Archive for Audi

Audi’s A1 Sportback Concept displayed at the 2008 Paris Motor Show picks up where the Audi metroproject quattro concept left off last year at Tokyo 2008. This time the preview to the upcoming A1 is in a 5-door guise instead of the Tokyo concept’s 3-door body.

Inside the engine bay is a 150 PS version of VW’s 1.4 liter TSI petrol engine with a nice 240Nm of torque between 1,600rpm and 4,000rpm. There is also a 27hp electric motor that can provide an additional 150Nm of twisting power whenever needed.

This motor seems to be smaller than the metroproject quattro’s unit which was capable of 40hp and 200Nm of torque. Also, in the previous concept car, the motor was positioned at the rear axle giving the car all-wheel drive but in this concept the motor is integrated into the drivetrain powering the front wheels together with the combustion engine.

When the Audi drive select is set to the default efficiency mode, the electric motor will be run selectively as the sole power source to minimize the use of the combustion engine. The brain that controls this also communicates with the onboard satnav system. For example, when you key in a journey that will take a distance of less than 50km, only the electric motor will be used.

The lithium-ion batteries that the motor draws its power from can provide enough power for up to a maximum of 100km on a full charge. The car is also a plug-in hybrid - the batteries can be recharged via plugging the car into a regular power outlet. Whenever maximum power is needed, both powerplants can function at once delivering maximum propulsion.

This is also one of the few hybrids which do not use a CVT transmission, instead sending power to the wheels via an S-Tronic dual clutch transmission with a new ESP-controlled active front differential lock.

Something else interesting is the Audi mobile device which has evolved from the mobile control unit that was found in the metroproject quattro. This time, such functionality will be available with any mobile phone that supports a special software you can download from the internet - I assume any J2ME phone would work. The phone would also need wifi support as it communicates with the car through an access point in the car.

The software will allow you to pre-plan your onboard satnav route from the phone while you are still in your home or office. But it won’t work if your office is very far away from the car park though as wifi range is not that far. You can also constantly monitor the status of your car such as whether all windows and doors are closed or not.

Look after the jump for more hi-res shots of the Audi A1 Sportback Concept.

Click here to read the rest of Audi A1 Sportback Concept at Paris 2008

The 2.0 liter TFSI engine in the Audi S3 producing 265 PS at 6,000rpm and 350Nm of torque between 2,500 to 5,000rpm finally gets the 7-speed version of the S-Tronic dual clutch transmission. This means there is now a 7-speed version of the DSG that can take this levels of torque, so it should appear on a Volkswagen (Golf GTI?)soon enough.

The Audi S3 equipped with the S-Tronic gearbox goes from 0 to 100km/h faster than the manual transmission version, and has lower emissions and better fuel economy too. The acceleration time drops by 0.2 seconds to 5.5 seconds, while the combined fuel economy goes from 33.2mpg to 34mpg. CO2 output falls by 5g/km from 198g/km to 183g.km. The S-Tronic gearbox is a £1,450 option over the base S3.

Other upgrades to the new Audi S3 S-Tronic include a quattro all-wheel drive system which responds faster to different traction and front-rear torque bias requirements.

Audi has unveiled initial details and a set of photos of the new B8 Audi S4 in both sedan and Avant bodystyles. As expected, the new S4 loses its V8 power to a 3.0 liter supercharged direct injection V6 engine producing 333 horsepower and 440Nm of torque.

The S4 sedan goes from 0 to 100km/h in 5.1 seconds while the Avant does the same in 5.2 seconds. Fuel consumption is expected to be at about 9.7 liters per 100km for the sedan and 9.9 liters per 100km for the Avant. The 3.0 liter V6 engine is mated to either a 6-speed manual transmission or a 7-speed S-Tronic (DSG) twin clutch gearbox and sends power to all four wheels via a Quattro system with a 40:60 front-rear bias by default.

Styling changes are not excessive, that is perhaps reserved for the B8 RS4. The S4 features a front bumper with a slightly different design and a grille with vertically opposed bars. There are also nice sports seats in the black interior.

Look after the jump for a hi-res gallery of the B8 S4.

Click here to read the rest of B8 Audi S4 Sedan and Avant unveiled!

Audi is really intruding into its owner Porsche’s territory now. Audi Sport is now offering a race-prepared Audi R8 that complies with GT3 race regulations. Because GT3 prohibits all-wheel drive, the Audi R8 GT3 drives the rear wheels only through a newly developed 6-speed sequential gearbox.

The suspension bits are almost a carryover from the available production line parts. The front end is modified for more downforce and on the rear you will find a huge rear wing.

First deliveries will begin in Autumn 2008. Look after the jump for 3 more photos.

Click here to read the rest of Audi Sport now offering Audi R8 GT3 race car

According to Wikipedia, The Transporter writer Luc Besson was originally inspired by BMW’s The Hire series of short films. The movie featured luxury German cars like the E38 BMW 7-Series and the Mercedes-Benz W140 S-Class.

The Transporter 2 featured another German luxury saloon - the Audi A8. You got to see ridiculous unbelievably timed stunts such as the A8 swirling around mid-air to knock off a bomb. The movie also featured a girl that somehow prefers to fight wearing the bare minimum of clothes. Cars and babes, a perfect formula?

For the 3rd installment we’re getting the A8 again and another “two-wheeler” thats in the spirit of today’s high fuel prices. Look after the jump for the trailer.

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Abt Sportsline’s kit for the Audi Q5 gives it an aggressive outward appearance thanks to a new front end with huge air inlets, a quad-tailpipe rear, 20 inch Abt wheels and a lowered stance thanks to the Abt Sportsline suspension, which results in a lower center of gravity.

Power for the 2.0 liter TDI unit is uprated by 20hp to 190hp while the more potent 3.0 liter TDI unit gets a 70hp upgrade to 310hp. The petrol option equipped with the venerable 2.0 TFSI EA888 engine gets upgraded from 211hp to 240hp. To keep up with the additional power, brakes have also been upgraded to 380mm discs.

The entire Audi A6 range has been updated for the 2009 model year, and features the new Audi 3.0 liter supercharged engine for the 3.0T model. Audi sold 234,000 units of the A6 globally in 2007, giving it a 37% market share.

Look after the jump for full details and hi-res photo galleries.

Click here to read the rest of New Audi A6 updated, gets a new TFSI V6

The boys at Ingolstadt have unveiled the sedan version of the Audi RS6. The estate version had already been revealed earlier. Like the estate, the RS6 sedan is powered by a direct injected twin turbocharged 5.0 liter V10 with dry sump lubrication producing 580 horsepower between 6,250rpm to 6,700rpm and 650Nm of torque from 1,500rpm to 6,250rpm thanks to its turbochargers’ 1.6 bar of boost.

The ridiculously wide torque curve ensures you experience the car’s peak torque of 650Nm over virtually every RPM point the engine could ever be in. Once the torque tapers down beyond the 6,250rpm point, you still experience all 580 peak horses all the way to the 6,700rpm redline. This is one truly breathtaking engine even on paper.

Look after the jump for more details of the RS6 Sedan.

Click here to read the rest of Audi RS6 Sedan unveiled: details and photos

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Despite being only just recently introduced, the 1.8 liter EA888 TFSI has been phased out from the Audi A5, and replacing it is a 2.0 liter EA888 TFSI. These days manufacturers usually replace engines with ones with downsized displacement, so this move seems odd. But Audi says the larger displacement engine is better than the smaller engine.

The 2.0 liter engine produces more power and peaks earlier (180 PS at 4,000rpm versus the 1.8 liter’s 170 PS at 4,800rpm), is less polluting (154g/km CO2 versus the smaller engine’s 169g/km) and is more fuel economical (42.8mpg versus 39.8mpg). Peak torque is higher too - 320Nm between 1,500rpm and 3,900rpm versus 250Nm.

This 180 PS 2.0 TFSI slots in below another existing more powerful 2.0 TFSI model featuring Audi Valvelift and a higher 211 PS power output.

Now the question remains whether the A4 will receive a similiar upgrade. The A4 1.8 TFSI using the same engine that was replaced in the A5 has only just been introduced in our local market. Look out for a test drive report soon.

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Some have commented that the B8 Audi A4 that was launched here in Malaysia recently looks good from the front especially with those LED driving lights, but a little bland on the rear in comparison. One way to spice up its looks is a bodykit, and here is one from tuner Caractere. This kit is purely an aesthetics-based kit and it gives the rear of the A4 a diffuser-style rear bumper with integrated exhaust tailpipes.

Look after the jump for a front view.

Click here to read the rest of B8 Audi A4 bodykit styled by Caractere