Archive for the ‘Audi’ Category
July 25th, 2010 | 
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The 2011 Audi A7 is scheduled to be unveiled tomorrow, but as is the case with the Internet these days, you can always count on something being leaked in advance of the big day.
And so, here we are, a few days before the new A7 Sportback’s official debut and leaked photos of the car are already proliferating the Web. Can’t say we’re surprised. While we weren’t all that surprised with how the new A7 looks like given that it took a few styling cues from the A7 Sportback concept that we all saw at the 2009 North American Auto Show, there are still elements of the car that have been tweaked to give it an original look.
Among the notable features of the car – and something that’s becoming a staple among Audis these days – includes a new and aggressive bumper, unmistakable Audi LED headlights, and a single block grille. Meanwhile, the interior of the 2011 A7 Sportback comes with a pop-up navigation system, wooden trims – including those on the dashboard – posh leather upholstery, redesigned doorpads, and a slightly tweaked center console that gives the A7 an infused look of luxury and comfort.
In any event, the new A7 Sportback will make its official debut tomorrow so people won’t have to wait long to see Audi’s new luxury baby in the flesh.
Photos of Audi A7 Leaked In Advance Of Public Unveiling originally appeared on topspeed.com on Sunday, 25 July 2010 23:00 EST.
Recently the new Audi R8 E-tron competed in the Silvretta E-Auto Rally Montafon 2010. The electric R8 was driven along the 104 route through the Austrian state of Vorarlberg by Michael Dick, member of the Board of Management of AUDI AG for Technical Development, and factory driver Lukas Luhr. The result? A double victory in the inaugural “Silvretta E-Auto Rally Montafon 2010″ and 13th in the “Silvretta Classic Montafon”. The car was tested in ten different mountain, valley, and timed special stages. IN order to see what the vehicle was capable of doing, you have to watch the video.
The Audi R8 E-tron is powered by four motors – two each on the front and rear axles, that delivers a total of 313 HP and 4,500 Nm of torque. It accelerates from 0 to 62 mph in 4.8 seconds and can hit a top speed of 124.27 mph.
Video: Audi R8 E-tron at Silvretta originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 21 July 2010 15:00 EST.
The 2011 Audi A7 has been a long time coming. And now, the new Sportback is inching closer to its highly anticipated world debut.
According to the Ingolstadt-based manufacturer, the Audi A7 is going to be revealed at a special event on July 26, 2010 at the Pinakothek der Moderne München, a modern art museum located at the heart of Munich, Germany.
The Ingolstadt-based automobile manufacturer did not release any more details on the car, but the wait will only be for few more days so it shouldn’t be all that excruciating. Despite the limited details, it’s been widely expected that the new A7 will bear striking similarities to a previous concept – the 2009 Sportback Concept – that Audi released in the past.
Following its unveiling in Germany next week, the new A7 Sportback is scheduled to make its public debut at the Paris Motor Show in Paris, France in a few month’s time in September.
2011 Audi A7 Sportback to be unveiled next week originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 20 July 2010 10:00 EST.
Maybe it’s just us, but our fascination for sports athletes and the cars that they drive is a real sickness, bordering even on downright fanaticism. While we profess to be fans of these athletes and whatever sport they excel in, it’s hard not to get caught up in the fancy rides that they buy from the piles of money they receive when playing their respective sports.
This particular scoop photo was taken by a forum member from CorrieraDellaSera.it – noggin knock to you, Mr. SabraSport – featuring Inter FC striker Mario Balottelli and his jaw-dropping matte black Audi R8 V10.
Okay, given that this 20-year old soccer stud plays for Serie A in Italy, we’re going to excuse you for not being familiar with the dude. But even if you don’t know him, the car he drives certainly needs no introduction. And add that to the fact that it’s dressed in a matte black finish and has unique black/yellow rims with matching brake calipers and you have a car that’s going to make heads turn no matter who’s sitting behind the wheel.
Inter FC soccer star Mario Balottelli has one awesome matte black Audi R8 V10 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 19 July 2010 10:00 EST.
What’s better than a small, fast, and fun to drive car? Maybe riding in the space shuttle, but that’s about it. When one thinks of fast performance cars that are small and fun around the bends, one thinks of Germany, and when you think of Germany, you think of BMW and Audi.
BMW’s M-Division is one of the best, if not the best performance tuning company in the world. They have created so many masterpieces, such as the M3, M5, and M6. Each one of those cars are a thrill to take for a drive and they have the ability to make the most dull daily commute exciting.
Now, the M-Division is at it again with the 1-Series. We have never been huge fans of the 1-Series, as it has never looked that great to us and it’s very cramped inside. Not to mention the car is pretty pricey. Yet, slap an M badge on it and it doesn’t matter how ugly it is, it’s going to be a great little vehicle.
The same can be said with the Audi A3. It’s better looking than the 1-Series, but it’s still not a car that we would recommend. That being said, the RS3 is something that we would go out and buy tomorrow.
Nether one of these has been released to the public yet, but that won’t stop us from doing a small comparison test now will it.
Hit the jump to read one.
Preview Comparison: Audi RS3 vs. BMW M1 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Saturday, 17 July 2010 12:00 EST.
The German tuner, MTM, has created the most powerful street legal Audi R8 ever. Recently the sportscar showed what it could do on a race track.
The MTM R8 GT3-2 is powered by a 4.2 FSI engine delivering a total of 560 HP (up from a standard 420 HP) at 7.750 RPM and a torque of 580 Nm at 5.500 RPM all to the rear wheels. The sprint from 0 to 60 mph is made in 3.9 seconds, while top speed goes up to 196 mph.
The R8 GT3-2 gets 20″ wheels, a carbon fiber front spoiler, side skirt, and rear wing which add to the car’s sporty look. The carbon fiber front spoiler elongates the front of the car giving it a meaner look which is ironic considering there is no power to the front of the car.
Video: MTM R8 GT3-2 on the circuit originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 16 July 2010 22:00 EST.
By launching a snazzy, new website – nevermind that it’s in Dutch – Audi is putting the world on notice. The 2011 Audi A7 Sportback is finally coming at the end of the month and, if you’re one of those that have expressed a remote interest in the new A7, then here’s your chance to register on the site to be able to access more information on both the car and the brand.
From what we know, the 2011 Audi A7 Sportback will come with a number of powertrain variants, including a 3.0-liter direct-injection fuel engine, a turbocharged V8 fuel engine, and a similar V8 that comes with a turbo diesel engine. All three variants will come with a seven-speed dual clutch automatic gearbox and all-wheel drive with an exhaust that comes with dual or quad tailpipes.
While the car will be officially introduced at the end of the month, it’s actual official debut will be at the Auto Salon Moscow in the latter part of August. A few months after that, the new A7 Sportback will hit dealerships, at which point, there should be a mad rush from customers looking to scoop up a unit before anybody else does.
Audi to introduce new A7 Sportback at the end of July originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 13 July 2010 18:00 EST.
Rahul Patel bares the distinction as one of the few men in the US to strike gold in the lottery. This time last year – June 29,2009, to be exact – Patel parlayed a $1 Powerball lottery ticket into $25 million and with his new-found wealth, proceeded to purchase himself a nice, spanking new Audi R8 about a week ago.
According to a number of reports, Patel was in the northbound side of Merritt Parkway somewhere between exits 46 and 47 when the R8’s engine inexplicably began smoking, causing the lottery winner to pull over on the shoulder to check up on his new toy. As soon as he stopped to check, flames suddenly burst out of the Audi R8’s engine as Patel haplessly watched his new Audi supercar be barbecued by the ensuing fire. The result, as you can imagine, was a complete loss with Patel left wondering if his luck had finally ran out.
We feel bad for him for losing such a beautiful car after only purchasing it a week earlier, but on the other hand, it’s hard to empathize with the dude because he can probably afford a few more of these R8’s with the money he scooped up a year ago. That is, unless, he hasn’t burned through the winnings too.
Lottery winner’s week-old Audi R8 burns down on the highway originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 13 July 2010 15:00 EST.
We have all seen our fair share of matte black and pink wraps lately. Of course, those colors seem to be pretty ordinary when pinned up against the latest wrap craze. What’s hotter than a matte black wrap? Well, to some owners, it would be the rich color of gold. The last sports car featuring this new trend was the Audi R8 spotted in Moscow, Russia. Maybe the gold wrapping is no longer as unique as it once was considering we have seen plenty of cars with a golden touch. Until now we have seen a golden Ferrari Enzo, a golden Bugatti Veyron and a golden Ferrari 599 GTB by Hamann. We just hope that people will not believe the wrap to be real gold so the Audi R8 doesn’t see the same fate as did a golden Porsche that was stolen last year in Moscow.
The Audi R8 features a mid-mounted V8 FSI engine, quattro permanent four-wheel drive, and Audi Space Frame aluminum body. The engine delivers a total of 420 HP and sprints the car from 0 to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds and can hit a top speed of 187 mph.
Golden Audi R8 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 12 July 2010 23:00 EST.
Audi announced that the current generation RS6 will go out of production at the end of the third quarter. Clients who will want to buy a new RS6 will have to wait a couple of years. Audi will first unveil the next A6 next year, most likely at the Geneva Motor Show. The next RS6 will follow shortly.
The current generation Audi RS6 is powered by a twin-turbo V10 engine that delivers 580 hp and a peak torque of 650 Nm. However for the next RS6 Audi will drop the V10 engine in favor of a twin-turbo V8 engine with an output between 550 and 600 HP.
The next generation Audi A6 will be made from a multi-material space frame that combines different metals wherever they are most favorable as far as structural rigidity and impact protection. The added benefits are improved handling, increased fuel economy, and lower emissions. The exterior of the future A6 will be inspired by the smaller and sportier all-new Audi TT. The vehicle will be predominantly made up of aluminum, but there will be steel and foam reinforcements wherever necessary. In addition, Audi is developing an all-new lightweight front and rear sub-frames which allow for increased strengthening around the integral parts of the lightweight chassis that tie it together.
Current Audi RS6 out of production originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 12 July 2010 22:00 EST.
We guess that there’s no doubt which team this Audi R8 owner has been rooting for during the FIFA World Cup. And even if the Oracle of Oberhausen (an octopus by the way) predicted that Spain will win the Cup and Spain has already beaten Germany in the semifinals, this guy seems to be keeping his fanaticism rooted in Germany. The car even displays 2010 as a winning year for Germany along with their previous wins in 1954, 1974, and 1990. This guy has to live with his incorrect assumptions until his next trip to the shop!
However, leaving that aside, you have to admit the car looks quite impressive! The black, red, and yellow combination look quite good and the black rims complete the package in a sleek, finished way! Passion is a strange thing; it can lead to some pretty unique and cool designs.
Thanks to reader “common sense” for correcting our FIFA finalists!
Audi R8 for soccer fans originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 9 July 2010 22:00 EST.
Remember a few months ago when we announced Audi would be holding a contest called the “Stark Expo & Audi Present: The Tony Stark Innovation Challenge?” Well, the winner of that contest has been chosen and it is an MIT Graduate Student by the name of Natan Linder.
The “Tony Stark Innovation Challenge” was thought up to persuade individuals to come up with ideas to create better living through the use of technology. Contestants had to submit a two minute video outlining their idea and then get as many people as they could to rate, comment, and discuss their video through the use of Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and any other social media.
Natan Linder was chosen for his invention, the LuminAR. The LuminAR is a digital bulb with built-in Internet technology that can project web content onto any surface. The web content is displayed by the use of an extending robotic lamp arm.
“There is a transformation that happens from what you see in movies and how you perceive robotics. They eventually become things that we use everyday,” said Linder. “This is the idea that really drew me to the contest because—aside from being a fan of Iron Man—it represents a vision that I feel really connected to.”
Linder will receive $15,000 to develop his invention in addition to many other awesome prizes including a four-day trip for two to California including air transportation, hotel, and meals and a day at the Audi Sports Car Experience to drive Tony Stark’s favorite car, the Audi R8 on a racetrack.
Check out the press release with the full list of prizes after the jump.
Audi Picks Winner of ‘The Tony Stark Innovation Challenge’ originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 9 July 2010 15:00 EST.
How’s this for awkward?
A customized Audi S5 Coupe popped up on eBay recently with a host of upgrades making it a pretty desirable ride, even at a price of just over $61,000 – it’s $61,465 in case you’re as interested as we are.
Now, in spite of all the tunings this particular S5 Coupe received, what really struck us was what color it came in, or rather what the color description was used to name it.
“Porsche Lime Green?”
If that’s not an ode to one of Audi’s fiercest competitors, I don’t know what is. Apparently, the owner of this S5 personally ordered this paint finish at a price of $2,500 and, while we think that the color isn’t that particularly bad, the lime green exterior/orange interior combination doesn’t catch our eye the way it’s supposed to. And using a paint finish named after a competitor certainly doesn’t cast a vote of confidence from us.
But hey, to each his own, right? After all, colors – and the subsequent names of these colors – notwithstanding, this tuned-up Audi S5 Coupe is still one fine piece of road machinery.
Audi S5 Coupe being sold on eBay with "Porsche Lime Green" exterior originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 9 July 2010 12:00 EST.
Audi has entered the new R8 E-tron in the Silvretta E-Auto Rally Montafon 2010. The electric R8 will be driven along the 104 route through the Austrian state of Vorarlberg by Michael Dick, member of the Board of Management of AUDI AG for Technical Development, and factory driver Lukas Luhr.
“We already received very good feedback on the Audi R8 e-tron in Le Mans,” says Michael Dick, Member of the Board of Management of AUDI AG for Technical Development. “In Montafon, the e-tron will put its potential to the test in ten different mountain, valley and timed special stages. This is a good opportunity to showcase Audi’s integrated approach and to experience the fascination of electromobility in a sports car on the road.”
The Audi R8 E-tron is powered by four motors – two each on the front and rear axles, that delivers a total of 313 HP and 4,500 Nm of torque. It accelerates from 0 to 62 mph in 4.8 seconds and can hit a top speed of 124.27 mph.
Press release after the jump.
Audi R8 E-tron in "Silvretta E-Auto Rally Montafon 2010" originally appeared on topspeed.com on Friday, 9 July 2010 09:00 EST.
ABT Sports has announced that they have already started to prepare a tuning package for the new Audi A1. The new ABT A1 will make its world debut on July 28th, 2010.
ABT announced that the new kit will include ABT POWER for the engines of the A1, new suspension components, dynamic aluminum wheels, and other sports accessories. Brochures, an online configurator, fact sheets with technical data, and much more will be revealed in August, the month of the ABT A1.
The tuner will offer three different designs for the fans to choose from. The fan’s choice will be the one that walks away with a victory and a plan of action.
It will be interesting to see the adjustments that ABT makes on the long awaited Audi A1. The A1 already has a fresh design that was inspired by airplanes with a choice of four engines ranging from 111 MPH to 124 MPH. A sleek looking car, no doubt, but it looks like it is going to get a lot sleeker after ABT has their way with it. We look forward to seeing the final project and will keep you posted as soon as the three choices are revealed!
Press release after the jump.
ABT prepares tuning package for Audi A1 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 8 July 2010 20:00 EST.
On paper, Audi’s new Direct Reception Initiative looks like a solid idea. But apart from letting customers in on what Audi employees are doing to their cars when it’s being serviced, we really don’t know what it accomplishes.
Just to give a brief background, Audi announced that they would be implementing a new service and repair process that would require dealership employees to wear a two-way radio and pin an ‘Audi Cam’ on their overalls. The whole purpose behind this is to allow customers who bring their cars for service to watch and listen to the entire proceedings through a live feed that’s patched from a waiting room.
The idea is to make the customers as involved with the whole process as they can by asking questions about what’s going on and what needs to be done to their cars. Apparently, Audi didn’t think that having nosy owners who know next to nothing about cars asking questions in rapid succession wouldn’t be the least bit inconvenient to all of its employees. But hey, it’s their program. Who are we to object, right?
And besides, if you listen to Jeremy Hicks, Audi’s UK director, and try to understand why their doing this, there just might be something there that makes sense, albeit just a little. "Service departments throughout the industry are often accused of baffling customers with science - by offering our full exposure to the work undertaken on their cars, and the ability to talk through that work with the technician involved, our aim is to demystify the process as fully as possible.”
That’s right. He said ‘demystify’. All well and good from the customer’s perspective, but we’re not quite sure how this translates to improving productivity for their own employees.
Press Release after the jump
Audi introduces new Direct Reception Initiative program originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 6 July 2010 11:18 EST.
It’s a daunting question to ask, but one that should be laid out nonetheless. What do you do when you have an empty airstrip, a ton of rolling video cameras, ALMS driver Nathan Swartzbaugh at your disposal, and an Audi R8 5.2 FSI waiting to be unleashed?
Okay, the answer isn’t that difficult given that it’s pretty obvious what you would do. Roll the cameras, get Swartzbaugh behind the wheel of the R8, and say, “go!”
Granted, the whole process of piecing together a 30-second spot of a supercar blasting along an airstrip takes more than a few hours; actually, it’s closer to an entire day, which is how long it took the folks over at WebRidesTV to shoot this footage. It’s not as easy as it looks either. The preparation, the shooting, and the production work is enough hard work to make the heads of those who know nothing about production spin faster than a jacked-up carousel.
But that’s why we have these guys to thank. They do all the hard work and all we have to do is wait for the final product and watch it as soon as it’s done. Not all that difficult, is it?
Video: Audi R8 V10 goes loose at the El Toro Marine Base airstrip originally appeared on topspeed.com on Sunday, 4 July 2010 12:00 EST.
Audi’s got its sights set on becoming the world’s number one luxury automaker and, if you’re one to have faith in Audi CEO Rupert Stadler, that scenario may come sooner rather than later.
In an interview with Automotive News, Stadler made it poignantly clear that Audi is fast on the heels of BMW and, in a few years time, the Ingolstadt-based automaker will supplant its local rivals on top of the luxury car hierarchy.
“Our target is to become the leading premium brand in the world,” he said. “It won’t happen in 2010. It won’t happen in 2011. But it will definitely happen.”
Stadler’s words aren’t made by a CEO that’s doing more barking than biting; he’s got the facts to back it up too. So far, Audi sales in 2010 compared to the same time frame last year are already 20% higher, having already sold 450,000 vehicles this year alone. Sales in America for Audi vehicles have also spiked by 30% from its 2009 numbers, and that’s not even counting the 200,000 or so vehicles that could find is way to China before the end of the year.
Add those numbers to an overwhelming interest in the brand’s much-hyped A1 premium compact and the impending release of a perennial hot-seller – the Audi A7 – as well as a new Q3 next year, and it doesn’t seem to be far-fetched to think that now Audi may be gearing itself up to overtaking BMW in the near future.
Audi has plans on becoming largest luxury automaker in the world originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 1 July 2010 10:00 EST.
Audi has a grudge against Mini. The German company isn’t going to let the BMW-run small car manufacturer hog the premium crossover segment with its new Countryman. Audi is fighting back with a vehicle of their own.
Audi is reportedly working on an Allroad version of the A1. The A1 three-door hatchback goes on sale this year with the five-door coming in 2011. The crossover variant could be here as early as 2013 and it could even get Audi’s all-wheel drive system. Granted, this is all just speculation.
Volkswagen is reportedly working on an all-wheel drive system for the CrossPolo and, considering the two little vehicles share platforms, it would be easy to assume that the A1 will get that system as well. Not to mention Audi’s love for the all-wheel drive Quattro system.
We shouldn’t expect to see the A1 Allroad anytime soon, but we can expect that both two-wheel and all-wheel drive versions will be made. We look forward to testing the base A1 and should have a review some time this year.
Audi considering A1 AllRoad originally appeared on topspeed.com on Wednesday, 30 June 2010 23:00 EST.
Posted in Audi, Audi A1, Sports Utility / 4x4, USA, crossover, future cars, rumors | 
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If we’re to believe Rupert Stadler, Audi’s big boss, then it should be worth pointing out that the man has all, but confirmed the following: Audi’s new hatchback wondercar, the A1, is going to receive a hardcore S1 off-shoot. That’s right; straight out of the horse’s mouth.
According to Stadler, “Sportiness is a core value for the Audi brand and we have some clear ideas for the A1 in this direction.”
Despite the statement, Stadler doesn’t go into detail as to what exactly constitutes to a "sportier" A1, but if you can read between the lines, then it’s pretty easy to surmise that Mr. Audi Big Boss himself is referring to a little hatchback similar to the A1 that could carry a 1.4-liter twin-charger engine that’s capable of producing about 180bhp and will likewise be mated to a seven-speed DSG box.
And as far as ’close to a sure thing’ is concerned, that little hatchback is looking more and more likely to be the new Audi S1.
Audi boss confirms future S1 model originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 29 June 2010 12:00 EST.
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