The truth about the ultimate R8 is emerging…When Auto Express received these spy shots last week, we initially thought it could be a prototype for a range-topping GT RS version. Now, thanks to some tip offs from bloggers, it turns out that this could be an all-new twin-turbocharged V10 model from tuning company MTM.

Take a close look at the images and you’ll see that this is no ordinary R8. As well as the Audi motorsport-style stripes and an all-new ground-hugging front splitter and side skirts, the prototype gets a plastic engine cover and huge side air intakes lifted directly from the R8 LMS racing car.

At the rear the exhausts exit just below tail-lamp height in the centre of the rear bumper – leaving gaping holes where the standard pipes would be. This is an arrangement which comes straight from the race track. Huge brakes complete the exterior package.

Inside, the motorsport theme continues with a stripped-out cabin that boasts little more than a pair of Recaro racing seats to keep the driver and passenger firmly in place at high speed.

But what about the powerplant? Well, MTM is rumoured to be working on a twin-turbocharged version of Audi’s 5.2-litre V8 producin upwards of 800bhp. With that sort of punch, expect 0-62mph in under three seconds and a top speed well in excess of 225mph.

Source: AutoExpress

The new MINI-rivalling A1 hasn’t even hit UK roads yet, but Audi is already working on a barnstorming S1 to go head-to-head with the Cooper S.

These spy shots show an A1 test mule fitted with the S line bodykit which, with the exception of a few minor cosmetic tweaks, provides a good idea of how the hot hatch will shape up.

The test car’s wheels, with their extreme low-profile tyres, will make way for 18-inch twin five-spoke alloys unique to the S1. And to further mark out the newcomer from lesser models, it will get chrome door mirrors, a gloss black diffuser and S1 badges.

Inside, a racy makeover brings bolstered sports seats, a flat-bottomed steering wheel and a mixture of leather and Alcantara trim as standard. Under the bonnet is a tuned version of the 1.4-litre supercharged and turbocharged petrol engine already available in the A1.

This is the same unit as used in the SEAT Ibiza Cupra, VW Polo GTI and Skoda Fabia vRS – but in the hot Audi, power is set to rise from 178bhp to nearer 200bhp. That will guarantee impressive straight-line performance, with 0-62mph completed in less than seven seconds and a top speed in excess of 140mph.

Only one gearbox option will be offered – a seven-speed DSG with steering wheel paddles as standard. In a first for Audi’s S range, the hatch will be available in front-wheel drive only.

Instead of fitting quattro 4WD, the company is relying on an electronic system to improve cornering and grip by braking an inside wheel when the car starts to veer off course. It will also ride 15mm lower to the ground than the standard 
A1, on sports suspension.

The S1 will debut at March’s Geneva Motor Show.

It’s the car that takes Audi into yet another niche, but has the A7 got what it takes to outmanoeuvre quirky rivals like the Mercedes CLS and BMW 5-Series GT? Well that’s what we’re here, at Audi’s exclusive event at the museum of modern art in Munich, to find out.

Audi’s take on the four-door coupé has been a long time coming since the firm debuted the Sportback concept at the 2009 Detroit Motor Show. Unlike its rivals, Audi has opted to give the A7 an electrically-operated hatch, making the car a more practical executive proposition, while still retaining the steeply raked roof that defines its four-door coupé characteristics.
The production A7 Sportback features a similar grille to the A8 saloon, while the concept’s sharp lights and sculpted lower intakes have made way for a front end similar in design to the A5 coupé’s. The sloping bonnet helps the car to achieve a drag coefficient of only 0.28Cd.

At the rear, the A7’s hatch tapers to a rear end that incorporates an active spoiler which rises at motorway speeds. There is also a shallow boot opening and a body-coloured diffuser that houses twin exhausts. Adaptive LED headlamps, plus front and rear running lights, further mark the car out.

As the covers went up our immediate reaction was that Audi hadn’t done quite enough to make this car the design icon it could have been. But on closer inspection the rear end is well excuted and the overall look is a notch above the bulbous Porsche Panamera. In fact, the proportions are closer to a larger, less-sporty Aston Martin Rapide.

Inside, designers have created a spacious and luxurious four-seat cabin. The finish is superb as we’ve come to expect from Audi – featuring two choices of real-wood inserts combined with splashes of aluminium and a range of leather and Alcantara trim options. The real revelation though is space in the rear, we sat next to another journalist who was six foot two inches tall and he still had several inches of head room to spare – quite an achievement when you consider the plunging roofline.

Standard kit includes a 6.5-inch dash-mounted monitor which displays satellite navigation, climate and phone functions. The car’s Multimedia Interface (MMI) system can be upgraded to include an eight-inch screen and allows the driver to write on to a touchpad to operate phone and navigation systems.

Buyers can also specify a head-up display which projects important data directly in front of the driver at a virtual distance of 2.5 metres. A parking assist programme allows hands-free parallel parking, too.

While cars with the Multitronic auto are front-wheel drive, quattro four-wheel drive comes as standard with Audi’s seven-speed S tronic twin-clutch gearbox. A centre differential allows up to 70 per cent of power to be shifted to the front or 85 to the rear. Multilink suspension front and rear should give a dynamic and comfortable ride, while sports and adjustable air-suspension can also be specified.

Four V6 engines will be available from launch, comprising two petrol and two diesel options ranging from 201bhp to 297bhp. The most efficient unit is the 3.0-litre TDI, which boasts emissions of 139g/km and economy of 53.3mpg. The top-spec 3.0 TFSI delivers 297bhp, 34.4mpg and 190g/km CO2, with 0-60mph taking 5.6 seconds and a top speed of 155mph. And with 20 per cent of the body made from lightweight aluminium, expect the A7’s handling to be nimbler than its dimensions suggest.

The first A7s are available to order from 16 August, with first deliveries on 8 January 2011. Prices will start from £43,745 (inc 20 per cent VAT increase due in January) for the 3.0 TDI fwd and £47,990 for the more-powerful Quattro version. Both petrol versions come with Quattro four-wheel drive as standard, and cost £45,210 for the 2.8 FSI and £48,060 for the 3.0 TFSI.

The 2011 Audi A7 is scheduled to debut on Monday – however, you can always count on the internet for leaked images prior to any car’s official debut these days.

Four pictures of the new Audi A7 have hit the web giving us our first look at the new four-door-coupe, Mercedes-Benz CLS fighter.

Right off the bat you can notice that the production model is heavily based on the Sportback Concept. While technical details will have to wait until Monday, we do know that the A7 shares many of its components with the A6 and A8 and will also carry a similar engine lineup.

Source: EGMCartech

Key Competitors Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG eDrive, BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept.
Power Four electric motors – two each at the front and rear axles – producing 313-hp/ 3,319 lb-ft of torque.
Performance – 0 to 62 mph comes in 4.8 seconds; 37 mph to 75 mph in 4.1 seconds. Top speed comes in at 124 mph.
Fuel-Economy Driving range equals 154 miles on a full charge, which take about 6 to 8 hours.
Production Possibility Nothing confirmed yet.

Right off the bat, the Audi e-tron concept looks a lot better in person than it does in the pictures we saw yesterday. The thing about the e-tron, which is clearly based on the R8, is that it is not for idiots who like the Chevrolet Volt… or is it? While Audi admits that electric-driving provides numerous advantages, the Ingolstadt automaker says that electric-vehicles are still “very much outsides.” Audi says that fewer than 1,500 electric-cars are currently registered in German, corresponding to only 0.035 percent of all registered vehicles. With that in mind, don’t expect the e-tron to enter production anytime soon.

Power for the Audi e-tron comes from four electric-motors powered by a lithium-ion battery pack. Total output comes in at 313-hp with a peak torque of a whopping 3,319 lb-ft. 0 to 62 mph comes in just 4.8 seconds with a top speed clocked in at 124 mph.

On a full charge, which takes between 6 to 8 hours when charging through a standard 230v household current, the e-tron can travel a total of 154 miles. If plugged into a 400v outlet, the e-tron takes just 2.5 hours to recharge.

Audi says that its “engineers are working on a wireless solution to make charging more convenient.” We’ll see what that’s all about in the future. If the Audi e-tron concept does enter production in the future, it would compete with the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG eDrive and the production version of the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept.

Source Egmcartech

Extra flared fenders, furrowed-brow visage, and a sinister matte black paintjob, all accompanied by a V8 snarl. While it’s a development prototype, the RS5 mule snapped during lucky-dog brake testing duty in the Alps strikes us as the perfect look for a topped-out Audi two-door built for high speed strafing. When a car is coated in matte black and backs it up with 400-plus horsepower of engine, it means business, and the RS5’s stock in trade will be all-wheel drive enabled speed.

If Audi really wants its new coupe variant to be tough, we propose sending a mule or two out for torture at the hands of automotive journalists.

Source Autoblog

The Audi TT is a highly entertaining package — good looks, great personality, terrific cabin feel, solid handling and a good price. Yet with the TTS here and the TT-RS on the way (well, not for us Americans, but…), the TT becomes something like The Girl Next Door who you just found out has two hotter siblings. That doesn’t mean you have to stop loving The Girl Next Door… but you’re eyes may have a tendency to wander. Autoblog spent a week with the middle sister who was out to steal our hearts with an upgraded turbocharged engine, brilliant all-wheel drive and a flamboyant paint job.

Choosing the S version of any Audi is like ordering a large combo meal – it avails you of more of everything. Your grand hunger for speed, handling and details is meant to be sated by more horses, a better suspension and sharpened bodywork. The TTS addresses this under the hood by adding dollop of forced-induction goodness to the already turbocharged 2.0T FSI engine, juicing its numbers by 65 hp and 51 lb-ft of torque over the base TT for a total of 265 hp @ 6,000 RPM and 258 lb-ft @ 2,500 RPM. The 3.2-liter V6 TT is also down, by 15 hp and 22 lb-ft. Outside, the TT S lords its burliness over both its staid siblings with an angrier front fascia, rear skirts and rocker panels, chrome mirror accents and 18-inch split-spoke wheels.

If all of that proves insufficient, you can dress the car in Solar Orange, or, as we preferred to call it, Orange Julius. And there’s nothing wrong with that… if that’s what you like.

But the performance – and color – issues aren’t the only hurdles for the TTS to overcome. The initials “TT” don’t merely serve as a model name, they are a way of life. TT, which stands for Tourist Trophy, is a holophrastic moniker that describes a car as well as its buyers, much the same way as “M3″ and “Lexus”. Just like the chicken and the egg conundrum, we’re still not sure which came first: the Metrosexual or the TT. That means that anything wearing a TT badge needs to stand for something, and stand for it well.

Starting from the outside, one of the endearing qualities of the TT family is the perfect mix of spatial contradictions. We think of it as a small car, which lends itself to the idea of being a sports car. Yet it isn’t that small – it’s two feet longer than a MINI and 18 inches shorter than a G37 Coupe. Open the door and the cabin appears half buried in the ground, and small to boot. In truth, the car is no hassle to get into, and the cabin feel is just the right kind of enveloping: well and truly roomy yet still cozy, even intimate. The seats carry you far in comfort. The controls are merely a thought and a modest reach away.

The ergonomics, knobs and switches in the current TT don’t make the same impact as those that sprang on scene in The Cabin, but they too are mindlessly simple to employ – save the MMI’s handling of iPod tracks. When you flip through a folder, it lists the track’s number, not the name, and although we’re intimately familiar with the contents of our iPod, we have no idea which song is #86 and which one is #8624. That shortcoming has been addressed in the latest version of MMI and earlier versions can be upgraded, but still…

Cargo space is also laudable, especially when we fall back into that small car feeling. On a run to the airport, the hatch area had room for a large carry on bag, a larger suitcase, a backpack and a laundry bag, and there was still room. And we hadn’t got to the back “seats” yet. The surrounding quotes are necessary because the TT S doesn’t have thrones for rear passengers – it has a leather-trimmed parcel shelf that resemble seats. Forget about putting people back there. No, really, just fuggetaboutit.

We admit it’s taken us a while to adore the styling of the new TT over its predecessor. The original Bauhaus version was a stylistic knockout, but we’ve come to appreciate this new version as it’s just too easy, too simple, too inviting and too relaxing to run at high speeds. For some reason, every TT we’ve piloted finds its sweet spot at 80 mph. In our hands, that’s the car’s groove, and when it’s there it sings. Do anything less and it feels like driving though treacle.

It was the stretches we spent getting to 80 that made us go “Hmph.” The TTS, like any middle sister, faces a difficult life: it can’t outdo its more expensive supermodel TT-RS sibling, but it has to be sufficiently more impressive than its younger, less experienced sister. And as we said, those other “lower” versions are terrific little cars.

The accelerating experience quickly demonstrated the difficulty of the challenge. The single, more powerful turbo on this car’s 2.0-liter four-cylinder comes equipped with gobs of lag. Be anything less than bad-cop-coercive with the accelerator, and you feel like the engine and turbo are deciding among themselves when they’re going to hand over the power. Stoplight dashes are dispatched with ease as the turbo quickly kicks in when you floor it from a standstill. But when on the roll, if you goose the throttle, the TTS doesn’t try downshifting or laying on the turbo first; it tries to pull itself up with torque. Frankly, there just isn’t enough of it. If you’re on the roll at 40 and know you’re going to want to get to 80 with quickness, you might want to call ahead and make a reservation for some boost.

The palliative for this condition is Sport mode. Contrary to all the cars with utterly useless Sport modes, we’d go so far as to say that to really enjoy the TTS you need to flick the proverbial switch. The fact-acting DSG drops down a gear or two and instead of having boost delivered like a pizza, in thirty minutes or less, you get what you want with microwaved quickness. Get things above 2,000 rpm and it gets good; get up above 3,000 and it’s as sweet as you like. Blast offs at any speed are not only fun, they’re fun to listen to. First gear is left behind after a couple of feet, and you get right into the thrill of the engine revs, turbo and DSG acting in triple-time sequence: rev – chuff – shift, rev – chuff – shift, repeat.

Nevertheless, as with nearly all remedies, there is a side effect: in Sport the TTS is noisome, a tad frenzied. You won’t notice when you’re flogging the sucker, but on the urban cycle there isn’t much to distract you from the din. When the car downshifts in Sport and revs are given a workout, the car tends to buck when raising the stakes from fourth to third. The only way to dispense all that is to put the car back in Drive, and that means a return to leisurely going – or a brutally firm right foot.

Traverse that hurdle – say, by punishing the car in the canyons – and the dynamic experience is demonstrably more polished than the base TT. The regular TT needs to get settled into a turning stance before you tackle a corner; you pick your speed, dial in some steering, let the car settle, then really turn in and get to work on the accelerator. Not so with the TTS, which, with its lighter, firmer aluminum suspension is always in its turning stance. Pick your speed and your turn-in point and attack the apex. Nothing more to do. Even chicanes and quick changes of direction won’t unsettle it.

What can unsettle it, just a by a tiny fraction, is not being mindful with braking. The brakes are superb and easy to modulate, but when the going gets thick they have a tendency to unceremoniously clamp down, upsetting stability. The TTS is 3,252 pounds, but that welcome svelteness for flickability and on the top speed run – the car gets to 60 in 4.9 – turns into a little dancing number when hard on the anchors over uneven roads. On nasty roads, the car can be downright skittish, but isn’t always. It would rather not deal with bumps through turns, but it doesn’t mind them. Even with all that, the TTS is still a sight better than the non S versions. These were things we simply learned to adjust to and deal with, not things that kept us from refilling the tank to go on another run to the Hall of the Mountain Kings.

It was at this point we realized this hotter sister still hadn’t convinced us to leave The Girl Next Door, the regular old TT we fell in love with first. Then we found out what the TTS costs: Our kitted-out Orange Julius will come home with you for $52,075. The base price is $45,500, with things like navigation, the Premium Plus package and the Silk nappa leather package making the difference.

Audi has filled the TTS with the details it’s known for: terrifically cross-stitched leather interior, a hood latch that’s the wonderfully easy to find and use, knobs on the steering wheel that save us from having to figure out buttons, MMI, fantastic sound, a tactile bounty, that cabin, the new skirts and the chrome tips, and just the look of the damned thing. But… most of those features are on the regular TT. A TT 2.0T FSI starts at $35,200. Try as we might – and we don’t feel we have a reason to try that hard – we can’t find it in our hearts or in the seats of our pants to show up with $10,300 to add an S to that name. And if the TTS is $45,500 to start, we shudder at the coming MSRP of the TT-RS, which sounds sure to force a supermodel budget upon you for its supermodel looks.

On the other side, compare the TTS to a Cayman and it’s hard to go the way of the Porsche. The Cayman starts at $50,300, and by the time Porsche and its relentless options list have beat you down you’re going to be well and truly over that number. What’s more, the Cayman is slower than the TTS to 60 mph by over half a second. To match the Audi, you’ll need to throw your checkbook on top of the Cayman S, with its 4.9-second sprint to 60, and then you can keep that “60″ theme going with the Cayman S gut-punch purchase price of $60,200. Sure, dynamically you’re going to give up some tenths to the Cayman S if you’re in the TTS, but even if you left the Porsche dealership in that mid-engined hotrod for MSRP, there are a lot of things you could to a TTS with the $8,000 you saved by going for the Tourist Trophy.

As for us, well, we’d still go with the regular old TT – maybe splurge on the 3.2-liter if it had been a good bonus year. The middle sister is hot and all, but The Girl Next Door, so wonderful in her own honest way, remains just too good to walk away from.

Source Autoblog

The head of Audi’s Brussels plant, Alfons Dintner, said that series production of the Audi A1 will begin in October of this year. The production model will make its debut at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, after which Audi will begin taking orders.

Dintner said that Audi will close its Brussels plant for five weeks in August to prepare for production of the A1, which will arrive in showrooms in the beginning of 2010.

He said that the A1 will initially be launched with a three-door variant, followed by the five-door Sportback (based on the A1 Sportback concept) shortly after.

Audi currently has no plans to offer the A1 in the United States. The company’s sales and marketing boss Peter Schwarzenbauer previously said that Audi is focused establishing a better foundation in the North American market and feels that the brand’s presence isn’t strong enough to support a compact car like the A1.

Source Egmcartech

Audi has officially dropped all the details on its new 2010 Audi A5 Sportback and has clearly said that the model “is not planned for the United States.” The A5 Sportback will roll into European Audi dealerships in September and will join the Coupe and Cabriolet as the third member of the A5 family. The model will initially be offered with three gasoline and three TDI engines.

Kicking off the gasoline lineup is a 180-hp or a 211-hp 2.0L engine. Mated to a 7-speed dual clutch S tronic transmission and the quattro all-wheel drive system, the 211-hp model goes from 0 to 62 mph in 6.6 seconds with a top speed of 150 mph. Average fuel-economy is estimated at 32 mpg (US). Audi says that three additional entry-level variants will be introduced in 2010 with quattro all-wheel drive with a manual transmission and front-wheel drive with multitronic or 6-speed manual transmission.

The top-of-the-line gasoline A5 Sportback model features a 3.2L FSI making 265-hp with a maximum torque of 243 lb-ft. 0 to 62 mph comes in 6.6 seconds with a top speed of 155 mph. Fuel-consumption is estimated at 25 mpg.

The TDI lineup kicks off with a 2.0 TDI making 170-hp. With a fuel-saving start/stop system the model averages a fuel-economy of 45 mpg. The 2.7L TDI offers more power at 190-hp while the top-of-the-line 3.0 TDI, mated to a 7-speed S tronic transmission and quattro all-wheel-drive, produces an impressive 240-hp while averaging a fuel-economy of 36 mpg.

Audi also put together two S-line packages for customers looking for a more sportier A5 Sportback. Along with larger wheels, exterior and interior modification, the S-line package offers a sportier suspension and a lowered body height.

The Audi A5 Sportback will make its official public debut at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show – orders are being taken now.

2010 Audi A5 Sportback Models and Pricing Details:

2.0 TDI with 6-speed manual – 36,050 euros ($50,767 USD)
2.7 TDI with 6-speed manual – 39,300 euros ($55,344 USD)
3.0 TDI quattro with 7-speed S tronic – 47,950 euros ($67,525 USD)
2.0 TFSI (180 hp) with 6-speed manual – 33,650 euros ($47,387 USD)
2.0 TFSI (211 hp) quattro with 7-speed S tronic – 42,150 euros ($59,357 USD)
3.2 FSI quattro with S tronic – 47,000 euros ($66,187 USD)

Source Egmcartech

Last year, Audi announced the most insane version of its Q7 SUV yet in the form of the V12 TDI. The V12 is an all-new diesel engine that, for now at least, only has a home in the Q7, but at some future date, it may appear in some other VW group products (think: Bentley). The V12 produces 500 hp and a ridiculous 758 lb-ft of torque, enough to get the 2.5-ton SUV to 62 mph in 5.5 seconds.

While Audi has said it has no plans to bring the V12 Q7 TDI to America, Top Gear mouthpiece Jeremy Clarkson got to try one out and came away with mixed feelings. Like many people, Clarkson is no fan of the Q7’s looks and thinks the whole premise of the vehicle is ridiculous. On the other hand, brute force does have a way of twisting people’s opinions and this big Audi proves to be no exception.

Generally, any sporting motorcycle can leave a four-wheeled conveyance in the dust. Apparently, this Q7 is the exception, as Clarkson was supposedly able to keep pace with Top Gear co-host Richard Hammond on a Suzuki Hayabusa. Even with all this power, the V12 TDI is still rated at 21 mpg (U.S.) on the EU combined cycle. In Clarkson’s own words, “Mad. Bonkers. Stupid. [...] It’s crap. But it’s brilliant too.” Too bad they canceled the R8 with this engine.

Source Autoblog

According to many reviews that started coming through earlier in the week, the 2010 Audi R8 5.2 FSI V10 is a hit.

No surprise, really. As we noted in our Autoblog Garage review, the chassis was begging to be exploited by a more potent engine, and that’s exactly what the V10 delivered. But Audi isn’t stopping there.

According to an anonymous source cited – not quoted – by InsideLine, the automaker is “experimenting with an even faster supercar that will dare to go head-to-head with the Lamborghini Murciélago LP640.” While that won’t make the crew from Sant’Agate particularly pleased, the line from InsideLine leaves a lot open to interpretation. Are we talking about an all-new supercar? A V12-powered R8? How about some turbos? All these questions and more will be answered… at some point.

Source Autoblog

The A6 Coupe, by Chinese automaker Chery, was spotted testing near the Lotus corporate headquarters in Norfolk, England. This spy shot confirms that there is a definite plan to enter the European market.

As reported by Autoblog:

Chery, the Chinese automaker with a sweet-sounding name, is serious about entering the European market as quickly as possible.

Proof of such can be seen in the A6 Coupe (we’re sure Audi’s lawyers are keeping tabs on this one too), which has recently been spotted testing near Lotus’ corporate headquarters in Norfolk, England. Might the Chinese upstart be getting some much needed know-how from the British brand that’s known for its excellent chassis tuning? Seems likely.

Chery also received help on the A6’s styling from none other than classic Italian styling house Bertone, and it’s a pretty good looker in its two-door hatchback configuration. Future versions are said to include a sedan, a two-door shooting brake-style wagon and possibly a hardtop convertible. Power will come from either a 2.0-liter turbocharged four cylinder or a naturally aspirated 3.0-liter V6, both of which have reportedly been certified for sale in the U.K.

Source Autoblog

Audi is revealing the R8 V10 in the Detroit Auto Show, a super coupe with dual exhaust.

While other automakers are dropping out of the Detroit Auto Show left and right, Audi is heading to Motor City with guns blazing, beginning with the 2010 Audi R8 V10.

Car and Driver decided to put the rumors to rest that the updated super coupe is officially coming to Detroit, packing a 5.2-liter V10 putting out 520 hp and 398 lb.-ft. of torque. Aside from the obvious aural and performance differences, the V10-powered R8 will make use of a pair of larger dual exhaust tips rather than the V8 model’s quad outlets. Expect new wheels, upgraded brakes and a few changes to the interior as well.

The oft-rumored Audi R8 Spyder will hit the European market in late 2009, with sales beginning in the U.S. sometime in 2011. According to C&D, the reason for the delayed Stateside launch is due to dealers that “have their hands full allocating coupes.” Whatever that means. The R8’s stylistic party pieces – it’s side blades – will be shrunken down to accommodate a power-operated soft top, and the interior will carry over unchanged.

We’ve got more Audi goodness for you at 6 PM EST tonight, so check back in a few hours for a sneak peak of the four-ringer’s plans for the Geneva Motor Show.

Source Autoblog

2009 Audi A4 luxury sport sedan, redesigned, is positioned as a segment-leader by earning highest safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

• The redesigned 2009 A4 gains the coveted U.S. government 5-Star safety label for frontal, side and rollover crashes

• Results affirm the strong commitment to safety at Audi

• Top crash safety marks add to A4’s segment-leading benefits, including fuel-economy, performance and interior roominess

The redesigned 2009 Audi A4 luxury sport sedan gained further validation of its segment-leading qualities by earning the U.S. government’s highest crashworthiness and rollover safety rating.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the A4 achieved the coveted 5-Star designation based on its performance in the New Car Assessment Program, or NCAP. U.S. law requires all passenger cars to pass a 30 mph frontal crash test and a 33.5 mph side crash test. But the NCAP tests involve crashes that are conducted at 5 mph above the required test speeds providing additional consumer safety information. NHTSA then gives ratings of one star for the worst performers to five stars for the best models, such as the Audi A4.

In a tough economy Audi reports best September sales ever with the most successful models being Audi A4 and A5.

- Global sales increase in September by 12.3 percent
- Double-digit growth rate in Europe and Asia/Pacific
- Vehicle sales records in key western European markets
- Audi’s figures in Germany rise by 20.8 percent
- Board Member for Marketing and Sales Schwarzenbauer:
“We are defying market trends”
- Most successful models: Audi A4 and A5

AUDI AG notched up double-digit growth rates in Europe, Asia/Pacific and America in September. The brand with the four rings increased its worldwide sales figures in September by 12.3 percent to  95,137 vehicles (2007: 84,716). From January through September, Audi sold some 762,280 units – an increase of 2.9 percent (2007: 741,106). In addition, the brand achieved double-digit growth rates not only in new Asia/Pacific markets, but also in Europe. The principal drivers of growth were the new Audi A4 and the A5 sports coupé.

Audi introduced a state-of-the-art fuel-saving technology at the Paris Auto Show to illustrate that efficiency is the way into the future. The A4 TDI concept e technology concept has the agile handling characteristics typical of the A4, but requires just 3.99 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers (58.95 US mpg). This exemplary result was possible through the concentrated use of innovative efficiency modules.

Audi A4 TDI Specs:

Engine

• Two-liter TDI with displacement of 1,968 cc, 88 kW (120 hp) output and 290 Nm (213.89 lb-ft) of torque
• Average consumption only 3.99 liters/100 km (58.95 US mpg), corresponds to 105 grams of CO2/km (168.98 g/mile)
• 0 – 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 10.7 seconds, top speed: 206 km/h
• Intelligently controlled subassemblies and additional new engineering
• Recuperation system for recovering energy when braking

Drivetrain

• Six-speed manual transmission with magnesium housing, adapted gear ratio and insulation all the way around
• Automatic start/stop for switching off the engine when it has come to a standstill

Chassis

• Power steering with highly efficient electro-mechanical drive
• Electrical brake system on the rear axle
• Road-resistance-optimized using 225/50 R17 tires

Body

• Sophisticated aerodynamic fine-tuning with rear trailing edge
  and partially closed single-frame grille, aero-floor and modified ride height

Interior

• Economy training program on the instrument panel display
• Navigation system with calculation of the most fuel-efficient route

A fleet of 23 diesel-powered Audi’s rolled out from Manhattan’s Tavern on the Green at 9am Eastern on Monday morning, on a trans-continental trek to demonstrate diesel efficiency.

Audi plans to launch its fifty-state-legal Q7 TDI in the US market next spring and it seems likely that some of the other vehicles on this trip may not be far behind.

The Audi A1 Sportback, launching at the 2008 Paris Motor Show, is revealed in released details and photos. Based on the three-door Audi A1 project quattro shown in 2007, the Audi A1 Sportback is a five-door, four-seater subcompact.

The Audi A1 Sportback measures just 3.99 meters long (13.09 ft) and 1.75 meters wide (5.74). Power comes from a 1.4L TFSI engine that produces 150-hp with an S-tronic dual-clutch transmission that drives power to the front wheels. A 27-hp electric motor allows for an additional 110 lb-ft of torque when accelerating. Onboard lithium-ion batteries provide power to the electric motor for 62.14 miles of zero emission driving.

0 to 62 mph for the A1 Sportback comes in 7.9 seconds with a top speed of 124.27 mph. Fuel-economy is estimated at 60.31 mpg. Very impressive.

Audi’s midsize class, the S4 and S4 Avant is introduced with a three-liter V6, direct fuel injection, mechanical turbocharging and delivers 333hp. It accelerates the S4 to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in just 5.1 seconds, but on average only uses 9.7 liters of fuel per 100 km (24.25 US mpg). The quattro permanent all-wheel drive system transfers its power to the road in style, which is then converted by the sport suspension into dynamic handling. Upon request, Audi can equip the new S4 and S4 Avant with innovative technologies that further increase their lead over the competition. The seven-speed S tronic changes gears with lightning speed, and the new sport differential distributes the torque as needed between the rear wheels. The new Audi S4 will be unveiled to the public for the first time at the Paris Auto Show from October 2 to 19.

The heart of the new S4 and S4 Avant is a completely redesigned engine. The 3.0 TFSI, the newest member of the Audi V-engine family, is an outstanding example of how the brand with the four rings blends performance and efficiency. The V6 generates its power from a displacement of 2,995 cc, is equipped with a supercharger, and delivers 245 kW (333 hp). The sedan sprints to100 km/h (62.14 mph) in just 5.1 seconds, and the Avant in 5.2 seconds: they both have an electronically governed top speed of 250 km/h (155.34 mph).

The “T” in the 3.0’s TFSI nomenclature no longer merely stands for “turbo”, but rather for the concept of supercharging in general – extensive testing on the big V6 has proven the superiority of mechanical charging. In conjunction with direct injection it is far superior to twin turbochargers, both in terms of packaging and of starting performance and  responsiveness.

The compressor is so compact that it easily fits inside the 90-degree V of the cylinder banks, in place of the intake manifold. Two four-vane rotary pistons counter-rotate inside the turbocharger at up to 23,000 rpm. Two charge-air coolers are integrated into the housing and are connected to a separate coolant circuit. An impressive array of measures keeps the noise generated by the compressor to a minimum.

The engine-driven belt that powers the mechanical charger provides full thrust right from idling speed. The 3.0 TFSI delivers its maximum 440 Nm (324.53 lb-ft) at 2,500 rpm and maintains this constantly until 4,850 rpm. In fourth gear, the vehicle accelerates from 80 to 120 km/h (49.71 to 74.56 mph) in just 4.4 seconds. Thanks to the extremely short gas paths, the sonorous, supercharged V6 responds spontaneously to the throttle, even more so than a naturally aspirated engine of the same displacement.

Furthermore, the new 3.0 TFSI achieves exemplary fuel efficiency. On average, the sedan uses 9.7 liters of fuel per 100 km (24.25 US mpg), and the Avant 9.9 liters per 100 km (23.76 US mpg) – an improvement of 3.4 liters (26 percent) compared with its predecessor. The Audi technology of gasoline direct injection was what made this great efficiency possible in the first place. Unlike conventional concepts, it allows the compressor to be located behind the throttle valve. In view of the low density of the intake air at loads below supercharging level and when coasting, its rotors are free-running and the amount of power required to drive them is low.

Dynamism and efficiency: The new seven-speed S tronic

The V6 power in the new S4 and S4 Avant flows into a six-speed transmission, fitted as standard, which shifts quickly and precisely. As an option, Audi offers a state-of-the-art dual-clutch transmission – the seven-speed S tronic is extremely dynamic and highly efficient. The driver has the option of driving in fully automatic mode or selecting the gears with paddles on the steering wheel or directly with the shift lever – all of which provide impressively quick gearshifts. The gearshift feel is dynamic, comfortable and very precise – typically Audi.

The seven-speed S tronic consists of two separate transmissions and uses two multidisk clutches that control the various gears. The large K1 clutch guides the power via a solid shaft to the pinions for gears 1, 3, 5 and 7. A hollow shaft rotates around the solid shaft; it is connected to the compact K2 clutch, which is integrated within its larger counterpart and controls the pinions for gears 2, 4, 6 and reverse gear.

Both transmission structures are continuously active, but only one is powered at a time by the engine. For example, when the driver accelerates in third gear, the fourth gear is already engaged in the second transmission structure. The shifting process takes place as the clutch changes – K1 opens and K2 closes with lightning speed. This process takes only a few hundredths of a second and is completed without interrupting traction. It is so comfortable and smooth that the driver hardly notices it.

The seven-speed S tronic is designed for maximum efficiency. It operates with very high efficiency and its intelligent control system maximizes fuel economy in automatic mode. With its wide gear ratio spread of 8.0:1 the seven-speed S tronic easily exploits the tremendous power and superior torque of the 3.0 TFSI.

The quattro permanent all-wheel drive system transfers power to the road with
supreme ease. Under regular driving conditions, it sends 40 percent of its
torque to the front wheels and 60 percent to the rear wheels – a slightly rearbiased,
sporty characteristic. Where necessary, it can vary distribution within
fractions of a second.

The quattro drive system ensures safe self-steering characteristics, high stability and excellent traction in comparison with rear-wheel-drive competitors.

The first time we saw the Audi TT Clubsport Quattro a year ago, we thought it was a fantastic take on the bubble-topped drop-top Audi TT. The Clubsport Quattro would shortly make into production and eventually the showroom floor. Now, a year later, the KGP quick-like-a-bunny spy shooters caught the Clubsport Quattro as it’s gone from concept to production prototype. The prototype displays some key changes from the concept seen way-back-when, like bigger, longer and more uncut A-pillars, a windshield that’s sitting a wee-bit taller, larger side-view mirrors and that all-important additional brake light for governmental regulation satisfaction. Oh, and let’s not forget those door handles straight from the Audi TT. Remember those off the concept? Of course you don’t — the concept lacked such silliness as a means of entering the two-door ‘vert. And what about the engine? No clue yet, however the Clubsport concept was powered by an engine derived from the Audi S3, producing 300 horsepower. Whether that engine will be used in this production spin-off is not yet clear. We also don’t know what the model year will end up being, but whether 2010 or 2011, we’re looking forward to this very imaginative re-imagination of Audi’s cute little TT. Full spy report from KGP after the jump.

Audi Shows Off A Pretty Little TT

We just caught the production version of the Audi TT Clubsport Quattro, first seen in concept form at the Essen Motor Show last November. This prototype displays some important changes from the concept that point to clear production intent, like thicker A-pillars, a slightly taller windshield, larger side mirrors, and an additional brake light to satisfy governmental regulations. The prototype caught here also has standard TT door handles, while the concept went without such practicalities.The Clubsport concept was powered by an engine derived from the Audi S3, producing 300 horspower. Whether that engine will be used in this production spin-off is not yet clear.

This sexiest of TTs obviously harkens back to Porsche’s 911 Speedster. Audi’s bold move to advance the concept to this production-ready stage is yet another example of Ingolstadt’s determination to surpass BMW and Mercedes in terms of luxury cache.