttle.

2011 Audi A1 Latest Pictures

2009-12-18T21:54:00.000-08:00

2011 Audi A1 and Justin Timberlake on LA photo shoot

This has been a big week for the 2011 Audi A1. On Monday we saw the release of an official teaser for the upcoming premium compact, as well as confirmation that it will be unveiled at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show in March, and just yesterday Audi announced that entertainer Justin Timberlake would play the leading role in a new Internet campaign for the car starting in spring.

Today, an image of the new Audi A1 has surfaced online. The image shows Audi’s new brand ambassador Justin Timberlake alongside the car and was taken at a video shoot in the Los Angeles area.

Audi’s Electric E-tron Is Real

2009-12-18T21:53:00.000-08:00

The gorgeous e-tron electric concept car Audi’s been showing off lately is more than a slick show car. It’s damn-near production ready and could be in showrooms by the end of 2011.

So says Dan Neil, the Pulitzer Prize-winning gearhead who writes for the Los Angeles Times. That lucky SOB spent some quality time with the e-tron and says it is “spectacularly cool and highly-evolved.”

We already knew the e-tron is spectacularly cool because we had to force ourselves not to drool when we saw it at the Los Angeles Auto Show. But Neil says the car, which Audi developed in just nine months, is remarkably refined. The alloy space frame is production-ready, all of the electronics — including the motion-sensing door handles — work and the instrument console is all but finished.

In other words, Audi is on track to have the e-tron rolling off the line within two years.

As for the car’s drivetrain, we already knew it sports four electric motors and a 53 kilowatt/hour lithium-ion battery pack (about 43 kw/hr is used). We also knew it puts down 313 horsepower (70 percent goes to the rear wheels), and we’ve all heard Audi’s inflated claim of 3,319 pound-feet of torque. Neil says the real-world figure is about 550. Sixty-two mph comes in 4.8 seconds. Top speed is limited to 155 mph.

What we didn’t know is the prototype, which has a carbon fiber body, weighs 3,527 pounds. Neil says Audi hopes to get the production model down to 3,200. The car promises to be a blast to drive, what with torque-vectoring all-wheel drive and regenerative braking.

2011 Audi A8 to Come Google-Ready

2009-12-17T00:00:00.001-08:00

Unveiled in Miami just a few weeks ago, the 2011 Audi A8 will hit the U.S. market in late 2010. The latest word from Audi is that the European version will come stocked with in-car Googling. Several Google features will be integrated into the new multimedia interface, which is already one of the more intriguing aspects of the new flagship.

Audi plans on offering Google services beyond what are available from other car manufacturers such as BMW. Functionality will extend to Google-based mapping, service locating and Google Earth waypoints. Users will also be able to send locations from a computer to the car’s email address to streamline route mapping. Google services will be accessible via voice or the MMI’s touchpad.

Audi A3 named 'green' car of the year

2009-12-16T23:58:00.001-08:00

Audi A3

Audi A3

Audi A3

Audi A3

Audi's latest environmentally-friendly sedan, launched in the United States just last month, took top honors ahead of the Toyota Prius, Honda Insight, VW Golf TDI and Ford's Mercury Milan hybrid.

The A3 TDI gets 42 miles (67 kilometers) to the gallon (3.75 liters) on the highway, following in the footsteps, or should we say tire tracks of the Volkswagen Jetta, which won last year.

Ron Cogan, editor of Green Car Journal, said jurors were impressed with Audi's direct injection turbo diesel technology which "achieved 50 percent better fuel efficiency than the gasoline engine A3 model without sacrificing anything."

Consumers warming to climate-friendly cars

Audi sold just over 500 A3 diesels in the US in November, its first month on the market, a figure that pales in comparison to the runner-up Toyota Prius, which sold 128,000 units this year.

But Consumer Reports magazine's senior automotive engineer, Jake Fisher, said he was confident that the car would sell. "There is demand for this type of vehicle, and I think it will do well", he said, despite the traditional aversion to diesel-powered automobiles in the US.

Green car winners are chosen by a panel of Green Car magazine editors, and invited jurors, who this year included car collector and comic Jay Leno, environmental activist, Jean-Michel Cousteau, legendary muscle car designer Carroll Shelby and the head of the Sierra Club environment group, Carl Pope.

Audi is bringing Sexy Back with Justin Timberlake!

2009-12-16T23:57:00.000-08:00

Audi has signed on Justin Timberlake as its new ambassador! The ‘Sexy Back’ singer will play the leading role in the Audi A1 Internet campaign which will be launched in the first quarter of 2010.

“Justin Timberlake is an extraordinary artist. He manages to keep advancing his personal development while proving his abilities in different branches of the arts,” says Peter Schwarzenbauer, Member of the Board of Management for Marketing and Sales, Audi AG.

That statement is very true when you compare the Maggi-mee haired Justin back in his ‘N Sync days with the RnB artiste he is today. From squeaky boyband member to the hip beatboxer everyone wants to collaborate with, it’s amazing re-engineering.

“As a superstar he appeals to a young target audience that we’re particularly intent on exciting about the compact and efficient A1, which is superlatively well suited for city traffic,” adds Schwarzenbauer.

Audi also released some cool graffiti teasers for its upcoming baby, which you can download as wallpaper after the jump.

C teaser image revealed

2009-12-16T23:51:00.000-08:00

Audi has revealed a teaser image of its Audi A1 - a rival to premium superminis such as the Mini.

The image is part of a teaser video where a graffiti artist spray paints an image of the car on to a wall.

The A1 will be revealed at the Geneva motor show next spring, before going on sale in the autumn. Prices are estimated to start at around £14,000.

Audi A1 - the clues we've seen so far
We have already been given plenty of clues to what the A1 will look like in the metal. The A1 Metroproject concept car was revealed at the Tokyo motor show two years ago, and a year later a five-door 'Sportback' version was shown at the Paris show.

Both of these concept cars were petrol hybrids, although the first production cars will be more conventional. While engines have yet to be confirmed, they will be from the existing VW line-up, which means the 1.2 TSI and 1.4 TSI turbocharged petrol engines look certain to feature. A hybrid will follow a year or so later.

Audi to test solar-power roof panels

2009-12-15T21:25:00.000-08:00

Audi will have solar panels installed on the roof of its assembly plant in Germany, for practical testing of new photovoltaic technologies by Munich-based Green City Energy.

In the weeks ahead, photovoltaic modules will be installed over 11,600 square metres of the roof. The modules are expected to generate more than 1,000 MWh of electricity each year, comparable to the consumption of 220 four-person households, the company said.

Modules on the roof of the toolmaking shop, on a parking deck at the technical development centre, and a third location south of the plant will begin supplying the power grid in early 2010.

The company also plans to install another 8,700 square metres of modules in Ingolstadt, while discussions are under way to review other Audi sites in Neckarsulm. As early as next year, photovoltaic modules could cover a roof area of 33,000 square metres.

Audi e-tron: Electron Accelerator

2009-12-15T21:24:00.000-08:00

It’s around seven in the morning on the Pacific Coast Highway. The sun rises over the hills and the sea gleams violet. An orange truck disgorges the possible future of the German sportscar. We are about to take our first test drive in the Audi e-tron.
It looks like an Audi R8 but there’s no roaring, bubbling exhaust note. Eerily, one does not hear anything. Someone says: “Look: it’s how the whole future will develop. Perhaps this is something to make an enthusiast forget the Ferrari 458 or, in this part of the world, a Corvette ZR-1.”

The sun is still rising on the 4.28-metre length of the Audi e-tron, revealing its red lacquer finish and causing the eye to dwell again and again on odd design details. Take the finely drawn face with its different-looking aluminum radiator grille and LED lights. It’s an R8, of course it’s an R8 – yet something about it suggests a new future. There’s an indefinable touch of Transformers, Battlestar Galactica or Darth Vader attracting the senses here.

Closer inspection reveals a flap, concealing the charging point with its red and green diodes. The flap itself, plus the doors, the side panels and the roof are all made of fibre-reinforced plastic indicating an ultra-light construction. Every detail suggests a new generation of automobile.

Inside the e-tron there are pedals for brake and power plus, reassuringly, there’s still a nice round steering wheel in there. Clinical instruments and touch-sensitive switches look different, however, and a press on the starter seems to do nothing. Then two round dials light up in the instrument panel and a leather-finished selector lever rises from the central console.

There is merely the sound of the automatic parking brake being released and we are away, heading south on the Pacific Coast Highway. The e-tron sits heavily on the road, this pre-production model weighing two metric tonnes. I am told that the standard model coming later will weigh approximately 1.6 tonnes.

Now we accelerate. There’s the sound of the wind but there’s no growl from the back. Instead, one senses the raw surface of the road as never before. It’s not just the lack of noise which makes it feel quick. It’s the fact that it really is quick – extremely quick, thanks to four electric motors giving a combined 313HP and a torque figure exceeding 4000Nm.

With virtually no sound, full acceleration makes one feel like Captain Future. To spoil the local Sheriff’s day, we knock off the speed dramatically. With combined electric and hydraulic braking force, the pedal feel is different but the stopping power is impressive.

Fully charged, there’s ‘juice’ for approximately one hour’s drive in this car but the standard model will have a realistic range of 240 kilometres, with top speed limited to 200kph (124mph) but 0-62mph in under five seconds. High speeds with electric cars get the batteries on their knees at an alarming rate, hence the restricted top speed. The Sanyo battery module, weighing 470kg and positioned ahead of the rear axle, contributes to a front:rear weight distribution of 42:58. Normal domestic recharging takes a maximum of eight hours but a 400-Volt supply cuts that to 2.5 hours.

Audi started work on the e-tron in January 2009 and this fully finished prototype is a one-off. At the Los Angeles motor show, a second car will be unveiled and late in 2012, following further extensive tests, a small series of cars will be produced. First there will be 10, then 100 and after that, perhaps 1000 cars. The electrical future seems unstoppable yet sometimes the future develops more slowly than expected. We shall see whether the e-tron bucks that trend.

Full-speed (sort-of) in the Audi E-tron

2009-12-15T21:23:00.000-08:00

New Audi

Following its U.S. debut at the Los Angeles auto show, we got a chance to sample the battery-powered sports car along a scenic stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway.

The bright red show car is the same prototype our man Georg Kacher sampled in Europe, but has since seen its top speed lifted from a fast crawl to a more informative 55 mph. That’s still well short of the 125 mph promised for production, but was fast enough to appreciate the E-tron’s instantaneous torque, which we’re told amounts to about 150 pound feet to each rear wheel and 75 to each front wheel. That's down from dubious early reports of 3319 lb-ft, but is still impressive. For comparison, the R8 on which the E-tron is loosely based produces 317 lb-ft of torque at 4500 rpm in V-8 form, and sends 90 percent of it to the rear wheels. The carefully configured seat of our pants tells us the E-tron might get a jump immediately off the line, but would watch the R8 fly by as soon as its 4.2-liter V-8 took a deep breath.

Not surprisingly, the E-tron hardly excercises its R8-sourced suspension at 55 mph, and neither, Audi says, would it at 125 mph. For that reason, the production model will likely get lighter and less expensive components.

The E-tron introduces an entirely new interior design language for Audi, one that will likely inform other future models. That could mean more austere dash layouts with floating center consoles. The show car has an LCD rear-view screen as the batteries fill what would normally be the rear viewport, but production models will have to make do with only side mirrors.

Audi still isn’t sure how it will market the E-tron but is not likely to follow the Lexus LFA example and retain ownership of the cars. There might be a limited lease program in the first year followed by regular sales, depending on consumer response.

Audi sets 2010 sports car agenda

2009-12-08T20:32:00.000-08:00

Audi's prototypes will not be back at Sebring in 2010.

Audi announced today its 2010 plans for factory sports car team Audi Sport Team Joest – and the news comes as a blow to the 12 Hours of Sebring, which is not in the cards for the company's diesel-powered prototypes next year. Instead, the German marque will focus its efforts on the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where three cars will be entered, and the new “Le Mans Intercontinental Cup” races, of which the American Le Mans Series' Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta will count as one round.

“We welcome greatly the fact that the Automobile Club de l'Ouest has announced the first international racing series for LMP1 vehicles,” said Audi motorsports boss Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. “We are convinced that this motorsport category, which is particularly attractive from the perspective of technology, has prospects for a great future and fits our times well.”

The inaugural Le Mans Intercontinental Cup will feature the 1000-kilometer race at Silverstone, Petit Le Mans and an event in Asia yet to be announced. Audi also plans also to contest the Le Mans Series 1000km race at Spa, Belgium, which the team will treat as a dress rehearsal for Le Mans, with three cars.

Meanwhile, Audi will maintain its prominent involvement in Europe's DTM series, with up to nine cars. The major change is that Tom Kristensen, who will fully focus on Le Mans-style racing hands over his seat to young Briton Oliver Jarvis.

"We are thus giving our youngest ‘factory' driver the chance to prove his prowess in a current DTM car," said Ullrich. "The performances Oliver has shown in his first DTM years at the wheel of a year-old A4 speak in his favor."

Audi e-tron sales to be limited to 1,000 units

2009-12-08T20:29:00.000-08:00

Audi may not be positioning itself as a "green brand," but it's still putting a rather big toe into the environmentally-friendly waters of electric sportscars with its R8-based e-tron, which is reportedly headed for production in 2012.

As a refresher – as if you needed one – the e-tron debuted as a concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September with some truly impressive statistics: four separate electric motors with 230 kW (313 horsepower) and 4,500 Nm (3,319.03 pound-feet) of torque (sort of), which is enough to push it to 62 mph in a mere 4.8 seconds.

So, um... want one? The line forms at the rear, and you'd better not dawdle as Audi says its only planning to build 1,000 of examples. Naturally, pricing has yet to be set, but it's reportedly expected to be "above R8 levels." Duh. Regardless, with all those lithium ion batteries and their associated electronic gadgetry, we don't imagine that Audi plans to make much of a profit when it finally goes on sale in two years.

Audi to tackle Pikes Peak without a driver

2009-11-30T08:50:00.002-08:00

In its latest display of Vorsprung durch Technik, Audi plans to return to Pikes Peak — a hill climb in Colorado synonymous with past motorsport successes — with a “driverless” TTS Coupe quattro.

The Autonomous Audi TTS Coupe quattro is the direct result of work underway at the Volkswagen Group Automotive Innovation Laboratory (VAIL) — a collaborative effort set up by the Volkswagen Group Electronics Research Laboratory and Stanford University — to advance car technology.

Now in the testing phase, the Autonomous Audi TTS quattro is being developed for several still-to-be determined real-world driving challenges next year, including a possible drive up the legendary 20-kilometre Pikes Peak Hill Climb route. This will not be a competition run, however, and is separate from the actual motorsport event being staged next July.

Audi says the Autonomous Audi TTS project is intended to explore the best capabilities of current and future driver assistance technologies to help the company enhance the experience behind the steering wheel for future driver generations.

Dr. Burkhard Huhnke, executive director of the Electronics Research Laboratory, says the technology found in the car could help motorists respond more effectively to changing traffic conditions to reduce road congestion and allow better reactions to safety hazards. Huhnke also says the technology could return time to the car owners by taking care of routine driving chores, such as locating an assigned space in a car park.

“We believe that developing a car that can perform as well and respond as rapidly as a ‘professional’ driver, like a race or rally driver, will eventually be able to drive its way around incidents in a way that a ‘normal’ driver couldn’t,” Hunke says. “While a less experienced driver may freeze or make the wrong ‘correction,' the Autonomous TTS would be able to take over or guide the driver to escape from a critical situation. It could also compensate if a driver is inattentive to conditions or distracted but of course, it won’t prevent all accidents.”

Audi That Drives Itself

2009-11-30T08:50:00.001-08:00

The Autonomous Audi TTS Coupe is a prototype which differs from all production TTs in various ways, the most obvious being that it can drive itself.

Self-driving technology is not unknown within the Volkswagen Group, but the Autonomous Audi is being prepared for a number of tough challenges in 2010, one of which may be a drive up the 12.42-mile Pike's Peak hillclimb course in Colorado. This would not be a competitive run, and it would be separate from the annual hillclimb event, but if the car can get to the top without falling off the side of the mountain it would still be quite an achievement.

The eventual aim of all this is not to produce a car that customers would not have to - or be able to - drive themselves. As Dr Burkhard Huhnke of the Volkswagen Group Electronics Research Laboratory explains, "We believe that developing a car that can perform as well and respond as rapidly as a 'professional' driver, like a race or rally driver, will eventually be able to drive its way around incidents in a way that a 'normal' driver couldn’t.

"While a less experienced driver may freeze or make the wrong correction, the Autonomous TTS would be able to take over or guide the driver to escape from a critical situation. It could also compensate if a driver is inattentive to conditions or distracted but of course, it won't prevent all accidents."

Driverless Audi TT

2009-11-30T08:49:00.000-08:00

New TT S takes to the track, but leaves its driver at the startline!

It’s the world’s first driverless racing car. This very special TT is looking to set records as it makes its debut in one of the world’s toughest races.

The Autonomous Audi TTS quattro project is the firm’s latest display of ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ and will tackles the infamous Pikes Peak Hill Climb in the USA.

The car will use a pair of roof mounted cameras attached to powerful computers to literally “see” the road ahead of the car.

Steering, throttle and brakes all offer wireless control. Once in acion the car will be monitored by a team of specialists who will intervene if the car appears to head out of control.

The non-competitive “drive” will take place 30 years after the German manufacturer’s quattro permanent four-wheel-drive technology first appeared.

Developed using the an updated, minaturised version of the technology that powered the VW Touareg called “Stanley” to victory in a US defence department sponsored race in 2007, Audi says the project could ultimately benefit motorists worldwide, allowing for the development of novel accident protection systems.

2010 Senner Audi R8

2009-11-30T08:48:00.000-08:00

Senner Tuning Ingelheim, located near Mainz, Germany, offers for Audi vehicles what they really deserve – finest tuning and unique individualization for Audi R8 4.
2 V8 FSI. Super Sport Concept is particularly remarkable for its technique, that has been thoroughly tested by mile-long test distances. At the same time car appearance is of utmost importance.

Super Sport Concept Program consists in uprating, exhaust system modification, body adjustable sport suspension and in special 20” wheel set.

For those who like power Senner Tuning also offers engine performance tuning. Thanks to new engine management, the use of special sport air filter inserts (double performance air filter kit with frontal inlet for mounting into serial air filter casings) as well as high quality exhaust system of finest high-grade steel with valve control (together with serial exhaust pipes), engine power increases up to 458 hp. At the same time maximum torque reaches breathtaking 470 Nm.

For R8 wheel upgrading Senner Tuning offers rims of special configuration. 9×20” or 11×20” diamond/black/polished two-part twin spoke alloy rims are completed by high performance (SportMaxx) 235/30-R-20 or 305/25-R-20 Dunlop tyres respectively. Perfectly tuned sport suspension springs get Audi about 25 mm closer to the asphalt on the front axle and 15 mm on the rear axle.

The 2009 Audi Q7 TDI, an AW Drivers Log

2009-11-30T08:46:00.000-08:00

The great thing about this Q7 is that it doesn't smell, isn't loud and, if you didn't know any better, you wouldn't be able to tell that it was a diesel without the TDI badge on the back.

The exterior looks good with the large wheels. The interior also looks great and is very roomy. I picked up groceries last night and had cargo room to spare. I also noticed the third row seats that can be folded down flush with the floor, which is nice.

Driving this, I was shocked at how much power it had. It's easy to handle on the road and didn't feel as big as it really was. It is and would make for a great family hauler. The ride is what you would expect from Audi: smooth, controlled and safe feeling.

2011 Audi R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI Quattro

2009-11-27T04:39:00.000-08:00

Audi R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI Quattro with the high performance not only sport car but 2011 Audi R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI Quattro also has the dynamic Body design and high-technology that support the power engine and comfortable interior design. The 2011Audi R8 Spyder 5.2 FSI Quattro use V10 engine produces 386 kW (525 hp)

2011 Audi S5 Sportback

2009-11-27T04:38:00.000-08:00

The abbreviation "S" stands for sports and also high efficiency - characteristic Audi features. The Audi S5 Sportback is the top model of the new Audi A5 Sportback model series. The five-door coupe is powered by a highly efficient, supercharged V6 engine with an output of 245 kW (333 hp). Power is delivered to the wheels via the seven-speed S tronic and quattro drive; the innovative sport differential is available as an option.

The Audi S5 Sportback is powered by a three-liter V6 with a mechanically driven supercharger. The supercharger sits in the 90 degree V formed by the banks of the cylinders and produces up to 0.8 bar of pressure. Two downstream intercoolers lower the temperature of the compressed intake air for improved filling of the combustion chambers.

The six-cylinder unit, which displaces 2,995 cc, embodies the Audi philosophy that performance and efficiency are not mutually exclusive but rather complement each other perfectly. The engine delivers a constant 440 Nm (324.53 lb-ft) of torque between 2,900 and 5,300 rpm. The Audi S5 Sportback sprints from zero to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in only 5.4 seconds (provisional figure) and accelerates up to an electronically governed top speed of 250 km/h (155.34 mph). The spontaneous response, the powerful thrust and sonorous sound make for a thrilling driving experience.

The supercharged V6 unit consumes only 9.7 liters (provisional figure) of fuel per 100 km (24.25 US mpg) on average - a top figure in this performance class.

The leading position of the Audi S5 Sportback is further underscored by its drivetrain technology. The top model comes standard with the seven-speed dual-clutch S tronic transmission and quattro permanent all-wheel drive with a slight rear wheel bias. Optionally available is the sport differential.

The high-end rear-axle differential transfers the forces at the rear axle between the wheels as needed for even greater dynamism and stability.

The Audi S5 Sportback has a sports-tuned chassis. The S-design 18-inch cast aluminum wheels are shod with 245/40 tires. Wheels up to 20 inches are available as options. The black brake calipers are emblazoned with S5 emblems. Servotronic speed-sensitive steering is also standard, with dynamic steering optionally available. A strut brace provides the front section of the car with additional rigidity.

A number of features also provide visual cues to the Audi A5 Sportback's sporty nature. The front blade and the diffuser, the single-frame grille, the air intakes, the sill strip, the spoiler lip at the rear and the four-tailpipe exhaust system all sport an exclusive design. The side mirror housings shine in aluminum look and the xenon plus headlights with LED daytime running lights and rear lights are standard.

Inside, electrically adjustable S-design sport seats covered in Silk Nappa leather, a black or silver headliner and brushed aluminum inlays underscore the dynamic style of the high-end model. The pointers in the instrument cluster are illuminated white, and the color driver information system presents the S5 logo when the car is started. A leather multifunction sport steering wheel with aluminum-look shift paddles and a sport selection switch for the S tronic underscore the sporty aspect of this model. S5 badges adorn the door sill trims, the key, the steering wheel and the instruments.

The luxurious, climate-controlled comfort seats are available as an option. The seat coverings are available in black, brown and three two-color combinations. Inlays are available in carbon, fine-grained birch wood and stainless steel mesh. The metallic structure comprising countless steel fibers feels slightly rough - an extraordinary haptic experience.

The Audi S5 Sportback will be arriving at German dealerships in spring 2010 with a base price of 57,900 euros.

Audi Models in India

2009-11-27T04:35:00.000-08:00

Popular Audi models range in on-road price from below rupees thirty-two lakhs to a bit above rupees one-Crore, including

Audi A4 (Sedan)

Available in two variants - A4 1.8L petrol and A4 2.0L diesel, this model caters to the premium luxury market in India. The A4 is the base range presentation in the range of world class Audi cars now available in India. This car is also marketed as a compact executive vehicle around the world. In India, style and substance make it a sure competitor to other C segment cars. The A4 offers an on-road price range between rupees thirty two and thirty four lakhs. The A4 Variants include

A4 1.8T (Petrol)
The Audi A4 1.8 turbo petrol is Audi's entry level petrol model in India which sports Audi's remarkable 1.8L In-line 4, 164bhp turbocharged petrol engine with MPFi fuel system. This engine is globally renowned for its high performance, acceleration and torque. New cars having a showroom price of Rs. 28,27,600, and on-road price of around Rs. 31,25,000 inclusive of all charges such as insurance, octroi, RTO, etc. A4 1.8T car prices vary with the car dealer's location.

A4 2.0 TDI (Diesel)
The Audi A4 2.0 turbo diesel is Audi's entry level diesel model in India which sports Audi's remarkable 2.0L In-line 4, 140bhp turbocharged diesel engine. This engine is globally known for its high performance, acceleration and torque. New cars in this series have a showroom price ranging from around thirty lakhs to around thirty four lakhs inclusive of all charges like insurance, octroi, RTO, etc. A4 2.0 TDI car prices vary with the car dealer's location.

Audi A6 (Sedan)

The Audi A6 is truly a grand synthesis of performance, comfort, power, and style. It is the upscale presentation in the Audi series of premium range cars. With its multitronic gearbox, and comfort features it is a wonderful option to an E-class option. There is a host of features to choose depending upon the entry level to upscale presentation in the luxury segment where this car is placed. With its petrol and diesel variants targets the upper middle class and the rich Indian consumer and offers an on-road price range between rupees Fifty two and Fifty three lakhs. The A6 variants include

A6 3.0 TDI (Diesel)
The A6 3.0 TDI diesel is Audi's mid range diesel model in India, which features Audi's remarkable 3.0L DOHC engine with direct injection fuel system. This engine is globally known for its high performance, acceleration and torque. At the showroom, this car costs around 47 lakhs with an on-road price of around 52 lakhs. This includes standard ancillary charges also.

A6 3.0 FSI (Petrol)
This A6 3.0 FSI petrol is the mid range petrol model in India, which features Audi's remarkable 3.0L DOHC naturally aspirated engine. This engine is globally known for its high performance, acceleration and torque. The A6 3.0 FSI is now available at a showroom price of around 47 lakhs with an on road price of around 52 lakhs including supplementary charges.

Audi A8 (Sedan)

The A8 series is a great car that is serious competition for the Mercedes Benz S class. There's a great deal of technology in this car that converges into art at some point. The A8 features Audi's innovative Quattro 4-wheel drive, along with a user friendly multi-media interface. Audi (Sedan) The A8 with its petrol variants targets the upper middle class and the rich Indian consumer and offers an on-road price range between rupees Seventy one lakhs and rupees one Crore. The A8 variants include

A8 3.0 TDI (Petrol)
The A8 3.0 TDI petrol is Audi's starting range petrol model in India in the A8 series. It features Audi's remarkable 3.0L DOHC naturally aspirated engine. This engine is globally known for its high performance, acceleration and torque. The A8 3.0 TDI is now available at a showroom price of around 64 lakhs with an on road price of around 70 lakhs including accompanying charges.

A8 4.2 FSI (Petrol)
The A8 3.0 TDI petrol is Audi's mid range petrol model in India in the A8 series, which features Audi's remarkable 3.0L DOHC naturally aspirated engine. This engine is globally known for its high performance, acceleration and torque. At the showroom, this car costs around 71 lakhs with an on-road price of around 77 lakhs. This includes standard ancillary charges also.

A8 W12 6.0 (Petrol)
The W12 6.0 Quattro petrol is Audi's top range petrol model in India, which features Audi's remarkable 6.0L DOHC engine with DI fuel system. This engine is globally known for its high performance, acceleration and torque. New cars in this series have a showroom price ranging from around ninety nine lakhs to 110 lakhs, which inclusive of all charges like insurance, octroi, RTO, etc. A8 W12 car prices vary with the car dealer's location.

Audi Q7 (Sedan)

Q7 is a futuristic completely luxurious SUV that leaves its rivals far behind. Equipped with highly enhanced features and state of the art technology, the Q7 is equipped with Audi's revolutionary Quattro four-wheel drive that makes you go gaga on its performance. The Q7 has the quality that a select few deserve. For the rest, they'll be content to just learn that the Q7 is a superb technology driven SUV that makes them get off the road to allow the Emperor pass along. The Audi Q7 with its petrol and diesel variants targets the upper middle class and the rich Indian consumer and offers an on-road price range between rupees Sixty three and Seventy six lakhs. Audi Q7 variants include

Q7 3.0 TDI (Diesel)
The Q7 3.0 TDI Diesel is the higher range diesel model in India, which features Audi's remarkable 3.0L DOHC naturally aspired CRDi engine with DI fuel system. This engine is globally known for its high performance, acceleration, and torque. At the showroom, this car costs around 57 lakhs with an on-road price of around 62 lakhs. This includes standard additional charges also.

Q7 4.2 FSI (Petrol)
The Q7 4.2 FSI Quattro petrol is Audi's higher range petrol model in India, which features Audi's remarkable 4.2L FSI engine with DI fuel system. This engine is globally known for its high performance, acceleration and torque. New cars having a showroom price of Rs. 69.5 lakhs and on-road price of around Rs. 75 lakhs inclusive of all charges such as insurance, octroi, RTO, etc. Audi Q7 4.2 FSI car prices vary with the car dealer's location.

Audi A8 to Debut In Miami In Under Two Weeks

2009-11-23T10:04:00.000-08:00

Audi’s centennial celebrations will come to a fever pitch Monday, when the car maker will unveil its all-new 2010 A8 flagship during the Design Miami art fair in Florida.

In order to showcase the new A8, Audi built its own pavilion on Miami Beach that also doubles as a museum. The reveal of the A8 will coincide with the opening of “The Art of Progress” exhibit at Design Miami, which Audi claims is inspired by both the new A8 and its own corporate philosophy.

“Since our inception, Audi has embraced progress in the quest to create groundbreaking technologies and deliver new ideas to the road,” said Rupert Stadler, chairman of Audi’s board of management. “Just as artists make it a mission to work for the untold future, so does Audi design to be relevant not just today, but for many years to come.

“The new Audi A8 embodies everything Audi stands for: fascinating innovation, uncompromising perfection, consummate craftsmanship, iconic design, and new ways of thinking. This is why we chose to present this car in this progressive environment while continuing our commitment to fostering design culture and the arts.”

Audi is really pushing the new design of the A8, so expect to see a radical departure from the

Audi Working On New V-10 Supercar

2009-11-23T10:02:00.000-08:00

With Lamborghini working on a replacement for its Murcielago, word on the street is that Audi will use the new supercar’s platform for its own range-topping model. There will be one major difference between the two cars, however.

While the Lamborghini supercar will feature a powerful V-12 engine and compete with similarly endowed models from the likes of Ferrari and Aston Martin, the new Audi model will likely pack a V-10 engine and only develop around 600 horsepower.

Audi R8 V10

The shared platform for the future supercars is expected to be a heavily modified version of the current Audi R8’s aluminum spaceframe chassis. Extensive use of carbon-fiber will be employed to keep weight down and a hardy dual-clutch transmission is also likely to make the cut.

This new Audi supercar, which could be called the R10, will sit above the R8 and in keeping with this positioning it will be wider and longer than it as well. Audi quattro all-wheel drive will be standard.

According to sources, prototypes disguised as Lamborghinis are already testing at Germany’s Nurburgring, however, any release date is slated for beyond 2012.

Audi's A7 Caught At German R&D Facility

2009-11-23T09:58:00.000-08:00

It's game set and ‘hatch’ for Auto Express’s spy photographers.
They snapped these world exclusive images of the new Audi A7 as it was prepared for a first road test in Germany. Our pictures reveal the car’s sculpted headlamps, as well as the practical tailgate, which is open.

Underlining the A7’s driver appeal is an imposing radiator grille and at the rear, the hint of an aerodynamic spoiler. The completely undisguised machine has been spied nearly 12 months ahead of its launch at 2010’s Paris Motor Show.

Underlining the A7’s driver appeal is an imposing radiator grille and at the rear, the hint of an aerodynamic spoiler. The completely undisguised machine has been spied nearly 12 months ahead of its launch at 2010’s Paris Motor Show.

New Audi Q7 3.0 TDI with superb on-road dynamics

2009-11-15T03:49:00.000-08:00

It was late in the evening and the temptation of a short drive was too much to handle. The intent of branding the new Q7 as a luxury SUV was clear as brushed aluminium inlays glowed in the soft streetlight that filtered in through the large low windows.

The chocolate brown vehicle that we were sitting in came with an S line equipment package that translated into better aesthetics, on the inside as well as the outside. I didn’t mind.

The 3.0 litre turbocharged V6 TDI engine was quiet, though not as quiet as the one that comes with Mercedes-Benz’s M-Class. But this baby could pull... 240 hp coupled with 550 Nm of torque gave us near neck snapping acceleration. But the bull charge was soothingly smooth. We tried unsettling its almost 2,500-kg frame by throwing it into tight corners but the quattro (Audi’s 4-wheel drive system) sparred with us tenaciously. So, this bull could dance as well, I smirked.

The short drive in Lutyen’s Delhi was over in a jiffy. But I had bigger plans for the vehicle that Audi calls the best selling performance luxury SUV in India.

Early next morning, while snuggling into the beautiful front seat of the Q7 I noticed the speakers. A Q7 buyer has two options — a 10-channel Bose sound system and a 14-channel Bang & Olufsen system. I didn’t have an option because my Q7 came with the higher-spec 1000-watts B&O! Like I said earlier, I didn’t mind at all. It looked great and sounded better. John Lee Hooker and highway fog go well together I thought, and pushed in the CD.

As Hooker strummed and plucked the sun started cutting through the fog on NH8. Life felt good at 120 kph. Broad roads have this habit of making you feel that you are going slow. Or was it the car? Or both? Or was it Hooker?
Rhythms apart, the Q7 handles well despite its size. It’s not as taut as a BMW but feels more sublime and supple. And an X5 can never pamper you the way the Q7 can. But at the same time, I felt that in choc-a-bloc traffic it’s easier to sneak in through with the M-Class. But then again, I wouldn’t choose the Merc to power me through a super highway.

But the NH8 is not a super highway. Somehow it has lost its charm. The tarmac doesn’t feel fresh anymore and it’s way too crowded at anytime during the day. But I powered on, sometimes off roading through the edge of the road. The Q7, true to its genes, showed fantastic passing prowess. The top whack levels off at somewhere near the 210-kph mark.

And then I did something great. I saw an opening for a back road and quietly slid into it. Dirty dhabas were immediately replaced with high grass on both sides and the little road snaked through quaint villages. People stared as I tried to steer through nervous hens and arrogant goats. At one point, I even had to get down from the car to look for a goat that ran under the Q7’s huge bonnet. The point that I am trying to make here is that the SUVs from BMW have fantastic driver seats at the right height. But I had never thought that it would take a young goat for me to find that out!

On the road, the Q7 is great. Good power, class-leading luxury. But off the beaten path, I still have my reservations. It rolls way too much on bad roads and the ground clearance leaves a few stones unturned, quite literally.

But when compared to its immediate peers such as the BMW X5 and the Mercedes M-Class, it turns quite a few heads, offers far more space since it comes with a six-seater option, has more frills than necessary and drives, well, almost like a performance sedan. But I still wonder, why we have to call it an SUV.

Audi S4

2009-11-08T09:48:00.001-08:00

The new 2010 S4 is bold and the body truly comes to life when you understand what kind technology
is under the surface; in short I think it is perfectly executed. Let me know what you think of the
2010 S4 in white, and if you have driven it let us know what you thought.

A look at the 2010 Audi S4 quattro MT6 Sedan

2009-11-08T09:43:00.000-08:00

2010 Audi S4 quattro MT6 sedan

BASE PRICE: $45,900.

AS TESTED: $51,575.

TYPE: Front-engine, all-wheel drive, five-passenger, compact sport sedan.

ENGINE: 3-liter, supercharged V-6 with direct injection and dual intercoolers.

MILEAGE: 18 mpg (city), 27 mpg (highway).

TOP SPEED: 155 mph.

LENGTH: 165.4 inches.

WHEELBASE: 110.7 inches.

CURB WEIGHT: 3,847 pounds.

BUILT AT: Germany.

OPTIONS: Navigation package $2,500; genuine silk Napa leather-trimmed seats $1,000; Bang & olufsen audio system $850; carbon interior inlays $500.

2010 Audi S4

2009-11-05T10:38:00.000-08:00

2010 Audi S4 is a great car. With 333 supercharged horses and an elegant and well put together interior, what's not to like?

Audi's six-speed manual transmission is silky smooth, with a nice short throw. Engine power is plentiful thanks to the supercharger. But unlike most, there is no hint of that blower - no whine, no boost gauge to look at. In fact, it sounds like a normally aspirated V-6 but feels like a V-8.

Inside is absolutely gorgeous. The interior is classy and clean, yet trendy and sporty. Our black on black color scheme with aluminum accents was very nice. I'm not a fan of the electronic emergency brake; I still like the old-fashioned grab handle. But with Audi's MMI system, there isn't enough room for an e-brake lever. The seat bolsters wrap around your torso and hold you in, but they're still comforta

Audi's performance S4 drops its V-8 for 2010

2009-11-05T10:37:00.000-08:00

Audi S4: Spied

Audi S4's trademark exhaust pipes will now be
aspirating a 248kW supercharged V6 engine

You don't see this very often: a car company dropping a V-8 engine from a performance car and replacing it with a V-6. But German automaker Audi does it in its 2010 S4 compact sedan.

The move not only creates a more fuel-efficient vehicle during these times of concern for the environment and oil supplies. It keeps performance because the 3-liter, double overhead cam V-6 is supercharged, has direct injection and 333 horsepower. This is just seven horses shy of the 340 horses in the V-8-powered predecessor S4.

The change for 2010 also allows a lower S4 retail price — all the way to $46,725, including manufacturer's suggested retail price and destination charge. At that price point, buyers get a base model with six-speed manual transmission, standard all-wheel drive, sport suspension, sunroof, leather seats, three-zone climate control and Xenon headlights.

The price is an attractive midway point for buyers of compact, luxury sedans who want a sporty edge.

A BMW 335i sedan with twin-turbocharged six-cylinder engine had a starting retail price of $41,125 for the 2009 model year and produced 300 horsepower. A 2010 BMW M3 with 414-horsepower V-8 starts at $56,975.

The 2010 Mercedes-Benz C350 with 268-horsepower V-6 starts at $40,625, while a 451-horsepower 2010 Mercedes C36 AMG starts at $58,225.

The latest S4 is the performance version of Audi's best-selling sedan, the A4, and it also serves as an entry sporty sedan for the brand. So it's best that it's not too far out of reach, financially, for upwardly mobile buyers.

Company officials have said that the old S4 — offered as a convertible as well as sedan in the past — accounted for just 5 percent to 6 percent of U.S. sales of the A4 line. They're hoping for more like 15 percent for the lower-priced S4, which is available in 2010 as a sedan only.

If the test vehicle, in bright red paint and mostly black interior, was any indication, buyers will get a car that has personality galore. It was spirited, right out of the garage and down the driveway. A little nudge of the accelerator while I was in first gear pushed my head back into the head restraint.

Yes, that's healthy torque that peaks at 325 foot-pounds at 2,900 rpm.

With six-speed manual transmission, I roared past other cars on the highway and moved around double-parked cars in the city without effort. In fact, Audi said its tests show the V-6 S4 goes from standstill to 62 miles an hour in 5.1 seconds, which is 0.1 second faster than the heavier S4 with V-8.

2009 Audi A3 and S3 Sportback

2009-10-31T23:57:00.001-07:00

Audi is bringing A3 and A3 Sportback onto the market this summer with eight different engines - five gasoline and three diesel versions. The high tech S tronic dual-clutch transmission is available as option for all engine versions. The S tronic allows the driver to set the engine in a fully automatic mode or change gears manually.

The Audi S3 is now also available as a Sportback version. The three-door Audi S3 and the S3 sportback are equipped with 2.0TFSI with an output of 265 HP and completes the sprint from 0-100 km/h in 5.8 seconds. The top speed is electronically limited to 250 km/h. Yet the S3's fuel consumption is surprisingly low, at an average of 8.5 liters per 100 km (27.67 mpg).

Continue reading for wallpapers and more details.

100 Years Of Audi

2009-10-31T23:55:00.000-07:00

In 2009 the Audi company, established by August Horch on 16 July 1909, will celebrate its hundredth anniversary. The four rings of the Audi badge symbolise the brands Audi, DKW, Horch and Wanderer, which were combined under the umbrella of Auto Union in 1932. Auto Union and NSU, which merged in 1969, made many significant contributions towards the development of the car. AUDI AG was formed from Audi NSU Auto Union AG in 1985. Together with the two traditional companies Auto Union GmbH and NSU GmbH, Audi Tradition nurtures and presents the deep and diverse history of Audi.

Audi Tradition’s annual programme for 2009 is centred on the Audi centenary. More than 50 events have been planned. Two dates are especially significant: on 16 July 2009, exactly 100 years after the company was established, Audi is inviting guests to a commemorative ceremony in Ingolstadt; Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel has already agreed to attend. Not to be missed by every enthusiast and friend of the Audi brand: the largest historic motor sport event in the world – the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England, where Audi will be putting in a special appearance as ‘featured marque’.

[Source: Audi]

2009 Audi A4 DTM Claims 3rd Consecutive Title

2009-10-26T17:57:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Audi became the first ever car manufacturer to achieve a title hat-trick in the international touring car racing series. Audi has clinched the coveted trophy for the third consecutive time.

In the finale at the Hockenheimring in front of a turnout of 155,000 spectators, Audi driver Timo Scheider stayed on the heels of his only remaining rival for the title, Gary Paffett, during the entire 39 laps to successfully defended his title from last year by finishing in second place.

For Audi, after 1990 (Hans-Joachim Stuck), 1991 (Frank Biela), 2002 (Laurent Aiello), 2004 (Mattias Ekström), 2007 (Mattias Ekström) and 2008 (Timo Scheider), this marks the seventh DTM title and the fourth since the brand returned to the series with a manufacturer’s commitment in 2004. No car manufacturer has ever consecutively won three titles in the DTM.

Scheider won twice in the ‘09 season and mounted the podium at six of the ten races. He was the most consistent driver and in the end had an advantage of five points over Mercedes driver Gary Paffett.

Bollywood stars drive Audi sales in India

2009-10-26T17:56:00.000-07:00

With clients like Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Bipasha Basu, German luxury car maker Audi has a vital target market in

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Mumbai-based film stars and is looking at a 50 per cent growth in India this year.

"Quite a few Bollywood stars have picked up Audi cars in India. Whether it is Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Amitabh Bachchan or Katrina Kaif - each of them has one Audi parked in their garage," Martin Birkner, marketing head of Audi in India, said.

"I won't say they make a major market for us, but they certainly are an important market for Audi, at least in Mumbai."

According to Birkner, Salman is the latest to buy the car - he bought an Audi A8, while Neil Nitin Mukesh owns Q7, a recently launched SUV by Audi. A Q7 can cost anything from Rs 63 laks to Rs 76 lakhs. An Audi A8 ranges from Rs 71 lakhs to Rs 1 crore in India.

Among actresses, Bipasha pampered herself with the luxury vehicle, he said.

The company currently offers a bouquet of seven cars, including sedans, SUVs, coupe and sports cars. It is considering launching more models in the coming years.

"In 2008, we sold 1,050 cars in India and we have a revised target of 1,600 cars by the end of 2009. We have had considerable growth since last year, so we are projecting a nearly 50 per cent growth this time," he said.

He said Asia is fast emerging as a strong customer base for the company but still has time to get used to premium and luxury cars.

"We are the segment leaders in Europe and our sales there are currently stagnating. But we see that the Asian region is still not fully developed in the sense that even though there is a huge amount of cars here, not many people go for luxury or premium cars," said Birkner.

Stanford to run driverless Audi TT-S

2009-10-26T17:53:00.000-07:00

Stanford's autonomously drifting Audi TTS

If you read AutoblogGreen regularly, then you already know that Volkswagen and Stanford University have taken their relationship that began with developing autonomous vehicles to compete in the government-sponsored DARPA Grand Challenge competitions to the next level. VW has committed over $5 million to open the Volkswagen Automotive Innovation Lab on Stanford's campus with the intent of taking their research further regardless of whether the government is offering a carrot or not.

The two organizations are kicking off their new commitment to autonomous vehicles in a big way. Already under development is a the third-gen autonomous vehicle will make past DARPA Grand Challenge winners Stanley and Junior look obsolete by comparison. Based on an Audi TT-S, the new vehicle eschews all the outwardly visible hardware and has one expressed purpose: to tackle the Pikes Peak Hill Climb just like a real rally driver, four wheel drifts and all.

While still in the early stages, the team of researchers from Stanford have already performed tests with the autonomous TT-S at the Bonneville Salt Flats where the car was free to roam while being driving at the limit without a driver. They've also reportedly visited Pikes Peak with the car and ran it up the hill, albeit slowly.

IRL car Audi TT Forza Motorsport Edition comes with game

2009-10-22T22:47:00.000-07:00

The Audi TT Forza Motorsport Edition is a special car that will commemorate the release of the game Forza Motorsport 3. The vehicle, which was already amazing, will be branded with the Forza logo in several places. Polish gaming blog Gamekaze has pictures of this lovely vehicle, showing the logo placement.

This collaboration between Audi and Microsoft also gives car owners another bonus: the game itself. In the trunk they'll find a Xbox Elite 120GB and a copy of Forza Motorsport 3. Forza keychain? Why not?

This is lovely. And I need a new car. I'd have to ask the big robot in the sky for a bit of a raise, as TTs go for about $37k. I might as well give up hope, as they only made twenty of these special cars anyway.

Audi adds A3 diesel hatchback

2009-10-21T10:23:00.000-07:00

AUDI 2009 A3 Hatchback-5-door

2009 Audi TT-S Reveiw

2009-10-21T10:21:00.000-07:00

2009 Audi TT-S Coupe

When Audi introduced the first generation TT a decade ago, it was largely a case of style over substance. The diminutive coupe and convertible were based on the platform of the Volkswagen Group's compacts which include the Golf and the Audi A3. The original had a clean, spare look that recalled an inverted bowl. While Audi promoted the TT as a sports car, it didn't really drive like one in part because it was rather heavy for its size.

A couple of years ago, Audi brought forth an all-new TT that retained the basic shape of the original while incorporating some of the latest Audi design language. Of course like most new generations of cars, it got bigger than the first model although Audi engineers managed to make the car lighter. The new TT is generally considered to be a much better driver's car than the original. But is it a true sports car? We recently had the opportunity to spend a week with the top of the line TT-S coupe to find out, so read on to for our assessment.
Both the first and second generation of the Audi TT share some of their most basic underpinnings with more pedestrian cars like the A3 and the VW Golf. However, you'd never guess that by looking at the TT. The Audi is available in two body styles, a 2+2 hatchback coupe and a purely two seat roadster. We sampled the highest performance version currently available in the US, the TT-S coupe.

Unlike its all-steel siblings, the TT actually uses a variant of Audi's Space Frame structure with a combination of steel and aluminum. While this should nominally reduce the weight of the TT compared to lesser cars on the same platform, it still comes out heavier thanks to significantly more built in equipment. Of course that's the price you have to pay to play in this segment which means it would have been even porkier if it wasn't 69% aluminum.

The design of the second generation model disappointed many fans of the original, who appreciated the simple Bauhaus design. The biggest change is at the front which is dominated by the current iteration of the standard Audi grille. While more prominent than the old model, it's still wider and less vertical than other current Audis. The crease surrounding the grille extends back to the base of the A-pillars giving the hood a bit more of a domed appearance.

The headlights now have a bit of a cat's eye shape that includes a row of LEDs along the bottom edge that Audi designers refer to as the eye-liner. Those LEDs help make all new Audis more instantly recognizable at a distance. The more powerful TT-S is set apart from base TTs by the sculpted area around the lower front corner air intakes and fog lights.

In profile anyone familiar with the original will immediately recognize the newer TT with its curving fastback roof-line. Along the flanks, the second generation TT gets an upward sweeping character line along the rocker panels. The most notable change at the rear is the absence of the fixed spoiler.

After the original TT debuted, it became clear that while the curvy tail looked really stylish, it was not so good for aerodynamic stability. Soon after, Audi retrofitted all the early cars with a fixed lip spoiler that remained part of the design until the car was replaced. For the new model, a similarly shaped spoiler automatically extends when you hit 75 mph.

Open the door and slide in and anyone familiar with contemporary Audis will feel immediately at home. The materials are first rate across the board with leather covering the steering wheel and shifter. That steering wheel certainly fits the TT's sporting pretensions thanks to its thick easy to grip rim. The bottom portion of the rim is flattened out to allow easier entry and exit from the heavily bolstered front seats.

Those front seats are covered in a mix of leather and alcantara suede which combines with the excellent shape to hold you perfectly positioned in front of the steering wheel. Given that American drivers tend to avoid manual transmissions like the plague, it's no surprise that the TT-S is only available with an automatic transmission. However, this is no ordinary "slush-box" automatic. The TT-S has a 6-speed S-Tronic dual clutch transmission. That means it can shift automatically when you are feeling lazy, but when you want a more active experience, it is utterly up to the task. A pair of paddles on the back-side of the steering wheel allow you manually select gear ratios.

The interior of the TT-S isn't perfect though. The original TT featured several aluminum accents that hinted at the structure underneath. The most prominent where the braces between the dashboard and center console. Unfortunately the new model has dispensed with these with simple black soft touch plastic in its place. The other disappointment is the back seat.

Frankly we are tired of automakers putting utterly useless back seats in sporting cars. The back row of the TT barely has enough head room for someone about three feet tall under that sloping hatchback and no leg-room to speak of. They should simply dispense with these ridiculous seats, save the weight and just expand the cargo area. For TT buyers, we recommend just folding down the seats and using the cargo area. By the way that cargo area is readily accessible thanks to the huge hatchback opening. With the back seat folded away, the TT offers plenty of space for a road trip for a couple.

The element that really separates the TT-S from lesser TT models is the engine. The old 3.2-liter V6 is no longer available in the TT so all US bound models are now powered by 2.0-liter four cylinder engines. The S gets 265 hp and an ample 258 pound-feet of torque thanks to its direct fuel injection and turbocharging.

The TT is based on a front wheel drive architecture but putting that much power and torque through the front axle inevitably leads to nasty torque steer. However, Audi built its modern performance reputation on its Quattro all wheel drive rally cars of the 1980s and every high performance model with four rings since then has done the same thing.

The result is that the TT-S has no problem putting its power to the ground no matter what the road or weather conditions. The ample power and torque mean that the TT-S offers brisk acceleration with Audi claiming 0-60 MPH in 4.9 seconds. That number seems a tad optimistic by our clock but this is still a quick car off the line. Going around corners it also offers ample grip and precise steering.

However, sports cars are about more than just raw numbers. It's also about how a car feels subjectively. Here is where the TT-S comes up short. In spite of the aluminum intensive structure, the Audi is 400 pounds heavier than a VW Golf, thanks to all the standard equipment as well as the all wheel drive system. Still at 3,252 pounds the TT-S coupe is not that heavy yet the car lacks the nimble, light on its feet feeling of a GTI. It's fast and responsive but it feels numb. Even with the good grip numbers, the TT doesn't punish occupants with a harsh ride. Even on the worst pavement that Michigan has to offer, the TT-S soaks up the rough stuff with ease.

If what you are looking for is a stylish coupe or roadster that can move down the road quickly with minimal fuss, the TT-S is definitely a choice worth considering. At nearly $50,000 the TT-S is not inexpensive, but it provides all the amenities and interior fit and finish one expects of an Audi. If on the other hand you're looking for something well suited to running the canyons of Malibu at the limit or weekend track days, you might want to look elsewhere.

Audi to Build R4 Electric Roadster

2009-10-18T16:28:00.001-07:00

Could the R8 soon have a baby brother? According to some reports, Audi may in fact be wrenching on a smaller mid-engine sports coupe called the R4.

According to Inside Line, the R4 would share its platform with the forthcoming electric e-Tron coupe. Volkswagen may utilize the resources of its latest acquisition – Porsche – and base both cars off the next-generation Boxster and Cayman.

Inside Line claims the R4 will be built only as a roadster, and will be offered in both gasoline and electric forms. If true, we’d imagine the EV powertrain would differ little from the e-Tron coupe, which may use a lithium-ion battery pack to power four in-wheel electric motors. Range for both is estimated to be approximately 150 miles on a single charge.

Gasoline powerplants, however, will be more conventional, and we wouldn’t be surprised if the R4 shared its engine choices with the TT. There is no word on expected pricing, but the gasoline-powered variants are likely to be priced between the TT and the R8.

Audi to Build R4 Electric Roadster

2009-10-18T16:28:00.000-07:00

Audi A5 Cabriolet Road Test

2009-10-18T16:26:00.000-07:00

Generally, what would be the best companion for a nice summer day? Exactly! Your own personal high profile convertible in which you can explore the first tickle of summer sunshine. As a self-confident and status-oriented person being moved around the boulevards or highways of your choosing. This is exactly what our thoughts were when we got the chance to drive the brand new Audi A5 Cabriolet. We sat down and just opened ourselves to the decadent times.

The new A5 Cabriolet – introduced at this year’s Geneva Motor Show – is all about driving roofless. You do not even feel the need to close the top. Top down means look at me, I am a successful city-type exploring trendy restaurants and networking events where I expand my world. Our setup? A 2.0 TFSI A5 Cabriolet with a full option list including Pro line, S-line, Ice silver metallic paint job and extensive interior and exterior package. Where? The city of Rotterdam was the spot!

The A5 Cabriolet is a direct family member of the Coupé and the upcoming Sportback. They all share the same platform and parts but all have a different way of addressing your needs. The lines of the cabriolet only differ due to the drop top. You’ll notice that the A5 is a true soft-top unlike several of it’s rivals. The best explanation we’ve heard of this is from Audi themselves who said, “a cabriolet looks more like cabriolet when it has a fabric roof!”. There’s also the important principal that a lighter roof structure saves fuel, is less complicated and takes up less boot space when folded down. A rather practical reason in our opinion.

Hereby some figures of the car, options and available engines. The automated roof opens in 15 seconds and closes in 17 seconds, even on the move at speeds up to 50km/h or 31mph. The fabric-folding hood is fast, has a great quality and little wind buffeting with the roof down. With the roof up it is quiet inside, especially if you take a car with the optional Acoustic Roof – standard on S-line. It adds an extra 14mm of foam insulation and gives the Cabriolet, near-A5 Coupe levels of refinement. There’s even a new Neck-Level Heating system on the extensive list of options. We were not able to use it, but the thoughts of such a system will add another piece of easiness to driving always open.

The engine line-up for the A5 starts with a 120kW (160hp) 1.8 litre TSI and moving up to the 2.0 litre TSFI unit (offered in 134kW (179hp) and 157kW (210hp) forms). Audi’s 3.2 litre FSI V6 engine producing 197kW (264hp) rounds out the petrol choices. On the Diesel side there are two engines, either the 180kW (241hp) 3.0 litre TDI engine or a 140kW (187hp) 2.7 litre TDI unit. On the subject of the gearbox there are a six-speed manual, a multitronic auto and a 7-speed S-tronic automatic.

The performance figures of the A5 are; the 2.0-litre manual goes from 0-60mph in 7.5 seconds, the 3.0-litre diesel S tronic in 6.4 seconds and the 3.2-litre multitronic will get you there in 6.9 seconds.

Stepping inside the car means exploring the quality of Audi. Premium speced, beautifully built and a civilized place to enjoy a convertible. Close the door and the belt springs towards you on a lever. Once you have taken and secured yourself, the arm retracts into the side panel. Next, press the key and the engine comes alive. Ready to absorb the city live of one of the biggest ports in the world. Grab the steering wheel and leave the parking space. Comfortable is the best description of the ride in and around the city of Rotterdam. Driving up and down the city center the stiffness is noticeably less than the coupé, but never alarming. Putholes and bridges are taken easily, vehicle flex is sometimes felt. The roofless A5 is ideal for long journeys, but lacks some kind of speed factor.

The A5 Cabriolet’s steering can be inconsistent in corners with differing speeds. You will feel shudders through the steering wheel due to torque steering. The main reason is the front wheel drive setup of the 2.0 TFSI package, the larger wheels of the S-Line and sports suspension. Always go for the four-wheel Quattro package – if needed also Audi’s Drive Select program – and you will virtually have no wobble to denote. If you want inspired handling and the ‘high speed’ ride, you’ll need to get the S5 cabriolet with its supercharged 3.0 litre V6 engine producing 250kW (335hp) and 440Nm (325lb-ft) of torque.

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