Category: Audi

Autobild’s journalists voted the Audi R8 sports car of the year. The Audi R8 won over the Porsche 911 GT3 and the BMW M3. The trophy was given to Werner Frowein, Managing Director of quattro GmbH.

The journalists chose the Audi R8 because “t is currently the most complete vehicle with the hottest body in the sports segment and, despite being a newcomer, displays no serious weaknesses.” For a first sports car, it is quite an achievement for Audi.

One does expect a lot of debates over this trophy fans and detractors of the Audi R8.

Audi will unveil a R8 concept car and the TT-S at the next Detroit Motor Show in January. Secrecy surrounds the R8 concept car, although it is rumoured that it will be either the long-awaited convertible or the V10 powered version.

In a previous post, it has been reported that Audi is currently working on a R8 convertible. The sports car would be powered by the 4.2-litre V8 engine used in the coupé. The V10 engine has also been reported previously and seen around the Nürburgring.

Th TT-S will be a sportier version of the current TT, a bit like S3 or S4. From the S3, it will inherit its turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which produces 261bhp. It will be associated with the quattro four-wheel drive transmission.

In a recent interview with Auto Motor und Sport, Werner Frowein, the director of Quattro GmbH revealed that the RS label is intended to go mainstream in the future. In an attempt to increase its sales, the Audi’s sports subsidiary will shorten its development cycle in order to release RS models sooner. At this moment, RS models are being sold in the last two years of the vehicle’s lifecycle. Audi has a target of releasing a RS model within the first two years of the vehicle’s life.

This change of strategy will boost sales despite a strong growth recorded in the previous years. The sales jumped from 2,500 vehicles in 2000 to 9,300 units this year. By model, Audi sold 5,300 RS4s and 4,000 R8s. Next year the company will sell 5,500 R8s, 5,000 RS6s and 1,000 RS4s. It will also reveal the eagerly awaited Q7 powered by a V12 TDi, the TT-RS and the expected R8-RS, which will be equipped with the same engine found in the RS6, but without turbochargers.

According to an insider, Audi will reveal the Audi A3 Cabriolet this week. The eagerly awaited convertible variant will enable Audi to be ahead of BMW which will probably unveil the 1-Series convertible at the next Detroit Motor Show.

While in this segment, carmakers opted for a collapsible roof such as the Vauxhall Astra, the Ford Focus or the Volvo C70, the Audi A3 convertible will feature an electric folding cloth roof. It will be available with a choice of three petrol engines, the 123bhp 1.4 litre TSi engine, the 158bhp 1.8 TSi unit and the 197bhp 2 litre TSi engine. There might also be the 168bhp 2 litre TDi diesel unit. The topping version will get the 261bhp 2.0 litre TFSi unit already found in the S3 version.

Source: Carscoop

MTM is all about efficiency. One does not expect to find a racer kit on its car and the new MTM-tuned Audi A5 V6 TDi does not change the rules. TDi, you read well. This time, the German tuner applies its expertise on an oil burner.

Thanks to a new exhaust and an improved ECU, the Audi V6 engine raises its output from 237bhp to 295bhp. The torque jumps from 369 lb ft to 405 lb ft. The suspension has been tweaked and the axle geometry has been improved with more camber to give the A5 a sharper handling. Braking is also improved with new brake rotors and eight-piston callipers. The car is seating on the typical designed MTM wheels with 21” size.

The exterior styling includes a S5 front grille and new bumper, which features a new diffuser and four exhaust pipes. The customer can choose the colour of the wheel: shiny silver, titanium and diamond-cut.

The German tuner MTM has decided to boost the Audi R8 and has revealed the R888 model at the Dubai Motor Show. The triple 8 are not a typing mistake but it is the power announced by MTM: 888 bhp.

MTM did not plan to work on the R8 but an European customer found the normal Audi R8 to be too slow. So, the tuner was asked to give a boost to the car. It equipped the 4.2 litre V8 with two turbochargers. It delivers 888 bhp and a torque of 610 lb-ft. The modified R8 run the 0-60 mph in less than 3 seconds and has a top speed of 223 mph.

The car can be yours for £200,000 and Dubai Motor Show was probably a better show to unveil the beats to potential customers.

There is some doubt whether this picture is official or a simple photoshop job. If it is a retouched picture, the job is worth to be published and the car looks very pretty.

Due to be launched in autumn 2009 with a worldwide debut at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, the Spider will probably feature twin speedster humps, which incorporate vents to bring fresh air to the engine. The general design will be almost the same as the coupé, apart from Audi’s addition of an aluminium-look panel just behind the doors.

Like the coupé, the convertible version will use the V8 4.2 litre V8 which produces 414bhp/420hp. It will also probably feature the V10 engine, which produces more than 500bhp.

Source: TopSpeed

Yesterday I wrote about the future S4 and its possible 3.0 litre V6 engine. Today, the news concerns the future Audi RS5. A three door equivalent of the RS4 saloon, the RS5 should get the same engine as the former, the 4.2 litre V8 FSi. However, the recent Mercedes C63 AMG and its 450 bhp has rearranged the playing field a little. If Audi wants to set a new mark, it has to bang its fist on the table and go somewhere nobody has been before. According to Road&Track and its insiders, the German carmaker is looking to Lamborghini for the 5.2 litre V10 unit used by the Gallardo. Also used in the RS6, the engine produces 500bhp.

In order to feature such an engine, the current S5 would be upgraded with the new Sport Differential Quattro system unveiled last September and would probably feature Brembo brakes like the RS6. If the RS5 features a V10, there is a significant probability that the future RS4 will also feature this large engine. How will Mercedes and BMW react to such a provocation? More power or a different approach?

The future Audi S4 might not get the detuned V8 4.2 FSI used by the Audi S5 (as previously thought?). According to insiders, the S4 is set to inherit an all-new 3.0 litre V6 FSI. Audi engineers are also likely to add a couple of turbochargers, just like BMW has done with the BMW 335.

While the twin turbo chargers seem an obvious choice, some insiders have revealed that Audi is also considering a supercharger. If true, it would mark Audi’s first supercharger in recent years.

No information is available regarding the power but expect at least 300 bhp and probably greater power than the BMW 335 in order to compensate for the weight added by the all-wheel drive system. The future S4 might also get the new Sport Differential Quattro system unveiled last September. The new system distributes torque from the engine independently between the rear wheels, improving the traction. All-wheel drive cars always suffer from understeering. Aware of the problem, Audi engineers have worked on reducing understeering to almost nil. In its normal mode, the Quattro system delivers 40% of torque to the front wheels and 60% to the rears. The user is able to select from three modes: ‘comfort mode’ focusing on stability, ‘auto mode’ offering a balance between stability and handling and ‘dynamic mode’ focusing on the best handling to the detriment of comfort.

The Audi will be unveiled at either the next Geneva Motor Show or the next Paris Motor Show.

Source: Fourtitude