Audi R15 TDI Wins Efficiency Trophy in the U.S.

(Edit, to draft, Slurp)

Copy this whole post to another site

cancel

select site advertising consumerist deadspin defamer fleshbot gay fleshbot gawker gizmodo idolator io9 jalopnik jezebel kotaku lifehacker valleywag artists gawkershop sploid

Audi Sport Team Joest's test entry in the 1000-mile "Petit Le Mans" race at Road Atlanta (U.S. state of Georgia) had an unexpected outcome: The American endurance classic had to be red flagged just before half-time due to torrential rainfall. Although Audi had led almost entirely, the two R15 TDI prototypes were only classified in third and fourth positions. Small consolation: The Diesel-powered racing car won the efficiency award "Michelin GreenX Challenge" - a trophy awarded to the most environmentally friendly car.

The technically innovative Audi R15 TDI had also been the fastest car on race day. At the start in wet conditions, Allan McNish and Marco Werner immediately passed the two Peugeot 908s which started from the front row of the grid, pulling further and further away from their competitors. Then on a drying track, the superiority of the R15 TDI was even more impressive: Only a caution period prevented Allan McNish putting the second of the two Peugeots a lap down after one and a half hours.

In the following hours, drizzle and a total of seven caution periods ensured that the leaders stayed close together. Despite this, Allan McNish and Dindo Capello kept the lead for more than four hours before McNish spun behind the Safety Car on the extremely slippery track at the start of the fifth hour dropping behind the two Peugeot 908s.

When heavy rain started shortly afterwards, Audi Sport Team Joest was quick to react and brought the two R15 TDI cars into the pits for a change to rain tires a lap earlier than the competition from Peugeot. The rain, however, became so torrential that more and more cars spun off the track due to aquaplaning, including the two Audi R15 TDI cars.

When the prototypes could not even follow the Safety Car anymore, the race was red flagged after 4h52m of the scheduled 10 hours. At this point, the two Peugeot 908s were running slightly ahead of the two Audi R15 TDI cars. As the weather did not improve, the race was not re-started with Peugeot declared the winners although less than half of the distance had been completed.

For safety reasons, Audi also voted not to re-start the race although the two Audi R15 TDI cars would have been hard to beat on this day - a positive feeling with a view regarding Le Mans 2010.

Quotes after qualifying

Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport): "Except for the result, we can draw a positive conclusion. We wanted to use the race to gain experience with the R15 TDI, and we have seen that the car has the basic performance. That was very important for us. We've always been faster or at least on the same level as our competitors in the rain, on a drying track and in dry conditions. Unfortunately, Allan (McNish) spun behind the Safety Car. When the heavier rain started, we brought our cars back into good positions with good strategic decisions. But then the red flag came out. The fact that the race was not re-started was a shame for us but absolutely right for safety reasons."

Ralf Juttner (Technical Director Audi Sport Team Joest): "We came here to learn and we learnt a lot - among other things that a race can be very crazy ... The early stages were amazing: Allan (McNish) was impressive in the rain. Peugeot had nothing to oppose, surprisingly. But later Peugeot had an awful lot of luck. They were about to be lapped by us when the first yellows came out. It was very unfortunate that Allan spun behind the Safety Car and lost the lead due to this mishap. Nobody could know that this would transform into the final result of the race which was really a shame for us. For me personally, this race has no result and I see us as the moral winners. Until the red flag it was definitely a good show."

Dindo Capello (Audi R15 TDI #2): "This was a crazy race. Unfortunately, the weather conditions have destroyed a possible big show, because I think it would have been a great fight with Peugeot until the very end. But we already had to stop before half-time. We had an awful lot of bad luck with the yellow flags and lost the lead just a few minutes before the red flag. That was really bad luck! On the other hand, it was very nice to be back in America, especially at Petit. And it was good to see that we can more than match the pace of Peugeot - unlike at Le Mans."

Allan McNish (Audi R15 TDI #2): "Obviously the end - having the race stopped due to bad weather - was very frustrating because we were in such a strong position at the beginning. We had a good and drivable car. I was able to pull quite a gap which was slashed by the yellows. I lost the lead because of a spin behind the Safety Car when the track had very little grip due to the drizzle. We would have had another shot on it when the red flag came out. We still had 650 miles or so of a 1,000-mile race to run. It was sad for everybody but the track conditions made it impossible to continue."

Lucas Luhr (Audi R15 TDI #1): "This was a very short-lived pleasure. Since I've only contested three races this year, I obviously would have liked to race for longer. I think we would have had a really good chance here. But safety comes first. It really would have been too risky to re-start the race. Therefore, the decision was entirely reasonable. The outcome of the race is not a happy one for us. But we have to live with that."

Marco Werner (Audi R15 TDI #1): "If the conditions would have been a little bit better we would have really been looking for a re-start. We were one lap down, but we would have had a chance to come back onto the lead lap. We had a small advantage over Peugeot under these conditions. On the drying track, our cars were much more gentle to the tires than the Peugeots. We had a clear 1-2 lead at the beginning and a 1-2 victory would have been possible. It's a shame that Audi has been beaten for the first time at Petit. But I don't see it like this: Under real circumstances the result would have been different. This was no real race."

Results

1 Sarrazin/Montagny (Peugeot) 184 laps

2 Minassian/Lamy (Peugeot) + 2.011s

3 Capello/McNish (Audi R15 TDI) + 3.465s

4 Luhr/Werner (Audi R15 TDI) - 1 lap

5 Panis/Lapierre/Dumas (Oreca-AIM) - 3 laps

6 Brabham/Sharp/Franchitti (Acura/Honda) - 4 laps

7 Dyson/Smith (Lola-Mazda) - 7 laps

8 Melo/Kaffer/Salo (Ferrari) - 14 laps

9 Muller/Milner/Muller (BMW) - 15 laps

10 Henzler/Werner (Porsche) - 15 laps

ABOUT AUDI

Audi of America Inc. and its 270 dealers offer a full line of German-engineered luxury vehicles. The Audi lineup is one of the freshest in the industry with 23 models, including 12 models launched during model years 2008 and 2009. Audi is among the most successful luxury automotive brands globally. In selling one million vehicles worldwide in 2008, AUDI AG recorded its 13th consecutive record year for sales growth.

An Audi R8 V10 for just $469.99!

Having a Lamborghini Murciélago or an Aston Martin DB9 in the garage might be the ultimate in-your-face moment for your showy neighbors, but realistically, not all of us can afford a supercar. It's a tragic notion that the people over at Audi Canada want to remedy.

The price tag on the 2010 Audi R8 V10 may read $141,000, but you can start an ownership cycle with one for just $469.99 (plus shipping). How? Audi Canada has created a garage door wrap with a life-size print of a red Audi R8 sitting in a garage -- quite a clean one too, we might add.

The cover may officially label you as a poseur for life, and it certainly won't be able to take you anywhere nice, but we bet quite a number of people will be secretly disappointed to learn the company will only ship to Canadian residents.

Audi R8 in MFK Autosports

The latest coup from MFK Autosport is called Audi R8. Facts like 450 hp and customized Schmidt Revolution light alloy rims stimulates the appetite for a sports car
one of a kind.

An extra in driving dynamics and exclusive visual appearance are the amenities of the Schmidt Revolution Performance light alloy tires and they fill out the fender perfectly. With the Schmidt Revolution GT Performance the Audi R8 has found a strong partner because the three part GT Performance possess a secure running characteristic at extreme high speed. Responsible therefore is amongst other things the high gloss and extreme stable RADINOX-outer ring. The special high-grade steel alloy is absolutely free of corrosion.

The sporty elegant rims are really something special. The milled rim-star allows a maximum in fixedness - the novel construction of the rim-stars from Schmidt Revolution are now even more stable an lighter then comparable rim designs and are best choice for motorsports. Furthermore the GT Performance rims have an extreme light screwing made of titan and are individually produced according to the customer requirement.

The rims are mounted in a combination of 9×19” with 245/35-19 tires in front and 12,5×19” with 315/30-19 tires in the back. The complete set of wheel is available for 7.699,00 Euro at MFK Autosport.

Due to an improvement of the engine software MFK Autosport achieves 450 hp. The price of this improvement is 1.995,00 Euro. Upon request there is a premium sports exhaust system (Flap controlled sport exhaust systems) for 5.700,00 Euro available including mounting. For even more individualism MFK Autosport offers an extensive list with extra equipment, which fulfils almost every customer request.

Audi S4 B5-series

Here’s where the frustration of dealing with recurring S4 mechanical maladies all but disappears. YouTube is full videos that feature turbo S4s committing various acts of horsepower heroics (like the Nurburgring vid posted above), and that’s due to the devout following of Audi owners on the whole. The unassuming styling of the S4 however, combined with the Biturbo’s ease of tuning make it an Audi favorite despite the car’s relatively short North American lifespan. As such, S4 owners have an extremely broad enthusiast community when it comes to technical help, aftermarket tuning, spare parts, or just friendly camaraderie. In fact, there are so many web sites in cyber land devoted to all things Audi that we could never hope to list them all, but we can offer a few suggestions on groups both big and small.

With a membership base approaching 500,000, fourtitude.com is by far the largest web-based Audi forum, though it also includes all the manufacturers under the Audi umbrella, such as Seat and Lamborghini. AudiWorld.com offers news, technical resources, project cars, and a forum of nearly 170,000 members, making it the largest Audi-specific site on the internet. Audizine.com and Audiforums.com also offer impressively-large online memberships, while enthusiasts looking for a quieter, S4-specific outlet can visit s4forum.com , which caters to approximately 3000 registered members. If online chatting and forum hashing isn’t your thing, S4 drivers should at least bookmark s4biturbo.com . Filled with links, technical information, aftermarket suggestions and enough info to tackle any B5 S4 project, this web site is a bible for anyone sporting a turbocharged S4.

Traditional club goers will find their needs met at audiclubna.org , online home of the Audi Club of North America (ACNA.) This official organization maintains a strong membership base and delivers a quarterly newsletter, numerous membership perks, and regular driving events hosted through ACNA chapters across the country, all available for a nominal membership fee.

Watch the video up top to take a hot lap around our favorite German race track behind the wheel of an S4, then drop into the NextAutos Forums to plug your local Audi club, or to share personal stories of S4-related sports-car humiliation.

Audi E-tron Concept Set for PlayStation Home Debut

The New Audi e-tron

The Audi E-tron electric sports car concept, which debuted earlier this month at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show, is set for further exposure on the Vertical Run driving game within the Audi Space on PlayStation Home. The E-tron debuts in the gaming world in December, said Audi.

PlayStation Home is a 3D social gaming service for the PlayStation 3 community. The Vertical Run game, which centers on collecting electrical energy and avoiding driver errors to hit the highest speed, includes a three-dimensional racetrack.

"Most young people gain their first driving experience from video games," said Kai Mensing of Audi Online Marketing. "With the Audi Space, we can bring this target group into contact with our brand."

The Audi E-tron is a two-seat sports car with an electric drive system and a lithium-ion battery. It has a range of 154 miles and sprints from zero to 60 mph in less than 4.8 seconds, according to the German automaker. It was teased on Audi's electricityuntamed.com microsite in advance of the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show.

Audi notes that in 2010, additional Audi content will be added to Audi Space.

Inside Line says: It may not be ready for the real world just yet, but you'll be able to have some fun with the Audi E-tron electric car in the virtual world soon. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent

2010 Audi S5 Cabriolet Drive Test

The first Audi ragtop of the modern era debuted in 1991. Based on the Audi Coupe, it arrived with a wimpy 133-horsepower engine. While some suggest the new S5 Cabriolet is the spiritual successor of that first convertible, there is very little to connect the two other than the fact the roof can be lowered when the sun decides to shine.

With the $72,000 S5’s tight, multi-layer soft-top up, the ride is eerily quiet — there’s none of the usual billowing, no annoying wind noise and the quad exhaust’s siren is barely detectable. Holding a button for 15 seconds sees the soft-top drop gracefully into its well, and there’s no need to install one of those cumbersome tonneaus to finish off the look.

Luggage space? Plenty. With the roof folded, there’s still 11.3 cubic feet and up to 26.5 cu. ft. with the 50/50 rear seats folded forward.

Finally, when the clouds begin to gather and there is no place to pull over, simply slowing to 50 kilometres an hour allows the top to be raised (in 17 seconds), which gets the riders out of the rain without the usual fuss. In many other cases, the car must be brought to a standstill and the parking brake applied to get the roof up. By this time, Murphy’s Law dictates the driver’s loafers are sitting in a puddle of water.

The rest of the cabin exceeds expectations. It’s well finished, with a lot of soft-touch materials and finely textured surfaces, and there’s plenty of space — enough, in fact, that the S5 qualifies as a legitimate four-seater as long as the front seats are not fully rearward. Then there’s the equipment list. Everything from air conditioning to xenon headlights is in place. The highlight, however, is the optional Bang & Olufsen sound system. With 505 watts, 10 channels and 12 speakers, it rocks.

Where the S5 coupe is powered by Audi’s silky 354-hp 4.2-litre V8 (until 2011), the Cabrio takes a different road — it employs a 3.0L V6. To make sure the droptop is worthy of the S designation, the direct-injected engine is force fed fresh air by an intercooled supercharger. The result is 328 hp and 325 pound-feet of torque that clocks in at 2,900 rpm. Needless to say, this is enough to get the heart pumping. The usual zero-to-100 km/h run takes just 5.6 seconds and the S5 turns the 80-to-120-km/h trick in an equally speedy 4.3 seconds.

The twin-clutch gearbox is a delight, as it puts seven speeds at the driver’s disposal. As such, there is a ratio for every eventuality. When out for a gentle sunset cruise, the automatic mode is the right choice — the shifts are smooth and refined. Turn up the heat a little and it’s tantamount to criminal to ignore the paddle shifters — with every downshift, the box rev matches as the exhaust system crackles and pops. A snappy downshift followed by a full boot’s worth of gas sees the exhaust note change from purposeful to mellifluous. Oh, the joys of open-air motoring!

The S5’s quattro all-wheel-drive system sends 60% of the drive to the rear wheels, 40% to the front. It also arrives with a welcome twist — the optional sport differential. Layering the quattro system’s innate ability with this device raises an already high bar. The sport differential automatically sends more power to the outside rear wheel when cornering — usually around 10% more, although it can effectively direct all the drive torque to one wheel. This seemingly simple action accomplishes two very good things.

First, over-speeding the outside wheel turns the car into the corner. This reduces the amount of steering input required and all but eliminates understeer. Second, the sport differential is used as the first level of stability control. The unspoken advantage is that rather than braking a given wheel to right a minor wrong, the sport differential counters it proactively by speeding up the appropriate wheel. All of this means the regular electronic nanny is far less likely to intervene — thank you.

Of course, this technology would be worth squat were it not for the suspension and its ability to control body roll — the P255/35R19 tires supply a ton of lateral grip. Hammer into a corner, hit the big binders and the S5 remains as flat as gravy on a plate — no roll, no dive. The steering’s feel and feedback is, likewise, razor sharp. The combination instills a sense of oneness with the car that’s rare, especially in a convertible. The fact there is virtually no cowl shake adds to the S5’s sense of solidity.

Audi 2010 Audi S4 Road Test

The Audi S4 returns, after a one year hiatus, for the 2010 model year. A lot has happened in the last year, and Audi Canada is one of the few car companies that could truthfully say "it's been a good year."

Audi's ability to adapt to new market reality has not only been its saving grace, it has allowed the German automaker to relish the new order. Audi is cleverly positioning itself in the marketplace as "progressive luxury." Never mind size or glitz -- just feel and enjoy guilt-free performance and real quality.

Based on the A4 sedan, the new S4 fits perfectly into this lean and athletic new definition of luxury. Fast yet fuel-frugal, technically advanced yet sensibly priced, this S4 offers the smart buyer a sophisticated high-performance sedan for a new generation.

At $52,500 (for the six-speed manual version) the "repositioning" of the S4 has made it almost $20,000 below its predecessor. Instead of a fuel-guzzling V8 engine, the new and lighter S4 comes with a fuel-efficient, direct-injected three-litre V6 with a supercharger.

The new TFSI V6 engine can develop 333 horsepower between 5,300 and 6,000 r.p.m., which is only seven horsepower less than the V8. Torque is rated at 325 foot-pounds, which is 23 ft.-lbs. more than the old V8 and 90 per cent of it is available between 1,500 and 4,200 r.p.m.

Fuel economy has improved considerably compared with the previous-generation S4, and is estimated to be 13.8 litres per 100 kilometres in the city and nine litres per 100 km on the highway. Like the old V8, however, premium fuel is a "must" in the new S4.

The base S4 ($52,500) comes with a smooth and precise six-speed manual transmission (6MT) with short easy to navigate shifts through its gear range. The S4 (for $54,100) can also be ordered with an optional paddle-shifting, seven-speed S-Tronic transmission, which also operates like a normal automatic.

It's actually a dual-clutch auto-shifting manual transmission that cleverly pre-selects the next gear, with its second clutch, so effectively the shift has already been made. The S-Tronic can also skip gears when required, it blips the throttle when downshifting, and it can change gears in micro-seconds during hard acceleration.

Quattro all-wheel-drive is standard and the S4 can also be ordered with a new Sports Rear Differential ($1,500). No ordinary limited-slip differential, it's an active or "torque vectoring" differential. When steering into or accelerating out of a corner this differential can add torque to an outside rear wheel, to reduce under-steer.

Another piece of Audi techno-magic is a Drive Select system that comes with the Premium trim and gives the driver a choice of four driving modes. Throttle response, suspension damping, transmission shift points and steering action can all be set in comfort, dynamic, automatic or an individual mode, which is setup by the driver.

The S4's refined powertrain allows it reach 100 km/hour in about five seconds and it has a top speed of 250 km/hour. We got to experience this first-hand on the Infineon Racetrack in Sonoma, formerly called Sears Point. It's a challenging circuit that has lots of corners and changes in track elevation.

Audi also gave me an S4 to take for an extended (six-to-seven-hour) drive to Los Angeles, as I took a slightly longer route back to Vancouver. Is there a better way to test seat and cabin comfort than spend hours behind the wheel on motorway in 110-degree heat?

Apart from scorched eyeballs, no aches, pains or speeding tickets to report. The latter would have been easy to achieve as the S4 feels very stable at highways speeds and has lots of reserve untapped power at the legal limit. My fuel-consumption calculations were scuttled by a lengthy traffic snarl in the Bay Area, but I still managed to average 10.1 L/100km.

2011 Audi R8 Spyder Preview

Audi currently sells two versions of its R8 supercar, the original 4.2-liter V-8 model and the recently revealed 5.2-liter V-10 version, but there are two more versions in the works--one of which has been revealed today ahead of its world debut at the 2009 Frankfurt auto show.

The two new versions are the R8 Spyder convertible shown here, as well as the high-performance RS variant still to come.


A spokesman for Audi previously confirmed that the R8 Spyder was delayed to allow time for sales of the V-10 hard-top to eventually die down. The Audi rep also confirmed that the Spyder would feature a full convertible soft-top roof instead of a smaller targa set-up, which was the preferred choice of engineers back in Germany.

Other major changes for the car that appear to have made it to production are a pair of additional air intakes located behind the seats, as well as a pair of safety roll-over bars. The R8’s trademark aluminum side blades have been removed. The placement of the fuel filler cap will also be changed due to the missing rear pillars, while changes under the sheet metal will likely include extra chassis strengthening.

Audi e-Tron concept breaks cover for Frankfurt

One of the highlights of Audi’s Frankfurt auto show display is the e-Tron, an electronic high-performance sports car.

The car looks like Audi’s mighty R8, while the packaging allows for the specific realities of an electric vehicle.

Why is Audi doing an electric car when fewer than 1,500 electric vehicles are currently registered in Germany, corresponding to only 0.035 percent of all registered vehicles?

Because it says its sees numerous advantages: Electric cars reduce the dependence of transportation and the economy on oil. They produce no direct exhaust emissions and thus ease the local burden on the environment. Audi says electric drive systems also are more efficient than combustion engines, making them easier on the wallet. Audi says other strengths include sportiness and the fun they bring to driving with all of the torque available the moment you punch the throttle.

Audi Q7 gets new look, diesel version for 2010

Audi Q7

Audi Q7

Prices for the redesigned 2010 Audi Q7 sport utility vehicle begin at $46,900 (plus $825 freight) for the base 3.6-liter V-6 model and run as high as $61,000 for the 4.2-liter V-8, the luxury brand of the German automaker Volkswagen said this week.

But the biggest news is the introduction of a diesel version of the midsize Q7, the TDI model, which begins at $50,900. It arrived last spring as a 2009 model, but its price does not change for 2010.

The Q7's base price represents an increase of $3,400 from the $43,500 of the 2009 V-6 model, while the V-8's price was raised $1,780.

All Q7 models come with Audi's Quattro full-time all-wheel-drive system, and all are equipped with the Tiptronic six-speed automatic transmission, which has a manual-shift feature for sportier driving.

The TDI model uses the same 3.0-liter V-6 diesel engine that Volkswagen also has introduced for 2010 in the Touareg SUV, which is built on the same architecture as the Q7. The Touareg is shorter and can accommodate only five passengers, however, while the Q7 is offered with a third row of seating and can handle up to seven people.

The diesel engine is rated at 225 horsepower and 406 foot-pounds of torque, and has EPA mileage estimates of 17 mpg city/25 highway, compared with 14/20 for the V-6 gasoline model and 13/18 for the V-8.

With its 26.4-gallon tank, the Q7 TDI can go more than 600 miles between refueling, Audi says. This is a new “clean diesel” engine that meets U.S. Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle smog standards and eliminates the telltale black tailpipe smoke of earlier diesel engines.

Audi says the Q7 TDI “qualifies for a $1,150 Alternative Motor Vehicle Credit from the Internal Revenue Service for a limited time due to the fuel efficiency and reduced greenhouse gas emissions of its clean diesel technology.”

The torque of the TDI engine gives it great pickup, allowing for easy freeway on-ramp merges and for towing trailers weighing up to 6,600 pounds.

Unlike the Touareg and the Porsche Cayenne SUV, which also is built on the same architecture, the all-wheel-drive system of the Q7 does not offer low-range gearing for serious off-road driving.

That's a shame because the Cayenne and Touareg are two of the most capable off-road vehicles on the market. I've taken the Touareg on trails in the Moab, Utah, area where the only other vehicles able to negotiate them were modified Jeep Wranglers.

But the fact is that most people who buy premium SUVs have no intention of ever taking them off-road.

Audi says the 2010 Q7 has “markedly updated exterior and interior features,” although the vehicle still looks pretty much the same as last year's model.

Among changes are “the most innovative execution to date of the Audi signature LED lighting,” the company said, which includes standard LED taillights and optional LED turn signals and daytime running lights.

Other new exterior features include new wheel choices, front and rear bumpers, headlights and taillights, grille, mirror housings and lower body panels. The new grille is has a gloss-black finish with vertical chrome strips.

Audi says that equipment packages for the 3.6 and TDI models “begin at the Premium level,” while the 4.2 model has “Prestige level packaging” (and more standard amenities).

Inside, there are new optional ventilated front seats, a new decorative inlay on the passenger side of the dashboard, more ambient lighting on the doors, a new multimedia interface, additional chrome accents and a few other tweaks.

The navigation system has a “richly detailed” three-dimensional map, Sirius traffic information and a joystick controller.

It also is capable of taking voice commands to direct the driver to various destinations. They include such simple statements as “I'm hungry,” “I need gas” and “I need coffee,” which then are translated into guidance to the nearest locations.

The Q7 has a federal five-star crash safety rating and has been designated a “Top Safety Pick” by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Standard safety features include electronic stability control with traction control, four-wheel antilock disc brakes with electronic brake-force distribution, front seat-mounted side air bags and roof-mounted side-curtain air bags for all passengers.

Luxury features abound, including automatic climate control.

Both gasoline engines come with direct fuel injection, which helps improve fuel economy.

Audi Q7 Details and Pictures

Audi Q7

Audi Q7

German luxury car maker Audi, on Friday rolled out the latest version of its luxury SUV (sports utility vehicle) — Audi Q7 — for the Indian market priced at Rs 53.40 lakh (ex-showroom Mumbai) onwards.



Coming with three engine options, the 3.0 TDI quattro, 3.6 FSI quattro and 4.2 FSI quattro, the car is available across all the Audi dealerships. Introducing the six-speed tiptronic and quattro permanent four-wheel drive with 40:60 torque split, the SUV boasts of several features on the exterior, including LED taglights and turn signals, Xenon headlights, new front grille — representing a sporty design.

Spacious interiors

On the interiors, with up to seven seats, the car boasts of luggage space of about 2,035 litres. Similarly, it also has an optional panorama sunroof, an MMI operating system with audio system and a voice control, which enables the driver to operate a cellphone or music system by just calling out the name of a song or a phone number.
Further, it has adaptable headlights that switch on or off according to the moves of the car, showing the path ahead.

Incidentally, Audi India Head (after sales) Martin Freudenhagen said the company plans to expand its dealership from 12 to 18 by 2010-2011, and that it has achieved remarkable growth in the first eight months of 2009 registering 62 per cent growth (having sold 1,128 units.

“With the launch of new Q7, we expect to sell upwards of 1,500 cars,” he added.

2010 Audi R8 Spyder Official Images Leaked

The hunt is obviously on just before next week’s Frankfurt Motor Show for official images of cars that will be making their debut at the show. Here is yet another one, the 2010 Audi R8 Spyder Convertible, which has been the topic of discussion for those who like to go topless.

For now the specs are still a slight mystery but be assured, after Audi notices that these photos are circulating, then we should get some press release information from the horses mouth. We could probably expect the new FSI V10 version of the Spyder to debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show as well as the original V8 version.

2011 Audi R8 Spyder 5.2 V10 FSI Quattro Official Photos Leaked

The much-anticipated and much-expected Audi R8 Spyder has fallen out of its invisible embargo force field on the way to next week’s Frankfurt auto show. We can’t share any official info yet, but these images, which come to us via a worldwide web of interlinked computers, do give a few clues: the V10 badge confirms the 5.2-liter engine will be the sole engine option. The wheels are also from the V-10 coupe, and the engine cover has breathing holes much like those on the related Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder. Also, this one’s brown, and we’re okay with that.

As seen on previous spy shots, the coupe’s side blades disappear and are replaced by unique bodywork that still incorporates air intakes aimed at the engine. And, although it’s not shown here, the R8 Spyder will sport a cloth roof.

Check back for full details next week once the droptop R8 is officially uncloaked in Frankfurt.

Audi A3 TDI is a 42 MPG Luxury Car

Do you feel the need to save the planet and reduce your country’s dependence on foreign oil, but also want a car with leather interior, premium sound system and a stylish exterior? Then Audi’s got just the car for you. The 2010 Audi A3 TDI will use clean diesel technology and get an EPA estimated 42 mpg on the highway, giving you more time in those leather seats between fill-ups than you’re used to.

Audi has just set the pricing for the clean diesel A3. The compact luxury car will cost you $29,950, and will be on dealer lots in November. The diesel powered A3 TDI will have the highest highway fuel economy in the luxury car segment.

Audi estimates that the clean diesel engine in the 2010 A3 TDI gets 30% better fuel economy and emits 20% fewer greenhouse gases than a comparably sized gasoline engine. The diesel powered A3 will have 140 horsepower, so don’t expect to keep up with the 200-hp gas powered models, but its 236 lb-ft of torque mean it’ll be no slouch off the line.

2010 ABT Sportsline Audi TT-RS

Five cylinders, plenty of power with four wheel drive - that was the original "ur-Quattro", a sports coupe which caused a furore around 30 years ago and is also one of the highlights of the 50-year tuning history of ABT. General manager Hans-Jürgen Abt remembers the racing car, which now enthrals car fans in the Kempten showroom and creates a link to the new TT-RS: "Our ur-Quattro is a big banger, a sports machine which played in the Champions league. Quattro technology and performance are in perfect harmony. The TT-RS brings this magical combination back on the road." Then, as now, a fully-charged 5-cylinder engine provides optimum power. The cool, compact sports car has it, in the truest sense of the word: the ABT version of the ABT TT-RS provides 420 HP (309kW). Thanks to ABT POWER, i.e. a charge air cooler and optimisation of the engine electronics, 80 HP (59 kW) more is put to work. That is enough to catapult the Bavarian super sports car to an electronically regulated tempo of 282 km/h. The athlete from the Alps can thereby manage the sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.3 seconds.

An ABT TT-RS is therefore able to keep up with the quickest of the quick at all times or even pass them by. Precisely what the ur-Quattro from ABT was also able to do. There is, however, one difference between then and now: contrary to the classic from the 80s the TT-RS is not just available as a sports coupe, but also as a cool roadster.

Audi to Build Q5 in India

Audi AG said Thursday it will start assembling the Q5 luxury sport-utility vehicle in India from March to save on steep import taxes and compete with BMW AG, Daimler AG and Porsche AG in the world's second-fastest growing major economy.

"India is the second country after Germany where the Q5 will be assembled," Benoit Tiers, Audi India's managing director, told reporters while announcing the introduction of the new version of the Q7 SUV.

Mr. Tiers also said Audi will introduce its financial services and insurance business in India by December. The company currently offers insurance for its vehicles via Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Co. Ltd.

Fully built cars and SUVs in India attract an import tax of 116%, Mr. Tiers said, adding that the tax drops to 60% if the vehicle is assembled from completely knocked down parts.

Audi, the premium brand of Germany's Volkswagen AG, assembles the A4 and A6 luxury sedans at the factory of Skoda Auto AS at Aurangabad in the western state of Maharashtra.

Czech carmaker Skoda, another unit of Volkswagen, makes cars such as the Laura and Superb at the same factory, which can produce up to 3,000 vehicles per year.

Tiers said Audi India has already spent two-thirds of a €30 million investment planned until 2015.

Audi India sells the Q5 with 2.0-liter gasoline and a 3.0-liter diesel engine options. Thursday, the company began selling the new Q7 SUV with 3.0-liter diesel, a 3.6-liter gasoline and a 4.2-liter gasoline engine options.

Audi also imports and markets the A8 luxury sedan, as well as the TT coupe and the R8 sports car in India.

It sold 1,128 vehicles in India during January-August 2009, a 62% rise from the year earlier. Tiers said the company aims to sell more than 1,500 cars in 2009, compared with 1,050 cars last year.

The automaker currently has dealers in 12 cities, which it aims to expand to 18 by 2011, he said.