- Filed under: Coupes, Sports/GTs, Etc., Japan, Marketing/Advertising, Supercars, Audi, Lifestyle
The Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong bought 13 Rolls-Royce Phantoms for shuttling guests around the city. The Peninsula Hotel in Tokyo has purchased just one car, and will leave the guest to drive himself. That car is an R8, finished in the hotel's trademark Brewster Green, with a gold Peninsula logo outside, and cognac leather inside. To avail yourself of it -- once you've gotten to Tokyo -- you'll need to book the Peninsula Suite, which goes for the ho-hum figure of ¥850,000 per night. That $8,000 U.S. every day to burble at single-digit speeds in Tokyo traffic, although you are allowed to take it outside of Tokyo. Come to think of it, the speeds probably don't matter -- if you have that kind of money, there's a good chance you've got an R8 or better in your own garage already...
[Source: Asahi via German Car Blog]
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- Filed under: Motorsports, Audi
click the R10 for a high res gallery from the Detroit race
The only real question in the P1 class of the American Le Mans Series this year was which Audi driver pairing would capture the championship. Audi only faced one actual challenger all season long in the LMP1 class from the Intersport Racing team, and they weren't really in the same class, if you know what we mean. Going into this past weekend's Detroit Sports Car Challenge, the pairing of Lucas Luhr and Marco Werner were leading their teammates Marcel Fässler and Emanuele Pirro with an opportunity to clinch the drivers' championship. Some mishaps for the Luhr/Werner team early on, however, suggested the battle would go on until at least the Petit Le Mans next month. Luhr hit a tire wall hard on lap 13 and Fässler went on to cross the finish line third behind a pair of Acuras in the LMP2 class. But the Fässler/Pirro car was disqualified after the race for being underweight, leaving the LMP1 drivers' title to Luhr and Werner. Hopefully the entry of Acura and Corsa Motorsports' hybrid racer in the LMP1 class for 2009 will give Audi a real challenge. If only we could convince Peugeot to run the full ALMS schedule with its diesel-powered 908s, LMP1 would be as much fun as the P2 and GT classes.
Photos Copyright (C)2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: Audi]Continue reading Audi's Luhr/Werner clinch ALMS LMP1 class championship
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- Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Euro, Audi, UK
Click above for a gallery of David Sutton's rally car collection
In the eighties, the late David Sutton owned the company that prepared rally cars for Audi UK. It turns out he was collecting cars at the same time as he was preparing them, and putting them in his Historic Motors Ltd museum. The assortment includes seven Audis, some of which are Group B monsters, as well as an RS200 Cosworth, a couple of Lancias, a 1944 Volvo, and even a Skoda. Now the lot's being sold, 22 cars in all, through Morris & Welford. It's the kind of collection that, even if you had the time, money, and connections, would probably take you years to assemble individually. But you can have it all, right now... if you have what is likely to be an enormous sum of cash. Check out the other items on offer in the gallery below.
[Source: Motive Magazine]
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- Filed under: Motorsports, Acura, Aston Martin, Audi, Chevrolet
Click the C6.R for a high-res gallery from the race
As part of the revival of the Detroit Grand Prix at Belle Isle last year, the Detroit Sports Car Challenge was added as the highlight of Saturday's activities. The sports car race is back this year as the ninth round of the American Le Mans Series. For those who have never checked out an ALMS race, it's one of the best and most exciting forms of motorsport anywhere. Highcroft Racing's Acura ARX-01B captured the pole and led much of the first half of the race ahead of the De Ferran Racing Acura. If you TiVoed the race and don't want to ruin the surprise, you can just check out the gallery and come back later to see the full results after the jump. Otherwise, you know what to do.
Photos Copyright (C)2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.Continue reading Detroit Grand Prix 08: The Detroit Sports Car Challenge (Spoiler Alert)
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- Filed under: Coupes, Audi, Volkswagen, Rumormill
Over the past week, CAR has donned its prognostication cap and tapped it's "internal sources" in an attempt to foretell Audi's future product plans. A few of stories have ranged from inane to insane, but one post seems entirely plausible and has blinded us with excitement.
Audi's mid-engine R4 was pronounced stillborn this past year, but with Volkswagen bringing its own midship concept to the Los Angeles Auto Show this November, Audi might revive plans its own version to market in the next five years. The new R3 would effectively replace the TT, providing a better business case for VAG to produce a mid-engine platform and silencing critics that have constantly complained that the TT is merely a tarted up Golf.
If the Volkswagen version is well received and given the green light, expect it to debut in 2013, with Audi's variant following shortly thereafter. In an attempt to keep from directly competing with the Porsche Boxster, Audi will exclusively offer the R3 with four-cylinder engines, including a 180 hp, 1.8-liter TFSI, 220 hp, 2.0-liter and a 280 hp, 2.0-liter on the S-line model. Diesels are also being considered, ranging from a 125 hp, 1.6.-liter to a 204 hp, 2.0-liter.
[Source: CAR]
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- Filed under: Gadgets, Tech, Audi
This is the kind of computerized world we can get behind -- not the kind that drives for you whether you like it or not, but the one that allows you to do your human thing even better. Futuremark has created a concept instrument and dash cluster for Audi that is rendered entirely in 3D graphics. In the Nissan GT-R, you can change the center console screen to show or highlight the gauges you want. With Futuremark's dashboard, you can create any kind of dashboard layout, color scheme, gauge look... you name it... that you want.
Using its Open GL ES engine (that's Open Graphics Library for Embedded Systems) for the API (that's Application Program Interface), Futuremark wants to show what's coming -- or at least, what's possible -- for in-car information and entertainment systems. We're not really worried about the acronyms; as far as we're concerned, we're talking about the tweakability of video games brought to life in hot cars. Amen to that. The system will be on display at the NVISION in San Jose. Follow the jump for the full press release, and a word for Audi: yes.
[Source: Crunchgear]Continue reading Futuremark designs new concept dash for Audi
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- Filed under: Convertibles, Sedans/Saloons, Audi, Rendered Speculation
The blokes at Car say they've got the scoop on the upcoming Audi A7, including a convertible version depicted in the rendering on the right. Power is rumored to start with six cylinders across the range, with a V10-powered S7 and a twin-turbo V10-motivated RS7. Expect a variety of transmissions to be on offer as well, including manuals, automatics and dual-clutch gearboxes with six or seven speeds, along with the availability of quattro all-wheel-drive.
Sources have suggested that, while Audi will be behind the game in bringing a four-door coupe in the Mercedes CLS mold to market in the first half of 2010, it's got another segment-busting trick up it's sleeve: a full four-door convertible. And according to Car's illustrators, the A7 cabrio will feature a full retractable hard-top. Many have toyed with the idea of a four-door convertible - most recently arch-rival Mercedes with the Ocean Drive concept from Detroit '07 - but Audi may be the ones to actually revive the long-lost segment. Parade detail, here we come.
[Source: Car]
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- Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Audi
Automakers have been fleeing main-stream media faster than most new reality shows get pulled from prime-time programming. There are many reasons for the move away from big dollar media, including decreased TV viewers and online ads soaking up some of the budget, but perhaps the biggest reason is that cash isn't spewing out of SUV tailpipes any more.
Audi is one company that isn't high-tailing it out of the high rent district. The German automaker won't be cutting its 2008 ad budget, and instead, will be pumping more money into big-ticket campaigns. You'll see Audi touting the A4 at events like the Academy Awards and Sunday Night Football, along with its recent spots during the Olympics and last year's Super Bowl. Audi's goal is to bust misconceptions that it is a near-luxury brand by selling its cars as bigger, faster, and more efficient than the competition.
Audi is in a huge hurry go expand to 1.5m global sales per year by 2015, and it has no intentions of letting something like a massive auto market downturn get in the way of its goals. To reach that goal, Audi will have to fare better in North America, and great products alone won't cut it if the word never gets out.
[Source: Ad Age]
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- Filed under: Gadgets, Etc., Audi
Audi feels that its customer base is smart, sophisticated and tech-savvy, which is why it should love a well designed game for the iPhone that features the 2009 Audi A4. Note the well-designed bit, because that's key. Audi had Denver's Factory Design Labs whip up a driving game that uses the iPhone's accelerometer as a way to steer the new 2009 A4 through slalom courses. The German automaker boasts that development took just two weeks, though after trying the free download ourselves, we think Audi might want to keep that quiet. Game development normally takes much longer - think years - so the two-week gestation of the "Audi A4 Challenge" is rather apparent. In a word: craptacular.
The top-down graphics are boring, and controlling the vehicle might unintentionally accelerate the iPhone right out of your hands. Adding further frustration is speed control that's got two extremes; the scale equivalent of 35 mph, or stopped. While the game is free, it's not worth the time you'll waste. Perhaps they should let the MMI guys have a crack at it? Press release after the jump
Gallery: Audi A4 Challenge
[Source: Audi]Continue reading Painful Play: Audi develops free A4 racing game for iPhone
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- Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Wagons/Estates, Audi
Click the image above for more renderings of the Seat Exeo
VW subsidiary Seat is, like The Jeffersons, movin' on up, rolling out a new range of vehicles that will push it into new market segments. The image above is one of a set of the automaker's Exeo sedan given to the trademark office in Spain. According to the company, "the new name stems from the Latin word 'Exire', meaning "to go beyond", "to go further", and "The name Exeo is advanced, forceful and technological, which signals excellence and is highly suggestive of driving pleasure." Ok...
Instead of creating something completely new to chart these unknown waters, Seat has taken a previous gen Audi A4 and given it front and rear clips in the Seat style. Seat will also use the A4 Avant body to create an Exeo wagon. The newish sedan is meant to compete with the Ford Mondeo, Renault Laguna, and Alfa Romeo 159 and will be launched some time next year as a 2010 model. It is expected to retail for £15,000 to £23,000 in the U.K. and we don't yet know which powerplants it will receive.
[Source: Autocar]
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- Filed under: Motorsports, Sports/GTs, Euro, Audi
Click above for a hi-res gallery of the Audi R8 GT3 car
The courtship between Audi and GT3-class racing teams has officially begun with the automaker's announcement that it has developed a GT3 version of the R8 sports car dubbed "R16" internally by its project overlords at Audi Sport . The rear-drive racer (GT3 regulations prohibit AWD) features a six-speed sequential gearbox, mostly production-spec suspension components, plus an updated front end and a large rear wing designed to keep it planted to the tarmac. No additional tech specs have been revealed at this time. Factory driver Frank Biela was at the wheel for the prototype's roll-out, and customer deliveries are expected to take place next fall. Look for the car to see wheel-to-wheel action against the likes of the Aston Martin DBRS9 and Jaguar XKR GT3 during the 2009 European racing season. We patiently await its inclusion in a future Gran Turismo update so that we can try it out, too.
[Source: Audi]Continue reading Audi develops R8 GT3 racer
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- Filed under: Spy Photos, Sports/GTs, Audi
Between the TT and the R8, Audi makes some pretty enticing sports cars. But there's a huge gap in the middle there, and the latest spy shots show a new derivative coming up to close the gap. Tentatively known as the TT-RS, the adrenaline-snorting top-shelf version of the stylish little Audi is expected to pack 350 horsepower thanks to a pair of sequential turbochargers driving all fours via a six-speed manual.
The undisguised bodywork on the test vehicle - spied undergoing hot weather testing in Arizona - looks suitably aggressive, while the output should close the distance between the 272-hp TT-S and the 420-hp R8, as well as compete directly with the 295-hp Porsche Cayman S. We don't have a launch date for the TT-RS confirmed yet, but the super-coupe looks just about ready judging from the spy shots, leaving us to wonder if we might see it as early as the Paris Motor Show in a month and a half.
[Source: World Car Fans]
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- Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Audi, Misc. Auto Shows
Click above for a high-res gallery of the Audi RS6 sedan.
All right. Now we're torn. RS6 Avant or RS6 sedan? Both are packing the same twin-turbocharged, direct-injected 5.0-liter V10 putting out 580 hp and 479 lb.-ft. of torque. Both send power to all four wheels through a six-speed tiptronic tranny and both can be equipped with absolutely massive 420mm (front) and 356mm (rear) ceramic brakes. While it's hard to deny the practicality of the wagon, we think the sedan comes across as more elegant - in a brutally Teutonic way. The voting will commence in the comments and check the gallery below for a plenty of high-res images from the show floor.
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- Filed under: Coupes, Sports/GTs, Videos, Supercars, Audi
Midnight Club: LA is on its way, and the developers at Rockstar Games just released a new video of an Audi R8 doing its thing through the concrete jungle. The name of the game: arcade. Or better names might be 'free-for-all' and 'pedestrians, watch out!' It's cut like an MTV video, so it's hard to get a feel for the flow of the action, but all you need to know is that there'll be plenty of it -- action, that is. And if nothing else, it does seem to accurately depict how actual R8 drivers tend to pilot their cars... Follow the jump for the video.
[Source: Rockstar]Continue reading VIDEO: Audi R8 puts angels in danger in Midnight Club: LA
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- Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupes, Audi
It's not often that an automaker invites the press to drive a developmental test mule, but that's just about what happened recently at the Ricardo test circuit in Valencia, Spain, where Audi brought out four examples of what's being called an S5 Evo for select members of the automotive press to sample.
While Audi is expected to unveil the new RS5 in March at the Geneva Motor Show, speculation has been running rampant as to what will be packed underneath the hood, with a turbocharged version and a V10 being touted as strong possibilities. The S5 Evo, however, was being driven by a tuned version of the S5's 4.2-liter V8 with 420 hp - instead of the standard 354 - that drove all fours through Audi's new S-Tronic twin-clutch gearbox. Whether his model will ever see the light of day remains to be seen, but could depend partially on public feedback. So what do you think, does an S5 Evo have a place in the Audi line-up between the existing S5 and the upcoming RS5? Leave your thoughts in the comments.
[Source: InfoMotori via Auto Unleashed]
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Archive for the 'AUDI' Category
Thursday, March 29th, 2007
The Audi S5 is a unique competitor among high-performance coupes, thanks to its combination of V8 FSI technology and quattro permanent four-wheel drive. The eight-cylinder engine with its superb power delivery has worthy counterparts in the specially tuned sports suspension and high-performance brakes. Subtle, but clear design elements inside and out serve to distinguish this coupe as a high performance athlete in a league of its own. The Audi S5 goes on sale with the launch of the Audi A5 series.
Engine and running gear: Fascination no figures can express
The figures alone are fascinating enough, but they only hint at the impressive driving experience the S5 offers. The eight-cylinder engine has a rated power output of 260 kW (354 bhp). Its peak torque is 440 Nm, which it already delivers at 3,500 rpm. Within just 5.1 seconds the Audi S5 can sprint to 100 km/h. But no figures can adequately describe the supreme free-revving character, the spontaneous response, the continuous power build-up, or the thrilling sound of this eight-cylinder engine. The V8 naturally derives its enormous power potential from the innovative FSI direct injection technology with high compression and optimum fuel mixture formation.
The six-speed manual gearbox with its very precise guiding of the gear lever and short throw action makes every gear change a pleasure. The quattro permanent four-wheel drive of course provides perfect traction with variable torque distribution from its basic setting of 40 percent to the front and 60 percent to the rear axle. Within a fraction of a second, the dynamic drivetrain system adapts to the current driving conditions and constantly delivers the ideal distribution of drive torque.
The Audi S5’s sports suspension is tuned to enhance the coupe’s performance with particularly dynamic handling. The special high-performance brakes, recognisable by their black painted brake calipers, always ensure precise deceleration. And finally, the ESP electronic stabilisation programme can be deactivated in two stages whenever the driver wishes to exploit the potential of the Audi S5 to the full on a suitable stretch of road.
Design and interiors: Sporty aesthetics with clear functionality
While the design of the Audi A5 forms a balanced synthesis of sportiness and elegance, the Audi S5 displays the more vigorous features of a powerfully built athlete: the radiator grille possesses the specific look of an Audi S model – painted in platinum grey and fitted with vertical chrome inlays. The front and rear bumpers have a more pronounced outline and the air inlet grilles are more striking. The aluminium-look exterior mirror housings make an overtly sporty impression, as do the colour-keyed door sill trim and the dual-branch exhaust system with four oval tailpipes. Nevertheless, the model’s sporty attributes always have a functional aspect: for instance, the more pronounced spoiler in the boot lid yields additional aerodynamic downforce.
However, true strength comes from within and the interior design of the Audi A5 thoroughly underscores its athletic character. The sports seats, sports steering wheel, instruments with grey dials and aluminium door sill plates provide a dynamic and refined atmosphere. The programme does, of course, provide ample scope to fulfil individual interior design wishes: the inlays are one example – here the choice is between carbon, aluminium, stainless steel or wood. After all, the Audi S5 should perfectly match its owner’s individual ideas and expectations.
Alongside the coupe’s 18-inch wheels with the new S design and 245/40 R 18 tyres, the standard equipment specification for the S5 features items such as xenon plus headlights with impressive daytime running lights in the form of an LED light strip, or sports seats with electronic adjustment.
Posted in World Cars, Passenger Cars, Automotive News, AUDI | No Comments »
Sunday, November 5th, 2006
Details info: Description:
Launched as Audi’s alternative to the innovative Mercedes-Benz A-Class, the A2 features an alloy spaceframe onto which are hung the aluminium and advanced composite body panels. Despite the small capacity petrol and diesel engines, the weight conscious construction ensures that performance and fuel economy parameters are exceptional. The latest direct injection petrol version gilds an already acceptable lily.
Audi A2 Hatchback 5d 1.2 PD TDI aut.
Number of seats 4
Engine
Engine code ANY
Engine type Diesel, Front transversal
Number of cylinders 3, In-line
Engine capacity 1191 cm3
Number of valves 6 OHC
Fuel Diesel, Direct injection Diesel
Supercharging Turbo + Intercooler
Bore 76.5 mm
Stroke 86.4 mm
Compression ratio 19.5
Max Power 45 kW (ECE) 4000 rpm
Max torque 140 Nm (rpm) 1800-2400 rpm
Transmission & Drive
Drive front-wheel drive
GearBox 5 Auto
Steering type Mechanic
Brakes & Tyres
Wheels 4.5 J
Front tyres 145/80 R14 T
Rear tyres 145/80 R14 T
Front brakes Ventillated disc
Rear brakes Drum
Suspensions
Front Suspension MacPherson strut, Stabilizer bar
Rear Suspension Torsion beam, Stabilizer bar
Dimensions
Wheelbase 2405 mm
Length 3826 mm
Width 1673 mm
Height 1553 mm
Track (front) 1464 mm
Track (rear) 1419 mm
Curb weight 855 kg
Max. weight 1245 kg
Trunk 350 l -
Fuel tank 21 liter
Performance
Top speed 168 km/h
Acceleration 0-100 km/h 14.9 s
Consumption
In the city 3.6 l/100 km
Out of city 2.7 l/100 km
Average consumption 2.99 l/100 km (ECE)
Posted in AUDI | No Comments »
Saturday, November 4th, 2006
Details info: Audi A3 Hatchback 3d 1.6 Tiptronic
Number of seats 4
Engine
Engine code APF
Engine type Otto, Front transversal
Number of cylinders 4, In-line
Engine capacity 1595 cm3
Number of valves 8 OHC
Fuel Petrol, Injection by cylinder
Supercharging None
Bore 81.0 mm
Stroke 77.4 mm
Compression ratio 10.3
Max Power 75 kW (ECE) 5600 rpm
Max torque 148 Nm (rpm) 3800 rpm
Transmission & Drive
Drive front-wheel drive
GearBox 6 Auto
Steering type Hydraulic power
Brakes & Tyres
Wheels 6.5Jx16
Front tyres 205/55 R 16
Rear tyres 205/55 R 16
Front brakes Ventillated disc
Rear brakes Disc
Suspensions
Front Suspension MacPherson strut, Stabilizer bar
Rear Suspension Multi-link, Stabilizer bar
Dimensions
Wheelbase 2578 mm
Length 4203 mm
Width 1765 mm
Height 1421 mm
Track (front) 1536 mm
Track (rear) 1517 mm
Curb weight 1255 kg
Max. weight 1815 kg
Trunk 350 l - 1100 l
Fuel tank 55 liter
Performance
Top speed 183 km/h
Acceleration 0-100 km/h 12.9 s
Consumption
In the city 10.9 l/100 km
Out of city 5.6 l/100 km
Average consumption 7.6 l/100 km (EU)
Posted in AUDI | No Comments »
Saturday, November 4th, 2006
Details info: Audi A3 Hatchback 5d 1.6 Tiptronic
Number of seats 4
Engine
Engine code APF
Engine type Otto, Front transversal
Number of cylinders 4, In-line
Engine capacity 1595 cm3
Number of valves 8 OHC
Fuel Petrol, Injection by cylinder
Supercharging None
Bore 81.0 mm
Stroke 77.4 mm
Compression ratio 10.3
Max Power 75 kW (ECE) 5600 rpm
Max torque 148 Nm (rpm) 3800 rpm
Transmission & Drive
Drive front-wheel drive
GearBox 6 Auto
Steering type Hydraulic power
Brakes & Tyres
Wheels 6.5Jx16
Front tyres 205/55 R 16
Rear tyres 205/55 R 16
Front brakes Ventillated disc
Rear brakes Disc
Suspensions
Front Suspension MacPherson strut, Stabilizer bar
Rear Suspension Multi-link, Stabilizer bar
Dimensions
Wheelbase 2578 mm
Length 4286 mm
Width 1765 mm
Height 1423 mm
Track (front) 1536 mm
Track (rear) 1515 mm
Curb weight 1295 kg
Max. weight 1855 kg
Trunk 370 l - 1120 l
Fuel tank 55 liter
Performance
Top speed 183 km/h
Acceleration 0-100 km/h 13.2 s
Consumption
In the city 10.9 l/100 km
Out of city 5.6 l/100 km
Average consumption 7.6 l/100 km (EU)
Posted in AUDI | No Comments »
Saturday, November 4th, 2006
Details info: Alternative names:
Limousine 4d
Sales Company:
Available version:
V8
(1988 - 1994)
Limousine 4d
(Lang)
(1990 - 1994)
Limousine 4d
(1998 - 1994)
Previous version:
Variation:
Info:
Posted in AUDI | No Comments »
