Audi – Page 27 – Automobiles Review

Audi Shooting Brake Allroad Concept Debut at NAIAS

Audi-allroad-shooting-brake-show-car-shadow The mysterious Audi NAIAS Show concept has been revealed. It’s a compact crossover allroad shooting brake thing that is, apparently, very “functional for recreational sports” and a “concrete look into the near future”. Now, where have we heard that before?

It also has something called “sex appeal” according to Prof. Dr Ulrich Hackenberg who is a Member of the Board of AUDI AG. Technical Development. Must be related to those short overhangs, or the double LED rings within the front lights playing the part of quattro legacy in the flesh, or the succulent aluminum underbody at the raar. Erhm, let’s not get too carried away here. The body is a blend of a carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) and aluminum. The wheels too (255/40 tires, 19-inch) are CFRP. All that space technology has brought down the weight to just 1600 kg-ish.

Sure it’s compact – measuring at 4.20 meters from end to end, 1.85 meters long and 1.41 meters wide – the Ice Blue Audi NAIAS concept contains a complex hybrid drive system. It has an already powerful 2.0-liter TFSI engine that boasts 292 hp and 380 Nm of torque, it has a disk-shaped electric motor supplementing the said TFSI with 40 Kw of power and 270 Nm of torque, and a second electric motor which works independently on the rear axle. The total output amounts to 400 hp and 650 Nm of torque. That’s 4.6 seconds from 0 to 60 mph and a top speed of 155 mph. All the while, you get back 123 mpg and 45 g/km of CO2 emissions based on the ECE standard if you don’t put your foot down.

The e-S tronic dual clutch transmission sends the combined power output of the TFSI and the disc-shaped motor to the front wheels only. The third electric motor at the back runs only when the allroad is in EV mode (purely electric), in Sport mode, or when the on-board systems decides that AWD is needed. Consequently, Audi have called the system “e-tron quattro”. There’s also a Hybrid mode which regulates all three sources accordingly in order to achieve the best milage. If needed, the disk-shaped motor can act as a generator, charging the 8.8 kWh battery pack, which stands right in front of the rear axle.

All that clever stuff, is an extension of the interior really. You’ve got Audi’s MMI terminal with its 12.3-inch screen, a comprehensive instrument panel which displays with varying (depending on the mode of driving) priorities the speedometer, the powermeter, the navigation map, and the tachometer. The interior is also a nice place to be in in general. So they tell us.

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Source: Audi

January 13, 2014

Rieger’s Audi A5 Sportback Bringing The RS Spirit

Rieger-Audi-A5-Sportback-shadow Rieger-Audi-A5-Sportback-medium Look at what we stumbled upon. It’s a pre-facelift Audi A5 Sportback. And hey, it’s been touched up by Rieger! Say hello to a tuning program that involves quite a few visual upgrades and some performance tweaks.

Initially, we were a bit perplexed. Looking at the front grille, someone said, “Hold on a minute. Sportbacks don’t come in RS form” Nope, they don’t. Rieger offer front bumpers and grills that basically belong to the RS. The Sportback has also been treated by some new side skirts and a rear apron. There’s still space, though, for the four custom exhaust tips which measure at 115x85mm each.

H&R sports springs bring the whole body closer to the ground and leave very little space below the wheel arches. That’s also partly because of the are humongous wheels: 10.5×21 in a beautiful design and tires with a barely visible profile (Dunlop Sport Maxx GT 275/25 R21).

Because this is a Sportsback, best case scenario dictates that it bares a 3.0 TFSI supercharged V6 boasting 329 hp at the least. Because Rieger have also thrown in an RS braking system, we are inclined to think that someone might have amped the power a bit, but we don’t really know for sure.

Source: Reiger

January 11, 2014

ABT Audi RS7 – 700HP and 880Nm

ABT has presented their latest project based on the super powerful 4-door sports coupe – Audi RS7.

2014 Audi RS7 is powered by 4.0 liter bi-turbo V8 TFSI – 560HP (412 kW) at 5,700RPM and 700Nm (516 lb-ft) at just 1,750RPM. Of course this is not enough, so ABT boosted the engine to 666HP (490 kW) and 830Nm (615 lb-ft) of torque at Stage I.

Stage II bumps the power to whopping 700HP (515 kW) and 880Nm (652 lb-ft) of torque. 0-100 km/h is not mentioned, but is around 3.5 seconds and the top speed is electronically limited at 320 km/h (199 mph).

Other highlights include ABT wheel spacers and sporty alloy wheels – ER-C in its “silver bullet look“ is available in 20” and the DR design even in 21”. Both are fitted with high-performance tires.

Source: ABT

January 9, 2014

Audi TT With New Interior Design

Audi has just revealed the future interior of its TT model which promises to be “puristic”, sporty and fully focused on the driver. The interior design is to be shown at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas and is promised to be launched on the market in the course of the year.

To be more precise, Audi virtual cockpit is the focus of attention here. This includes fully digital instrument cluster which shows all the information directly in front of the driver, meaning that there is no need for a central MMI monitor.

This is a very convenient solution because it gave the designers the freedom to slim down the instrument panel architecture such that it visually conveys the Audi lightweight construction principle. In other words, the interior sports clear lines and offers innovative technologies, and has been redesigned entirely.

In addition, Audi’s virtual cockpit also features 12.3-inch TFT monitor. Drivers can switch between two display modes: classic view and infotainment mode. The first one brings on the foreground the speedometer and rev counter, while in the second mode, the virtual instruments are smaller which leaves space for functions such as the navigation map.

All elements of the Audi TT operating concept are focused on the driver. Another example for this is the TT’s multifunction steering wheel which includes a flat-bottomed rim, with aluminum-look clips framing its spokes. The buttons and controls are positioned on the spokes.

Thanks to the MMI on the other hand, all the main functions are just in few clicks away. It also allows the driver to scroll and zoom in lists and on maps. Other innovations throughout the new interior feature S sport seats with significantly curved side bolsters, integrated headrests and low seating position.

All in all, the new Audi TT’s cockpit will offer in the future clear and sharp lines, and it will perfectly express vehicle’s sporty nature. Everything in the interior shows Audi’s attention to quality: from the design of the gear knob and the precise functioning of the rotary pushbutton to the Audi virtual cockpit.

Source: Audi

January 8, 2014

Audi Debuts Sport Quattro Laserlight Concept Car At CES In Las Vegas

Audi-Sport-quattro-laserlight-concept-shadow So, remember that mysterious Audi coupé concept that was about to début at NAIAS? Yeah, this has nothing to do with it, although, we did mix them up for a moment. It’s Audi’s other concept that is set to make a world-first appearance at the 2014 CES in Las Vegas (kicks off on the 6th of January) – it’s low, it’s sleek and it has “quattro” in its name.

They’ve also added “laserlight” to the title. Apparently, Audi want to much as much emphasis on their future tech. Headlights as possible. We don’t blame them. Who has lasers on their car and wants to keep quiet about it. Whoa, whoa! Lasers?! It’s not as exciting as it sounds, but yes, Audi are using laser technology for the high-beams to complement the now “démodé” LED matrix that’s been employed. The two inner trapezoidal elements of the dual headlights (nice quattro touch by the way) use laser diodes that are only a few microns in diameter. With their 500 meters of illumination, these laser high-beams have approximately twice the lighting range and three times the luminosity of LED high beam lights.

So when not blinded by the headlights, you’ll notice that it has only two doors and a swept-back C-pillar. It’s low (1,386 mm high) and stout (1,964 mm wide) with a wheel base of no more than 2,784 mm. The remaining 1818 mm of the total length goes to the overhangs (which are short). Most of the car concept is a blend of steel and aluminum, but there’s also a prolific use of CFRP material throughout: the jutted front splitter, the diffuser at the back which runs quite high, the door sills. Even the quattro-ish tail lights are backed by a black CFRP panel.

The total weigh comes down to 1,850 which is pretty good considering that beneath the again CFRP hood you’ll find a V8 bi-turbo engine mated to a powerful electric motor that’s being charged by a pretty big li-ion battery. That’s right, the Audi Sport concept is a parallel hybrid that can run on pure electricity for around 31 miles. The total power output comes to around 700 hp. 560 of those come from the 4.0 TFSI alone. The torque? 800 Nm combined. The stated 94 mpg fuel economy might just be possible with the cylinder on demand (COD) system, which deactivates four cylinders under partial load, and the start-stop system. Put it in sport mode, 0 to 60 should be possible in just 3.7 seconds while the top speed is limited at 190 mph.

Needless to say that such performance requires immense stopping power and grip. The front suspension is comprised of five links per wheel, while the rear suspension is based on the company’s self-tracking trapezoidal link principle. The stiff springs and shocks may brake your back over the occasional pebble, but you’ll forgive them when indulging in high-speed cornering. Carbon-ceramic is, of course, used for the brake disks.

Inside, a driver-oriented approach dictates that the climate controls should be integrated in the air nozzles; a single element is used to control the intensity, temperature and volume of the air stream. The TFT display has its own graphics card for exceptional 3D rendering, an iDrive-type-of-knob gives you control over the new user interface that has a menu structure akin to that of a smart phone.

That’s essentially it. Looks exciting and sounds interesting, but will it have what it takes to pay tribute to the quattro name? More importantly, though, is it ever going to be made?

Source: Audi

January 2, 2014

World Premiere Of Audi R18 e-tron quattro

At the world premiere of Audi R18 e-tron quattro the brand also unveiled exclusively another technical highlight which will be included in the new LMP1 sports car. The sportscar wtill be equipped with laser light and will make a racing appearance at Le Mans 24 Hours and in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).

The new lightning technology will also open up completely new possibilities for the future production models. The innovative laser light complements the main LED headlights. A blue laser beam backlights a yellow phosphorus crystal lens. Through the latter the light beam is then emitted. The goal of this new technology is to provide homogenous lighting of the road.

Audi will participate in the new motorsport season with Le Mans prototypes (LMP1), DTM and GT sport. At the 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) will see Audi Sport Team Joest compete as the title defender. In the DTM, main teams will be those of Abt Sportsline, Phoenix and Rosberg. Mike Rockenfeller will be the title defender, in car number 1.

Source: Audi

December 19, 2013

Audi S5 Wins 5th Consecutive Best Engine Award

Audi is a winner in the 20^th annual Ward’s 10 Best Engines competition. Audi S5 marks the 5^th consecutive win for the 3.0 TFSI V6 engine. WardsAuto editors tested 44 engines and scored each based on power, noise, vibration, drivability, packaging, fuel economy, technical relevance and specifications. This year’s nominees consist of 36 gasoline engines (including 4 hybrids), 6 diesels and 2 battery-electrics.

The Audi S5 3.0 liter TFSI – 333HP (245 kW) at 5,500RPM and 440Nm (325 lb-ft) of torque at 2,900RPM. 0-100 km/h in 4.9 seconds and a top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph) – electronically limited. The fuel consumption in city is 10.7 liters / 100 km, 6.6 liters on the highway and 8.1 liters / 100 km on combined cycle.

The 3.0 TFSI V6 engine powers a total of seven Audi vehicles including the Audi S5, the A8 luxury sedan, A7 5-door coupe, A6, Q7 full-size luxury sport-utility vehicle, Q5 mid-size sport-utility vehicle, as well as the S4 luxury-sport sedan.

Source: Audi

December 13, 2013

Volvo Tease The Concept XC Coupe Ahead Of NAIAS

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First there was the Volvo Concept Coupé, and it was very good. Now, or in a month or so later, we get to meet the second of three design studies that are based on the Swedish company’s Scalable Product Architecture – it’s the Volvo Concept XC Coupé. Before its world première on the 13th of January at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), here are some pictures and a video to get the main idea behind it.

Volvo say that the purpose of this particular concept is to showcase how the company’s famous safety technology can go hand-in-hand with the contemporary Scandinavian active lifestyle. It’s a Volvo with a ski-box. We see what you did there.

If we have to be honest, the XC looks like an uncanny merging of the Volvo Concept Coupé and the back end of a Volvo C30. It is obviously going to be an SUV-ish type of thing (hence the X in the name). Maybe Volvo also want a piece of the sub-compact pie? We are looking at you, Volkswagen and Audi.

More (if not all) information on the Volvo Concept XC Coupe will be available on the 8th of January.

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httpv://youtu.be/P6cOJxGGuzg

Source: Volvo

December 11, 2013

Audi R18 e-Tron Quattro

Audi Sport has developed a fundamentally new Le Mans prototype that corresponds to the Technical Regulations for 2014 and is designed for maximum efficiency. The new Audi R18 e-Tron Quattro is being tested on the race track where all new Le Mans prototypes of the manufacturer have had to prove their worth – at Sebring racetrack.

“We’ve reached a crucial stage in this project,” commented Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich.

“After building the first prototype, testing on various race tracks is now taking center-stage. The tests are mainly focused on achieving high mileage, coordinating the highly complex hybrid drive systems and working out an efficiencyoptimized total package that has never before been as complex as this one.”, he added.

Audi has won the manufacturers’ and drivers’ classifications in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) for the second time in succession and the Le Mans 24 Hours for the twelfth time this year. Until the end of this year, the manufacturer will introduce the next generation of its hybrid sports car.

Stay tuned!

Source: Audi

December 9, 2013

Audi Saloon Joins The S3 Quattro Family

2014-Audi-S3-Saloon-shadow 2014-Audi-S3-Saloon-medium

The Audi S3 Saloon – a yet another piece of the puzzle that that will see the formation of an S3 quartet. There’s the Audi S3 and the Audi S3 Sportback; the said Saloon; and an upcoming Cabriolet. Probably the best way to describe the S3 Saloon is by referring to it as a blend of ultimate subtlety and brutal force. It’s not that the S3 and S3 Sportback are too conspicuous, but one is a 3-door hatch and that always has a hint of youthfulness and sportiness and the other… well, it’s called the Sportback, despite being slightly bigger and with a couple more doors. The S3 Saloon, however, is just your average three-box design with a trunk big enough for mount Rushmore.

Considering all that civility, you’d be surprised by what hides underneath the aluminum hood. Its a brand new 2.0-liter TFSI engine with direct and indirect injection, clever thermal management and exhaust manifold integration. The result is 296 hp at 5,500 rpm and peak torque that starts from 1,800 rpm. With the optional S tronic twin-clutch transmission, the S3 Saloon is capable of a 4,9-second sprint from 0 to 62 mph. Yet, even in the engine bay, refinement has left its mark – there are two shafts that rotate twice with the speed of the crankshaft for the ideal balance, mpg goes as high as 40,9 and there’s barely any engine noise in the cabin.

The S3 is pretty slim as well. Keep in mind that we are talking about a 390-liter trunk space and a S3 Sportback sourced wheel-base that’s 35 mm longer than the A3’s. Then there’s the complex chassis which employs a MacPherson front and four-link rear S sports suspension, plus Audi’s magnetic drive. Add to that a multi-plate clutch-based quattro permanent all-wheel drive system and you are looking at a lot of engineers scathing their heads, wondering if all is made from paper. Yet, Audi has somehow pulled it off. With some extensive use of aluminum, the S3 Saloon’s weight stands at around 1,430 kg. What’s more, it’s well distributed with 59% of it going over the front axle and 41% over the rear.

Visual treats include the S3 Saloon S-specific single-frame grille and front bumper, aluminum-look exterior mirrors, pronounced side sills and a redesigned rear bumper incorporating a platinum gray diffuser and cut-outs for the exhaust system’s four oval tailpipes

Inside, there’s the host of high-tech gadgetry one would expect from a five-door Audi – drive select with comfort, auto, dynamic and efficiency settings all of which affect the throttle response, steering, the S-tronic’s shifting points, and the suspension. There are also “blank” settings for you to customize “within certain limits”. The flat-bottomed steering wheel is one of the more conspicuous things about the S3 Saloon. Again in true S quattro fashion, the dials on the instruments are gray and the needles white. There’s an information screen in the middle and a boost pressure indicator embedded in the rev counter. Dual-zone climate control, iPod connectivity, DAB digital radio, Bluetooth and SD card compatible navigation system all come as standard. As an option, there’s also the possibility to have 4G internet in it. Most people don’t even have that on their phones.

Source: Audi

December 9, 2013

Audi Show Car At 2014 NAIS In Detroit

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Because the world clearly needs more crossover SUVs, Audi’s setting up the mood for a compact, high ground clearance, sports car. They plan is to fully unveil it at the 2014 North American International Auto Show which will be held next month in Detroit.

It will have two doors only, a “Shooting Brake” body type with a slanting and low roof line, and a pronounced C-pillar. It’s essentially a coupé on steroids. If at this point you are thinking of the Crossblue Coupe from last month, you are on the right track. However, the Audi is going to be 165-inches in length as opposed to the substantially longer VW which measures at 192.5 inches.

Every other aspect, though, sounds mighty familiar: short overhangs, a honeycombed singleframe grille and a “striking side tornado line” to the back.

The sketches suggest humongous wheels, but actually, we should be expecting a 19-inch set which is okay.

Will it actually be capable of going off the road as well as on it? Supposedly, yes. There are massive guards underneath it to keep the boulders out of the engine bay and without a doubt, it will be using Audi’s quattro system has seen decades of development now.

More on Audi’s show in the near future.

Sources: Audi

December 6, 2013

Audi To Introduce New Q1 SUV In 2016

The Q family is expanding! Audi has announced plans to add a new Q1 model to the emblematic line of vehicles. This will happen in 2016. The new SUV is designed on the basis of the modular transverse engine concept and will round off the Q series at the bottom end.

Q1 is promised to be an attractive entry into the Q family and in addition it will make a strong contribution to the company’s ongoing growth. What is more, with it the brand aims to strengthen its international competitiveness.

The Q family currently has the following members: Audi Q3, RS Q3, Q5, SQ5 and Q7. Among them, the Q5 is the global market leader and a proof of this is the fact that the brand already delivered 194,430 units of the Q5 to customers by the end of October.

Expectations exceed approximately 230,000 units of this model to be built in 2013. All in all, since the market launch in 2006, Audi has produced and delivered to customers more than 1.5 million automobiles of the Q family.

Source: Audi

December 3, 2013

Tag: Audi