Audi's News

Audi R8 V10: first official photos

2009-01-03T00:44:00.000-08:00

By Tim Pollard

08 December 2008 21:08

Audi today edges closer to Lamborghini territory with the new V10-powered R8. It’s enough to turn the R8 from a V8 sports car/911 rival/posh-TT into a genuine supercar – thanks to a 5.2-litre V10 with a stout 518bhp. It’s the Gallardo rival Audi said it would never build.

How fast is the R8 V10? Plenty quick enough, thank you very much. We’re talking 0-62mph in 3.9 seconds and 196mph. It’s comfortably the most extreme roadgoing vehicle ever to emerge from Audi’s sports division Quattro GmbH – but also the most expensive. Before we start cooing over the numbers, be warned that the R8 V10 costs a whopping £22k more than the regular, £77k V8-powered R8 model.

But it looks like a regular R8! How can I spot the expensive new V10?

With a magnifying glass! There are now two, not four, bars on the front and rear air vents either side of the registration plates and the V10 is shod with new 10-spoke, Y-design alloy wheels and wide 295/30 boots at the rear. And if you miss those rims, you’ll need to spot the spoiler lip in high-gloss black and the chromed finish to the vanes on the trademark Audi grille. All 108 LEDs in the headlamps are standard-fit on the top-spec R8.

How Audi’s designers must have dabbled for months getting just the right finish on the aluminium tailpipes, millimetrically wider sidesills and more accentuated sideblades… Problem is, such minutiae is wasted on us. We just struggle to see the difference between this and the cheaper V8.

Is the R8’s V10 turbocharged then?

Nope. Contrary to earlier, spyshot reports, the R8’s ten-cylinder engine – which shares its 5204cc capacity with the S8 super-saloon – relies on no forced induction steroids for its 391lb ft kick. It prefers high revs and FSI direct injection for more precise fuel metering, to the benefit of power and economy.

The same dry-sump, 90deg V10 will power the R8 GT3 racer (see separate story here). Although we haven’t driven the R8 V10 yet, its on-paper stats promise to thrive on needle-bending revs: peak torque doesn’t arrive until a high 6500rpm while maximum power lands at a dizzying 8000rpm. Incredibly, for an Audi, the V10 keeps spinning until 8700rpm.

Audi claims this is an especially lightweight aluminium V10, the whole engine tipping in at 258kg – just 31kg more than the V8. Total kerb weight for the aluminium-bodied Audi R8 is 1620kg. How trim is that? Well, the Lambo Gallardo 560-4 powered by essentially the same 5204cc engine weighs 210kg less…

So another astronomically powered, but mind-numbingly dull Audi missile?

Hardly. The R8 V8 is one of our very favourite sports cars du jour – and CAR Magazine’s outgoing 2007 Performance Car of the Year. Fitting the harder-hitting V10 is odds-on to transform the R8 from 911 botherer to full-on supercar slayer, we’d say.

The V10 comes as standard with a six-speed manual ’box, but Audi expects many buyers to trade up to the R tronic automated manual. It’s controlled by rocker switchers on the steering wheel and switches cogs in less than 100ms. Show-offs can attempt to frazzle the clutch by using the launch control standard on all models. The semi-auto averages 20.6mpg on the European combined cycle.

Will the R8 V10 handle like a treat or a truck?

Unsurprisingly, the newest R8 packs Audi’s trademark Quattro system with rear-biased traction and the V10’s steering ‘has been sharpened’, whatever that means. Even with the bigger lump slung amidships, the mid-engined coupe (and roadster to follow – read our separate scoop of the R8 Spider here) has a close-to-neutral 44-56 front-rear weight distribution.

Audi’s magnetic ride is standard on the V10, which changes the viscosity of the dampers in milliseconds to change the rebound rate to cope with different road surfaces and driving conditions. It’s not the only bit of snazzy engineering on the maximum R8: ceramic brakes are optional (all four discs weigh a combined 9kg) and the spaceframe body-in-white is said to weigh just 210kg. It’s held together by 99 metres of welding seams, 782 rivets and 308 screws. Sounds just like the sort of Meccano kit we’d like to receive this Christmas.

The R8 V10 goes on sale in the second quarter of 2009, wearing a price tag of £99,575 for the manual and £104,665 for the R tronic – making it not only the fastest Audi ever, but comfortably the most expensive, too. The new Lambo LP560-4 will be £44k more…

Audi A5 and S5 Cabriolet: first photos

2009-01-03T00:38:00.000-08:00

By Tim Pollard

03 December 2008 00:01

Audi today ushers in its replacement for the A4 Cabriolet – the A5 Cabriolet. It's a new name and a new number for yet another new model in Audi's universe. No prizes for guessing it's a convertible version of the A5 coupe with room for four and a soft top that arcs down in 15 seconds.

Audi is sticking with a folding fabric roof (available in four colours), where rivals such as BMW and Lexus prefer a robotised metal lid. Raising the hood takes a further two seconds, expanding boot space from 320 litres to 380 with the top up. Roof operation is naturally fully electric and works on the move at speeds of up to 31mph. Perfect for inclement British summers.

What engines can I order in my A5 Cabrio?

Pick between seven different motors, headed by the S5 Cabriolet's supercharged 328bhp 3.0-litre V6. The starter model – priced from around £29,500 when UK sales start in April 2009 – will be the 160bhp 1.8 TFSI. Click here for CAR's first drive of the S5 coupe.

Also expect a brace of diesel units (a 2.7 TDI and 3.0 TDI) in the A5 Cabriolet range, while you can merrily confuse Audi's configurator with a baffling choice of front- or four-wheel drive, new electro rear diff, six-speed manual, CVT and seven-speed S-tronic twin-clutch gearboxes. Transmission oneupmanship, or what?

And gadgets galore?

Sort of. Audihas adopted Merc's Airscarf-style tech for all-seasons open-top driving while the MMI multi-controller upgrades to the third iteration for even easier button mastery/confusion (delete as applicable). Naturally, the new A5 cab range is available with a full suite of blinding LED light options for those who like to flaunt it and the leather seats can be specced with a new solar-reflecting finish.

So is the new Audi A5 Cabriolet simply a chop-top version of the A5 coupe?

In a nutshell, yes. And don't forget the A5 is merely a two-door coupe A4 saloon in drag. But we'd be first to admit the A5 is a mighty fine looking car that has really grown on us... It won't be the last A5 spin-off, either: a more practical A5 Sportback is mooted too.

The new soft-top measures 4630mm long, 1850mm wide and 1380mm tall – all measurements within a few millimetres of the coupe. Audi makes great claims for the folding roof, saying it is one of the most robust and quietest hoods in the sector, and Audi has used some of its aluminium expertise with a few parts – such as the bumpers – made from the lighter metal to trim weight and make up for the steel reinforcement elsewhere.

In the event of a rollover, spring-loaded aluminium braces rise from behind the rear head restraints, while there are airbags stuffed into the doors to protect heads and chests in a side impact. It's even quite practical for a soft-top, with split-fold rear seats.

Shame they didn't fit a folding hard-top...

Ingolstadt argues the A5 Cabriolet's roof is the most compact in the sector, robbing 60 litres of bootspace when stowed. And it's fitted an array of customer-comforting gizmos to stave off any complaints: those solar-reflecting leather seats can lower the surface temperature by 20C, claims Audi, while the Airscarf-style seat heaters can be cranked up to three different speeds.

The S5 (blue car pictured above) is capable of hitting 62mph in a bouffant-troubling 5.6 seconds, on its way to a limited top whack of 155mph. It comes as standard with 18-inch wheels, but many punters (the posers?) will upgrade to bigger rims all the way to 20in items. The S5 cab is likely to top out at £42,000.

It seems Audi is going convertible crazy, with the new A3 soft-top, this new A5 Cabriolet and the forthcoming R8 Spider all launched within a year.

Audi at the Paris motor show 2008

2009-01-03T00:34:00.000-08:00

By Ben Whitworth

02 October 2008 16:52

Audi’s sparkling new A1 Sportback – a thinly camouflaged version of its 2010 A1 Mini-basher – as well as its frugal A4 Concept E and a rather large trophy were the highlights of Ingolstadt’s Parisian offerings this year.

Tell me more about the A1 Sportback

In essence this follows on from the Metroproject that Audi unveiled last year. Slightly bigger in five-door guise than the Mini, Audi is keen to play on the A1’s practicality as well as its aspirational qualities. There was the usual showcar frippery – lashings of chrome and some nifty but useless split rear windows – but peel all that away and you have Audi’s new baby.

As well as the three- and five-door models, Audi is also considering a soft-top version. A hot 200bhp S1 is a given, as are a raft of Audi’s cleanest and punchiest direct-injection turbo petrol and diesel engines. Expect mild hybrids to arrive in 2011.

What else is new on the Audi stand?

Audi flashed its environmental credentials with its A4 Concept E – worthy, futuristic and laudable, but nowhere near as exciting as Audi being presented by the Le Mans 24 Hours organisers a giant trophy to keep – which is what happens when you win the world’s hardest race three times in succession.

CAR’s verdict: Audi at the Paris motor show 2008

While the A1 is bound to be a sales success – how can an Audi version of a Mini not be? – and the eco A4 mighty impressive, it’s all overshadowed by the Audi’s motorsport record. Tom Kristensen, Dindo Capello and Allan McNish – we salute you!

CAR's Audi stand score: 4/5

Audi A1 Sportback concept: first photos

2009-01-03T00:32:00.000-08:00

By Tim Pollard

01 October 2008 21:35

Audi has whisked the covers off its five-door A1 – in the shape of this A1 Sportback concept car, shown to a few selected media and VIPs on the eve of the Paris motor show 2008.

It's a follow-up to 2007's A1 Metroproject quattro concept, which previewed the three-door A1. Audi's new supermini is scheduled to arrive in showrooms in 2010; you can read CAR's full scoop on how the production A1 will look here.

We'll have the full story on the new Audi A1 concept in the coming hours, but we can confirm the car's dimensions: at 3990mm long and 1750mm wide, it's actually a size up on BMW's Mini (3699mm/1683mm in One hatchback form). Which suggests Audi wants to make the A1 a more spacious mini, rather than an impractical but cool urban runaround.

Audi S4 and S4 Avant first official photos

2009-01-02T22:31:00.000-08:00

By Ben Whitworth

23 September 2008 00:01

This is Audi’s all-new S4 which makes its debut in saloon and Avant (estate) guise at next month’s Paris motor show. It may look much like you’d expect it to, but in a radical move, Audi is turning its back on turbocharging – the S4 is powered by a new supercharged 3.0-litre V6 that pumps out 329bhp and a hefty 325lb ft of torque for a 5.1 second sprint to 60mph and a 155mph top speed.

After years of turbo-charging excellence, why is Audi going with a supercharger?

We’re a little perplexed ourselves, to be honest. While downsizing to a smaller forced-induction engine is a good way of lowering emissions and consumption without affecting performance, we’d have thought Audi’s turbocharging experts would have bolted on one or even two blowers to the S4’s 2995cc direct injection engine rather than a Roots type blower, even one that does spin to 23,000rpm.

'In conjunction with direct injection it is far superior to twin turbochargers, both in terms of packaging and of starting performance and responsiveness,' claims Audi’s official blurb. Which sounds like more spin than any supercharger could handle.

What else can you tell me about this engine?

Audi claims the smaller and lighter engine – the blower and a pair of air coolers are compact enough to nestle between the 90deg cylinder banks – benefits the S4’s dynamic balance and shortens the path the air must travel to the engine. It drives all four wheels – the S4 gets Audi’s quattro all-paw layout, natch – through a new seven-speed S tronic transmission.

Although at 142kg the dual-clutch some 40kg heavier than Audi’s six-speed manual, performance is actually faster because of the quick 200millisecond shift times and economy is enhanced because the transmission changes up earlier when driving in auto mode. Official combined economy is pegged at 29.2mpg – a massive 26 percent hike over the outgoing V8 model

This S4 has to take on the M3, C63 AMG and IS-F. Anything else up its go-faster sleeve?

Yup – there’s the Quattro system with a 40:60 front-to-rear split for a more neutral stance, and a new ‘active sport differential’ that rotates 10 percent faster than the driveshafts and can channel almost all torque to either rear wheel.

The multi-link front and rear suspension is ally-intensive, the ride height has been dropped by 20mm and there’s a programmable driving dynamics system (Audi drive select) that lets you fiddle with the throttle response, gearshift speed and Servotronic steering and set them up to you liking.

It looks, err, just as I expected it to…

Yes, no real design surprises here, both inside and out. It’s your typically hewn-from-solid looking quick Audi with brushed chrome touches, LED daylights, plenty of exhaust pipes and big 18-inch alloy wheels. Audi’s guess-which-model-I-am design language may have taken a bit of pasting of late, but there’s no denying the allure of the S4, particularly in estate form. And the cabin is fully loaded with plenty of multimedia gear, electric everything and leather galore.

The S4 arrives here in March 2009 with prices for the saloon expected to start at £36,000. With the Avant costing about £1500 more, the S4 seems like a bargain, especailly when a 3.2 Quattro S-line A4 starts at £32,090.

Audi R8 GT3 (2008): first pictures

2009-01-02T22:29:00.001-08:00

By Ben Pulman

27 August 2008 14:34

Just when you thought the R8 supercar couldn’t get any better, Audi unleashes a 500bhp-plus, rear-wheel drive GT3 version. But before you fling your hefty deposit at your local Audi dealer, beware this is an Audi Sport car destined to go racing. Porsche race car owners should be scared.

So the Audi R8 GT3 isn’t a road car?

We’re afraid not. Instead the R8 GT3 is destined for various national and international race series around the world, where it will be matching up against cars from Porsche and Aston Martin. The first customer cars will be delivered in the next few months and the R8 GT3 is expected to make its competitive debut early in 2009.

‘Ever since the R8 was unveiled we’ve been inundated with enquiries about a race version,’ says Dr Wolfgang Ullrich, head of Audi Motorsport. ‘The R8 is the first production Audi bearing the name and genes of a successful racing sports car and is therefore an excellent base from which to build up our first big customer sport programme’.

What changes have been made to turn the R8 into a GT3?

Out goes the Quattro four-wheel drive system, prohibited by GT3 regulations. That means rear-wheel drive, with power sent through an all-new six-speed sequential 'box. No word from Ingolstadt on what engine powers the R8 though. We know it has over 500bhp, but is it a V8 or a V10? This car's R16 tag gives us no clues – it’s not a Bugatti Veyron engine.

Other tweaks and changes including junking the leather-lined interior, fitting a full roll cage and that enormous rear wing. Combined with the new front spoiler, side sills and rear diffuser it should create plenty of downforce. So even though the four-wheel drive system has gone and the suspension is apparently little changed over the production car, Dr Ullrich is claiming the R8 ‘is nevertheless easy to handle.’ We want one.

Audi RS6 saloon (2008): first pictures

2009-01-02T22:04:00.000-08:00

By Ben Whitworth

12 August 2008 00:01

Following on from the RS6 Avant launched at the start of the 2008, Audi has revealed the saloon version of its hottest A6. And it’s hot! Like the estate, the four-door RS6 is powered by a twin-turbo 5.0-litre V10 with outputs to shame the CLS63 AMG and M5…

Spill the mechanical beans on this Audi RS6 saloon, then.

With direct injection and dry-sump lubrication – always handy if you plan to knock off a few laps of the Nürburgring on the way home from work – the blown V10 whips up a supercar-rivalling 572bhp at 6250rpm and a mighty 479lb ft that kicks in at just 1500rpm.

Running through the Audi’s Quattro 40/60 front/rear drivetrain and quicker shifting six-speed Tiptronic box, the RS6 will blast to 60mph in 4.5 seconds and slam up against its 155mph limiter with ease. There’s an option to raise that limit to 174mph, and insiders claim that with the right rubberware and electronic liberation, the big Audi could nudge 200mph.

Its on-paper figures may be the stuff of dreams, but if our drive of the RS6 Avant is anything to go by, the RS6 saloon will be incredible fast and grippy but lacking in real driver engagement. An M5 and E63 might be slightly slower point-to-point but they’ll arguably provide a more involving driving experience.

What else is new?

There’s the usual line-up of engineering goodies – aluminium-intensive suspension, speed-dependent steering assistance, three-way adjustable dampers, a recalibrated stability programme that steps in later than expected and (in light of the performance, an entirely sensible) option of 420mm front and 357mm ceramic brake discs, gripped by eight piston callipers.

And of course, there’s all the visual trim to go with that power – the single-frame grille, gaping air intakes, active bi-Xenon lamps, bespoke LED daytime running lights, flared wheelarches, body kit and a pair of oval exhaust pipes. Bucket front seats, a flat-bottom steering wheel, a top-drawer Bose audio system and – crucially – a boost gauge rounds off the in-cabin upgrade. The saloon arrives in here in the autumn, and will be priced around £76,500.

Audi A6 facelift (2008): first pictures

2009-01-02T21:56:00.001-08:00

By Ben Whitworth

12 August 2008 00:01

This is the new Audi A6. Despite a seemingly endless flow of new metal over the last 12 months, Audi has found time to give its 5-series, E-Class and XF rival a bit of a spit and polish, enhancing the saloon and estate line-up with new petrol and diesel engines, tweaked interior and exterior styling and enhanced safety equipment. The revised line-up arrives here in October, with the saloon priced at £24,800, and the Avant estate commanding a £1570 premium over the equivalent four-door model.

So what’s the big story with the Audi A6, then?

Headline news is the arrival of two new engines – a supercharged 3.0-litre V6 petrol and an ultra frugal 2.0-litre turbodiesel aimed at the corporate driver. The forced induction petrol TFSI (T in the Audi lexicon now somewhat confusingly signifying engines with either a supercharger or turbo blower, or both) majors on torque, developing 286bhp at a relaxed 5000rpm and 310lb ft between 2500-4850rpm.

That’s enough to push the A6 to 60mph in 5.9 seconds and onto the standard 155mph limited top speed, while returning 29.7mpg on the combined cycle, and posting a CO2 level of 219g/km. The cleaner and more frugal engine effectively replaces both the outgoing 3.2 FSI V6 and the 4.2 V8 petrol units.

With the price of petrol as it is, I’ll pass. Tell me about the diesel…

It’s the 2.0TDIe diesel that’s likely to get most corporate buyers reaching for their wallet, though. The high-economy common rail unit develops some modest performance figures – 135bhp at 4000rpm and 235lb ft at 1750rpm for a 10.3 second sprint to 60mph and a 129mph top speed is hardly going to set your pants on fire – but 53.3mpg and 139g/km will certainly put a smile on the face of any cash-strapped fleet manager.

The A6 employs an on-demand power steering pump, an alternator capable of regenerating energy during coasting, a bespoke long-legged six-speed manual gearbox and a 20mm lower ride height. A 170bhp version of the same engine will arrive later in the year.

Anything else I should know?

Audi’s engineers have fettled the A6’s suspension to improve its ride and handling – the cars feature new springs and larger-diameter front shock absorbers with a revised valve system. And following on from the success of the rear-biased quattro system used in the S and RS models, all four-wheel-drive A6 models will now feature the 40/60 split for enhanced rear-drive characteristics.

Visually, the new model will be subtly distinguished by its revised front end – the grille, headlamps, bumpers and air intakes are all modified, while the saloon features an integrated bootlid spoiler. A new rear diffuser and taillights round off the visual upgrades.

Inside, there’s new ‘high-resolution’ instruments, a tweaked MMI Multi Media Interface, 3D mapping for the 40GB hard drive sat-nav, and a new blindspot lane-departure warning system. Transmissions - six-speed manual, six-speed tiptronic automatic and seven-speed multitronic CVT automatics – remain as before. And as before the S-line sports package – which adds 18inch alloys, sports suspension, daytime LED running lights and a 30mm lower ride height – is an option across the majority of the models.

Audi supercars

2009-01-02T21:53:00.000-08:00

By Ben Oliver

28 July 2008 12:35

Audi is the fledgling player in the supercar arena. Yes, it's shown numerous concepts over the years, but it wasn't until the 2007 R8 arrived that we could actually drive a supercar with Ingolstadt's four rings writ large on the grille. And what an effort: straight out of the box, the R8 has delivered a car with the poise of a 911 Carrera 4S with the ease-of-use of a Honda NSX. Quite an achievement

Make and model	Year	Price	Engine	0-60mph	Top speed
Audi R8	2007	£78,105-83,305		4.6 sec	187mph
	For	Appears to do everything well
	Against	It isn't expensive enough
	Verdict	A supercar for our times

Another is-it-isn't-it supercar, but the R8 has the looks, the configuration and when the 550bhp-plus V10 arrives it will certainly have the beans. Amazing that Audi can get a supercar so right at their first attempt.

Audi RS4, A1, S5 and R8 V10 details

2009-01-02T21:49:00.000-08:00

By Ben Pulman

14 July 2008 12:25

The next Audi RS4 will be supercharged, the R8’s V10 will be naturally aspirated and we won’t be seeing an Audi that’s smaller than the A1 supermini any time soon. That’s all according to a high-placed Audi source that CAR sat down with at the recent Q5 4x4 launch. Read on for everything our source had to say about Audi’s secret new model programme.

So tell me everything you found out about future Audis...

Let’s start with the smallest car, the A1. It’s due in 2010 and will eventually be available as a convertible and off-roader, alongside the regular three- and five-door hatches.

Our source calls it Audi’s ‘Mini-killer’ but adamantly says the A1 will not have retro styling. It’ll share its platform with forthcoming Polo, which means the A1 uses the same underpinnings as the new Seat Ibiza. Which makes us think that Audi has some work to do if it wants to match the Mini dynamically...

Will there be anything smaller than an A1 in this oil-sensitive age? Apparently not. Audi has no plans for anything smaller than its supermini until at least 2013.

But the A3 range will grow; Audi is still expanding the A3 range, and next we'll see the Q3 based on the Cross Coupe Quattro concept.

What about this forced-induction RS4 then?

The big news is that the next RS4 will get the same 3.0-litre supercharged V6 that will power the S4. When asked whether the market would accept the reduction in cylinder count, our source shrugged, pointing out that the original RS4 was a forced-induction V6 and only when Audi produced the current V8 RS4 did the market follow suit. ‘They [BMW, Mercedes, Lexus] have followed, but now we will go back.'

Why the supercharged V6? 'We want a high torque figure at low rpm,' our engineering mole said. But there won't be an additional turbo or two blowers, as either set-up would be too complex and not worth the extra gain.

Don’t worry though, because our source says the RS4 will be very sporty indeed. And having changed many people's preconceptions with the outgoing RS4 and latest R8, there's a will in Ingolstadt to keep the bar raised high.

What's all this about the S5?

We've recently driven the S5 S-tronic, but Audi won't be producing it just yet. Apparently just ten S5 prototypes with the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission have been produced to showcase the transmission. However, the S-tronic 'box is supposed to be sporty and the S5 is all about comfort. That means it will stick with a conventional automatic for now. But we will find the seven-speed ‘box in the S4 and RS4, though manual gearboxes will also be available.

There's not much chance of the S5 getting the supercharged V6 either; apparently Audi sells a high percentage of S5s within the A5 sales mix, and the V8 suits the comfort-oriented nature of the car.

Anything else?

The V10-engined R8 we'll see this autumn will apparently be naturally aspirated. When questioned about the R8 using the twin-turbo engine from the RS6, our source denied this. ‘No, it will use the engine from the S6 and S8.’

And a V12 TDI R8? Not a chance. The engine is apparently too big and heavy, and even if Audi wanted a diesel R8, apparently the V8 TDI could do everything the V12 can.

Which begs the question why is Audi producing a V12 TDI Q7 later in 2008? With just 1500 or so expected to be sold each year, apparently it’s just an image thing.

What about a smaller R8?

A possibility. We’ve reported before about an R4 and our source confirmed that despite Audi offering the TT and R8, there is still room in Audi’s model line-up for more ‘R’ sports cars.

Audi S4 details

2009-01-02T21:48:00.000-08:00

By Tim Pollard

03 June 2008 15:44

UPDATED! Audi will unveil its hot S4 saloon in autumn 2008 - and it's losing the V8 engine of old in favour of a new supercharged V6 petrol engine producing around 350bhp.

Powering Audi's latest hot-shot saloon is a new-generation 3.0-litre supercharged V6, which will send its power to all four wheels through Audi's Quattro drivetrain. The supercharger is a Rootes blower that is said to be especially compact; the supercharger and the intercooler sit within the 'vee' and engineers claim the engine takes up no more space than a naturally aspirated 3.0-litre V6, CAR Online can reveal.

They are also proud of the layout, as the supercharger's positioning cuts down the journey air has to take from the compressor to the cylinders – speeding up throttle response. Top speed will again be limited to 155mph while the 0-60mph sprint is forecast to be around five seconds.

Why drop the V8?

Noticed fuel prices recently? It's pretty obvious really: a downsized, blown V6 provides significant improvements in emissions and economy, while also weighing less and being easier to package. Plus the engineers have retained the torquey feel of the old V8, thanks to the compressor's low-down shove, peaking at 406lb ft (the transmission's maximum torque rating).

The S4 will share the S5's new S-tronic seven-speed twin-clutch transmission and its lightning-fast 200ms gearchanges. The S-tronic gearbox weighs 142kg - around 40 kilos more than Audi's six-speed manual. However, performance is actually faster with the twin-clutch 'box and emissions are lower, as the transmission changes up earlier when in Drive mode.

Expect to see the new S4 at the Paris motor show this autumn before UK sales kick off in spring 2009. Saloon, Avant estate and convertible bodystyles will again be offered, with styling inspiration taken from the S-line A4 models (pictured).

Enough about the S4. When will we see the RS4?

The RS4 won't be seen before 2009. Michael Schoffmann, Audi's transmission boss, told CAR Online: 'With RS models we can make the gearchanges on S tronic even faster; regular models take 200ms, but on RS models we can trim that to 140-150ms.

'You'll have to wait until 2009 to see something, though!'

Other engineering sources suggest that the RS4 will drop the excellent, high-revving V8 for an even more highly tuned version of the supercharged V6 running higher boost pressure.

Audi TT Clubsport Quattro: first pictures

2009-01-02T21:44:00.000-08:00

By Ben Pulman

21 May 2008 12:34

CAR Online was first to reveal that the Speedster-inspired TT will be built, and now Audi has officially unveiled the car at the Wörthersee Tour in Austria.

Called the Audi TT Clubsport Quattro, it’s an updated version of the concept of the same name seen at the same festival in 2007. And as well as a turbocharged engine producing 'more than 296bhp', today's press release claims: ‘Small-series production of this model cannot be ruled out’. Quite.

Small-series production has in fact already been confirmed. Audi's marketing director for the Middle East, Bernd Rosenbichler, told CAR: 'We have been asked [by Audi AG] if we could imagine bringing this car here. We are planning on making the worldwide premiere of this car here and then launching it just for the region.'

Right, details of the Audi TT Clubsport Quattro please

We know the basic facts already. Speedster-inspired looks means the roof has disappeared to be replaced by a fixed deck with twin humps and two huge rollbars.

The pumped-up looks include twin air intakes either side of that large single-frame grille that seems to get ever bigger. There are LED daytime running lights from the TTS while twin pipes and a rear diffuser butch up the rear. Behind 19-inch wheels nestle 340mm (front) and 310mm (rear) brakes.

Audi claims the car is painted in pearl-effect Suzuka Gray, but it looks more like matt white to us.

And this 150bhp/litre engine?

The turbocharged 2.0-litre direct injection unit is claimed to produce over 296bhp, but Audi won’t confirm any more details. The four-pot engine is mated to Audi’s Quattro four-wheel drive system via a dual-clutch S-tronic transmission.

Inside there’s orange leather, new dials, a flat-bottomed steering wheel and lots of aluminium trim. Just 50-100 TT Clubsport Quattros are initially expected to be built.

Audi TT speedster 'will be built'

2009-01-02T21:42:00.000-08:00

By Tim Pollard

20 May 2008 12:15

Audi will build a limited production run of the TT speedster we scooped last week, CAR Online can reveal. The company is planning to make between 50-100 of the chop-top TT especially for the Middle East market.

Although spokesmen in Europe have denied any production plans for the unusual open-top TT we spied on test in southern Germany, Audi's marketing director for the Middle East, Bernd Rosenbichler, told us they were planning a small production run for enthusiasts in hotter climes.

'We have been asked [by Audi AG] if we could imagine bringing this car here,' he told CAR. 'We are planning on making the worldwide premiere of this car here and then launching it just for the region.'

Audi TT speedster: just like the concept

The production car will remain very close in design to the 2007 TT Clubsport Quattro concept – as proved by our spy photos. The wraparound windscreen lip remains, as does the strictly two-seater cabin.

Why launch the speedster in the Middle East? The region has just a handful of rainy days a year, making the lack of any roof less of a problem. And Audi is desperately trying to boost its image in this wealthy market; selling a bespoke car built just for the region is a pretty good way of communicating its commitment to the Middle East.

Audi A3 TDI Clubsport Quattro concept: first pictures

2009-01-02T21:38:00.000-08:00

By Ben Pulman

16 May 2008 23:00

Thought the Audi R8 V12 TDI was a drop of diesel fuel in a large petrol pond? Think again. This is the Audi A3 TDI Clubsport Quattro concept – another performance diesel from Ingolstadt. Set to debut later this month at the Lake Wörther Tour in Austria, this rather OTT A3 features DTM-inspired bodywork and the world’s highest specific output diesel engine. Think of the Clubsport as a way to get us excited about the facelifted A3 range, while being relatively kind to the environment too.

What’s the Audi A3 TDI Clubsport Quattro packing under that hood?

A very shiny four-pot diesel (the 1968cc diesel is stripped of its usual black cladding, you see). Add in a new turbocharger, and the four-cylinder unit produces 221bhp. That easily bests BMW’s 204bhp 2.0-litre and Mercedes’ 201bhp 2.1-litre twin-turbo diesels. The Clubsport’s 332lb ft at 1750rpm puts it midway between the BMW (295lb ft) and the Merc (368lb ft).

All that torque is combined with a six-speed manual ‘box and a four-wheel drive system to help the A3 Clubsport reach 62mph in 6.6 seconds and go on to 149mph. Not bad for a diesel A3, we say.

Keep all this performance chat in context. This is a ludicrously OTT concept car, isn't it? Maybe not... Audi remains tight-lipped on the production feasibility of the engine's 221bhp, but claims it already passes EU5 emission regulations due in 2010. With BMW and Mercedes already offering 100bhp/litre diesels, Audi could well follow suit soon.

Enough about the oil-burning engine, what about that go-faster body?

It's all a bit tuner special, isn't it? There’s a DTM-inspired rear spoiler, 993-era 911 GT2-esque bolt-on wheel arch extensions and 20-inch wheels. There are LED daytime running lights, that front grille gets even wider and the tracks are also up (33mm front, 46mm rear). Overall the A3 sits 36mm lower than a regular A3. You won't mistake this for a boggo 1.6, that's for sure.

Inside, you get an interior inspired by the Audi R8 V12 TDI's, so think bucket seats, lots of aluminum trim, toggle switches to replace buttons and a big red starter button on a flat-bottomed steering wheel.

What other special bits are on this concept?

The A3 Clubsport is hauled to a stop by six-piston callipers gripping 356mm carbon ceramic front brakes. Pity the rear items are standard-fit steel brakes.

There’s also Audi Drive Select that lets you alter the car's electronics to suit the conditions. You can tweak the throttle response, exhaust sound, the level of assistance from the power steering, the threshold of the ESP system and the settings for the magnetic ride dampers – all at the prod of a button.

And the colour scheme?

It’s a nod to the Austrian flag, while the big white ‘eight’ on each side is because we’re in the year 2008. How original.

Audi S3 Sportback and A3 facelift

2009-01-02T21:35:00.001-08:00

By Ben Pulman

24 April 2008 15:16

Audi has facelifted the A3 and while the tweaks can at best be described as mild, a new S3 Sportback has joined the line-up. The hot five-door runs the same 261bhp 2.0-litre TFSI engine found in the three-door S3, and of course the quattro four-wheel drive system is standard.

The exterior cosmetic surgery brings the looks of the A3 Cabriolet to the rest of the range. Tweaks include new headlights with standard daytime running lights and a new grille. The optional bi-xenons feature LEDs while the rear end of the A3 also gets new tail lights and a revised rear bumper that lengthens the car.

What about proper engineering tweaks for the facelifted Audi A3 and S3?

The VW Group’s new seven-speed twin-clutch gearbox will be available with the 1.6, 1.4 TSFI and 1.8 TFSI engines, while others engines will have the option of the six-speed S-tronic box. The semi-auto system is standard on the 3.2 quattro. Audi’s magnetic ride system also becomes an option on higher-end models, while tweaks to petrol engines cut consumption by as much as 15 percent.

Audi was the first premium manufacturer to offer a small hatch back way back in 1996, and the changes to the A3 should keep it fresh while Ingolstadt launches a whole raft of niche products over the next few years.

Audi Q5 unveiled at Beijing

2009-01-02T21:30:00.000-08:00

By Guy Bird

21 April 2008 10:22

How does the new Audi Q5 stack up in the metal? CAR Online is reporting from the Beijing motor show - and we pored over the newcomer and met its designers at a preview night. The Q5 looks refreshingly better than in the spyshots and artists’ impressions doing the rounds.

Launching in late 2008 and going up against the Volvo XC60, Saab 9-4X and BMW X3, the Q5 will have serious rivals, but its lines are clean and its sloping roofline and small coupe-style windows creates a genuinely ‘crossover’ rather than ‘SUV’ profile.

Audi Q5: the design brief

The Q5’s body is curvier than its bigger Q7 brother's. Thank goodness. Exterior designer Irishman David Caffrey admitted to CAR: 'We were a little more playful on this car.'

The bonnet is more sculpted and a bold crease scores the side body above the front wheel arch before fading away under the B-pillar and reappearing above the rear wheel arch. A pronounced ‘rocker’ line at the car’s base rises to the rear wheel arch to add to the feeling of dynamism.

Audi Q5: the inside story

Despite the rakish exterior, interior space on the five-seater is very good - especially with the rear seats slid back 100mm (an option on the Q5). Interior designer Christian Becker is at pains to point out that the design team didn’t want the Q5 to just be 'a scaled down version' of Audi’s big
seven-seater.

The Q5’s binnacle only wraps around the instrument gauges (as opposed to stretching the full width of the centre screen in the Q7) and more angled air vent shapes continue the feeling of driver focus.

In the back, there’s great head and knee room, fold flat rear seats and under floor storage. But don’t expect much in the way of groundbreaking technology beyond a seven-speed manual transmission and Audi’s optional ‘drive select’ for different driving conditions.

Q5 by numbers

CO2 figures have not yet been released but the 2.0-litre diesel registers 35.1mpg and the range-topping 3.0 TDI V6 will get to 62mph in 6.5 seconds, but still manage 36.6mpg. Pricing starts at sub-£30,000 with a UK sales target of 8000 per annum.

Audi Q5 unveiled

2009-01-02T21:24:00.000-08:00

By Tim Pollard

19 April 2008 12:00

A decade after rival BMW, Audi is finally joining the mid-sized SUV party. The new Q5, unveiled at this weekend's Beijing motor show, is Ingolstadt's answer to its hometown rival the X3, and is based on the oily bits from the A4. Which speaks volumes about its intent.

Unsurprisingly, that means it's aimed squarely at on-road performance, where it will shuttle five occupants around in - you'd imagine - saloon car comfort. It also means it's not really supposed to go off-road. But then you knew that already.

The Audi Q5 must still be a quattro, surely?

Oh yes. Every model is four-wheel drive; there's no namby-pamby FWD sop here. And as the Q5 uses the latest A4 underpinnings, that means that 60 percent of torque is sent to the rear wheels. Hell, it might even handle.

Naturally, most buyers will plump for one of the popular diesel engines. The 170bhp 2.0 TDI will sell best and with a stout 258lb ft of twist, it can hit 62mph in 9.5sec yet still average 35.1mpg. You probably won't need the 3.0 TDI, unless you insist on showing off at the traffic light grand prix with a 6.5sec sprint to the benchmark.

Few will pick the Golf GTI's 2.0-litre TFSI, but it's there for anyone with a derv aversion. It produces 211bhp in the Q5, suggesting the VW hot hatch could be in for a power upgrade soon.

It looks less gross than the Q7...

True. It's much smaller, naturally, but then it doesn't have to seat seven people in three rows. The Q5 is 4630mm long and, says Audi, the lowest car in the class (making it 'the sportiest', they say. Quite).

It's reasonably sleek though and the drag coefficient is impressive for a 4x4 at 0.33. You won't mistake this for anything else in your rear-view mirror, however, if Audi's get-outta-my-way LED daytime running lights are specified.

How practical is the Q5?

Audi claims the Q5 can tow up to two tonnes, though, and it comes with a comprehensive hill descent system. You can even order the (optional) Drive Select, which adjust the damping, steering and throttle response according to the driving conditions.

But it's telling that Audi offers wheels up to 20 inches in diameter on the Q5. This is a car that will be bought by those posing or wanting practical - and stylish - family transport. Leave proper off-roading to Land Rovers. You can even specify the body cladding in two-tone, Maybach-style finish.

We'll report more on the Q5 up close next week in our Beijing report, but from these photographs it seems that the Q5 is a tidily designed, well finished mid-sized SUV. Enough to make you wonder how good the forthcoming Q3 could be.

Audi Q7 V12, R8 and TT diesels

2008-03-07T09:27:00.000-08:00

By Guy Bird

Motor shows & events

06 March 2008 12:38

What’s new on Audi’s Geneva Motor Show stand?

The biggest news from a sales point of view might have been the A4 Avant – on an all-new chassis for improved driving ability and a bigger boot – but new variants of the TT, Q7 and R8 arguably stole its show stand thunder.

The production diesel TT and Q7 were finally unveiled. The oil-burning sportscar will do 0-62mph in 7.2 seconds thanks to its 168bhp 2.0 TDI engine and offers 53.3mpg and a lowly 140g/km of CO2. It is set to take a fifth of all TT coupe sales and 12 percent of roadster registrations from a summer 2008 on sale date. Prices start at £23,740.

The Q7 meanwhile gets the R8 concept’s massive 493bhp 6.0 V12 diesel to do the same 0-60 run in an extremely rapid 5.5 seconds. It will top the range from late 2008 for £75k-plus.

More curious was the boat-influenced Q7 Coastline ‘study’ featuring new velvet-touch cream leather seats and pinstripe walnut and smoked oak trim inlay on everything from the seatbacks to the boot floor. Audi hopes to make a limited run of 100.

There was another V12 diesel R8 study too – this time called Le Mans – featuring a slick, ducted glass roof – but insiders say it’s still 18 months away from production.

CAR highlight

The Coastline’s amazing ‘now you see them now you don’t’ pop-out boot floor aluminium boxes and the beautiful roof on the R8 TDI Le Mans.

What were they thinking?

In bright red with over-polished chrome wheels and side panel, the R8 Le Mans study looked over the top in the metal.

In a nutshell

Audi’s relentless niche-filling product onslaught continues – mostly successfully, if a bit predictably.

4/5

Audi TT TDI

2008-03-07T09:22:00.000-08:00

By Mark Nichol

First official pictures

27 February 2008 17:57

The diesel TT is here. Audi will unveil the TT TDI Coupe and Roadster at the Geneva Motor Show next week. It was always an obvious thing to do, yet it’s taken the Ingolstadt slowcoach ten years to send its ubiquitous sports car to the black pump.

Let me guess, Audi says the TT TDI is fast and efficient?

Precisely. There’s really nothing revelatory about the principle behind the TT TDI, which is why we’re surprised it’s taken Audi so long.

Having said that, let’s not be too glib here – the TT TDI is remarkably efficient, returning well over 50mpg in both Coupe and Roadster forms (53.3mpg and 51.3mpg respectively) and its torque advantage means it will feel genuinely fast.

But will it actually be genuinely fast?

Let’s be honest, a 0-62mph time of 7.5 seconds (7.8 for the roadster) isn’t gut-wrenching, but the 168bhp diesel engine has 258lb ft of torque at only 1750rpm – 22lb ft more than the 3.2 V6 petrol – and is good for 140mph.

The TT TDI utilises the same 141bhp 2.0 TDI engine found in the new A4, but the saloon’s tubocharger has been dropped in favour of a bigger unit. Add to that standard Quattro four-wheel drive and the derv TT looks like it might become the pick of the range.

Are there any downsides to the TT TDI?

On paper, not really. We haven’t even mentioned the CO2 emissions yet, which are a lowly 140g/km for the Coupe (145g/km for the Roadster), and the engine already complies with the proposed new Euro 5 emissions regulations. The only real worry is the farmyard chunter when you start up.

Spec-wise the TT is like-for-like with the 2.0T petrol, our current favourite of the range, meaning you get 17” alloys, Alcantara sports seats and electronic climate control.

The TT TDI Coupe will cost £26,350 when the order book opens in early March for summer 2008 deliveries, about £1000 more than the 2.0 litre petrol. Add £2,000 for a TDI Roadster.

Audi A4 Avant

2008-03-07T09:18:00.000-08:00

By Mark Nichol

First official pictures

20 February 2008 09:16

Audi knows where its bread and butter is and continues to stretch its A4 range every which way. So step forward the new A4 Avant, unveiled today.

The estate version of the A4 will major on sporty style rather than outright practicality, but the numbers are smaller (less thirsty than the old one) and larger (boot capacity up by 48 litres to 490, 1430 with the seats down) as appropriate.

That amount of space doesn’t seem class leading though

Nothing gets past you, does it? You’re right – it’s very slightly bigger than the 3-series Touring, for example, but miles behind the Mondeo estate, which trounces it with a gargantuan 1733-litre maximum loading capacity.

Audi is clearly benchmarking the 3-series though, emphasising the A4 Avant’s sporting credentials over its ability to swallow sofas and such. It naturally shares the saloon's new 'mid-front-engined' platform, whose front axle has been moved forward for better weight distribution and sharper handling.

So are you telling me it’s not practical at all?

Not for a moment, but this one definitely puts style over outright size. It's certainly no Audi A4 Transit, but you do get the option of an electric rear tailgate, and the rear seats feature the obligatory 60/40 split, as well as a loading-through hatch for the A4 owner fond of snowboarding and buying CD racks from Ikea. It’s nearly five inches longer than the current Avant, which liberates extra floor space behind the front seats.

Any surprises under the A4 Avant’s bonnet?

It’s standard Audi fare in that department, but that’s no bad thing. For the time being the range-toppers are the 3.2 FSI petrol with 265bhp and the 3.0 TDI with 240bhp. Both will reach 62mph in just over six seconds (6.4 and 6.3 respectively) and top out at 155mph.

Other engines available at launch are a 1.8 TFSI petrol with 160bhp and a 143bhp 2.0 TDI. A 170bhp version of the 2.0-litre diesel unit will be available at the end of 2008.

Power is sent through six-cog manual and Tiptronic transmissions, while Audi’s continuously variable Multitronic ‘box can be specified too. Expect a £1100 premium over the equivalent saloon when Audi starts taking orders in March for early June deliveries.

Audi R8 V12 TDI

2008-01-17T20:03:00.001-08:00

By Ben Pulman
First official pictures
13 January 2008 11:00
An R8 with a twin-turbo, twin-intercooled 6.0-litre V12? Brilliant, and even better is the 493bhp. What’s perhaps not so good is the 738lb ft. Not because the tyres will be overwhelmed – four-wheel drive sees that they aren’t – but because such a figure means this R8 is a diesel.This is Audi’s Detroit Motor Show star, the R8 V12 TDI concept.
It previews the Ingolstadt-based manufacturer’s new roadgoing 6.0-litre V12 - designed to complement Audi’s Le Mans winning R10 racer. Audi claims the V12 already meets Euro 6 emissions regulations, even though they won’t come into force until 2014. That’s thanks in part to the big engine featuring Audi’s AdBlue technology that pulses urea into the exhaust to reduce NOx.
The fastest R8: a diesel
But while it’s green, the Audi V12 TDI R8 isn’t slow. That 737lb ft arrives at 1750rpm and keeps being produced until 3000rpm. So this derv R8 reaches 62mph in 4.2 seconds (0.4 seconds quicker than the regular R8) and will race on to over 180mph. Ceramic brakes slow the R8 down.
But while the R8 V12 might be quick, we suspect it won’t sound it. Audi claims the V12 TDI will sound ‘as thrilling as you'd expect in a sports car of this calibre’ - but having heard the racing R10’s low rumble, we reckon it will lose some of the V8 R8's magic.

It’s strange to look inside the cabin of an R8 and see the redline starting at 4500rpm, but it’s heartening to see a Ferrari ‘mannetino’ style dial with Dynamic, Sport and Race modes. This allows you to fiddle with the engine, transmission and magnetic damper settings, while Race also switches the instruments lighting from white to red while the sat-nav display changes to track your laps times and g-forces.
The chances of the R8 ever receiving the V12 TDi for a production run aren't as slim as you might think. Don't forget Audi’s rush to fill every niche. This big V12 is destined to reach the Q7 and A8, and we hear the R8 is a very probable bet, to sit alongside the confirmed 2009 TT diesel. Meanwhile, the styling of this concept gives hints towards the forthcoming V10-powered R8 and R8 Spider.
R8: the new look
The bodykit featuring a retractable rear spoiler probably won’t see the light of day, and nor will the NACA duct on the roof feeding the V12. But either side of the NACA duct are twin glass panels letting light into the cabin, and the forthcoming targa-top Spider could feature the same.
Styling flourishes tipped for the new V10-powered R8 are the twin strakes dividing the front air intakes and rear air outlets, replacing replace the triple and quad items on the V8 R8. The enlarged air intakes in the sideblades will also feature on the V10.
They say: A groundbreaking sports car in tune with 21st century sensitivitiesWe say: The march of diesel continues. Is nothing sacred?CAR verdict: 4/5

Audi TTS

2008-01-17T20:01:00.000-08:00

By Ben Pulman
First official pictures
10 January 2008 15:36
This is Audi’s new TTS - the most powerful TT to date. Quattro is standard, helping to put 268bhp and 258lb ft safely to the ground, as well as helping the coupe claw to 62mph in just 5.2 seconds.
Using a tweaked version of the Audi S3 2.0-litre turbocharged engine, the TTS will run on to a limited top speed of 155mph, in coupe or cabrio form. Incidentally, the heavier drop-top takes 5.4 seconds to reach 62mph. These headline acceleratation figures are only possible when equipped with Audi’s S-tronic dual-clutch transmission; the six-speed manual adds two-tenths to the 0-62mph time for both bodystyles.
The 2.0-litre is a TFSI engine, meaning it features both direct injection and turbocharging, which helps the Coupe achieve 35.8mpg (a similarly powerful 3.0-litre BMW Z4 Coupe manages 32.5mpg).
Audi TTS: the tech spec
The TTS also features magnetic dampers as standard, and the Sport mode lowers the car by 10mm. As with the regular TT, the front half is aluminium while the rear is steel in an effort to achieve a more equal weight distribution.
The coupe’s 1395kg weight is exactly the same as the BMW 3.0 Z4 Coupe's. Braking is by 17-inch discs up front which fit snugly inside the 18-inch wheels while the in-yer-face LED daytime running lights are new to the TT, and standard fit on the S. Audi reckons that around 10-15 percent of TT customers will pick the latest top spec.
Inside story
The interior features part-leather, part-Alcantara seats, or if you’re willing to pay for it you can get full Nappa leather seen in our pictures. The TTS will reach the UK at the end of summer 2008. Expect a small premium over the V6 TT - Audi marketing bods suggest it will add around £1500 to the bill.
The TTS isn't the hardest TT, either. The Ingolstadt-based manufacturer is readying a TT RS with a turbocharged version of the 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine available in American Jettas. Expect the 350bhp TT to go hunting for the SLK55 AMG.

Audi Metroproject Quattro unveiled

2008-01-17T19:59:00.000-08:00

By Guy Bird
First official pictures
24 October 2007 03:54
The countdown to Audi’s supermini A1 starts here
The Audi Metro Project concept – unveiled in the metal for the first time at the 2007 Tokyo show today – may have been billed as a ‘design study’, but the German marque’s going to make it with little changed, and soon. The official line at Audi’s press conference from chairman Rupert Stadler went as follows: 'In two years’ time I imagine that we will find many aspects of this car in the new Audi A1.' Head of Audi Group design Wolfgang Egger was more forthcoming. He told CAR Online the sporty three-door four-seat prestige supermini concept was '80 percent production ready'. The version you’ll be able to buy is expected at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show.
What stays, what goes?
The exterior proportions look pretty close to production already. In terms of details, design boss Egger said the striking wide metal strip defining the coupe-shaped roofline running from the A- to the C-pillar will be one key design element staying, but it won’t be milled from a single piece of aluminium like on the concept. Instead a 0.8mm alu-plate coating will be used, or alternatively you could option the same feature in carbonfibre. Key to Audi’s brand values, Egger stressed real materials would be used throughout – nothing fake will masquerade as something else. And those distinctive front headlamps’ LED lower lid ‘eyeliner’ detail will also make the cut – lighting technology already pioneered on the R8 and brand-new A4.

Inside ‘outed’, mobile maybe
The interior is clearly close to production too. Much of the uncluttered driver dials and dashboard configuration - plus that squared-off steering wheel - will stay and Egger says the Metroproject’s Audi portable mobile phone that also acts as an entry key, sat-nav, MP3 and video info pad will slot into future Audis above the gearstick. Will it be ready in time for the A1's production debut in 2009? Egger says the final decision has not been made but 'he’s pushing for it to give a cleaner and lighter new dimension for interiors.' Yes please.
Should Mini be worried?
Probably. Egger says the A1 will be 'a progressive sports car design, with no retro touches within a great-driving 2+2 compact GT package'. Sounds like it's aimed squarely at the Mini, then. Matching Mini for driving fun will be no easy task and the A1 may only offer similar rear seat and luggage space to its BMW rival, but with its shrunken Audi good looks and quality, a sales hit looks on the cards. One thing we won't see on the production cars - at least not at first - is the hybrid system that drives the rear wheels only. The 40bhp electric motor under the boot floor helps contribute to the concept's worthy 57mpg economy and 112g/km cleanliness.

Audi Metroproject Quattro

2008-01-17T19:56:00.000-08:00

By Ben Pulman
First official pictures
19 October 2007 12:42
Audi A1: the lowdown
Welcome to the new Audi A1. Or as it is officially known, the Metroproject quattro. It's currently tagged as a design study, but we've already scooped the prototype out on the road. This concept car is being unveiled to the world at the Tokyo Motor Show next week, but the embargo has been broken by some enterprising souls abroad, so now we're bringing you all the details on the new A1 a week early.
Is this a new A2 then?
The concept is a three-door, four-seater, but - like the A2 - it isn’t some cheap city car, but rather a premium product with a hybrid powertrain. Expect a B-pillar to appear for production but hopefully those aluminium roof pillars will stay. The side profile shows a low, sporty car, and Audi is keen to push the sportiness of its brand. They were banging on about it at the launch of the new A4 and officials can't stop talking about 'driving pleasure'.

What a pert bottom…
Ahem, indeed. Looking very like the Shooting Brake concept from the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show, the A1, sorry, Metroproject quattro, has twin pipes and those distinctively styled rear lights, designed to resemble a space ship. Apparently. The concept is 3.91m long, 1.75m wide, and 1.4m high. The wheelbase (2.46m) is very close to that of the Mini's (2467mm). Make no mistake, Audi knows exactly what it's aiming for with this newcomer.
That picture looks familiar…
It should do. This is the official design sketch for the concept, and it’s exactly the same sketch that CAR Online got hold of back in July. Our man Georg Kacher is very well connected in Ingolstadt, you see - which is why he can obtain images like this three months early.

Looks typically Audi inside…
You mean well made and reeking of quality? There’s a flat-bottomed steering wheel like on the RS4, low mounted ventilation controls like those found in the TT and R8, and a few other lovely details as well, which we'll come to in a moment. The gearbox is Audi’s S-tronic (nee DSG) system, for rifle-bolt gearchanges up and down the box. This will be available on the production A1, too.
What on earth is that?
It's the Metroproject quattro hybrid system, more of which in a moment. Up front the concept car has a 1.4-litre TFSI engine developing 148bhp and driving the front wheels. And before you cry foul over the quattro name, positioned over the rear axle is a 40bhp electric motor, which can deliver an additional 148lb ft slug. Together that makes the car four-wheel drive. And despite the hybrid system, there's still a 240-litre boot. Which is bigger than a Mini's.

Anything else?
This Audi is rear-wheel drive. No really. During low-speed running, the car can be powered solely by electric power. And as the battery only drive the rear wheels, the Metroproject quattro can, at times, be rear-drive only. The lithium-ion battery provides a 62-mile range when in runs on pure electric power, and can recharge from any power socket. Combined with stop/start technology, Audi claims a cut in fuel consumption of 15 percent, so this car does 57.7mpg and only emits a mere 112g/km. Very handy.
Is it quite sprightly then?
It's fleet of foot as well as green of tailpipe, says Audi. The 0-62mph time is 7.8 seconds, and there’s a top speed of 126mph. That's all we've got so far. Well, apart from the Audi mobile…

The Audi what?
Audi mobile. It's a mobile phone but pop it into the slot in front of the gearstick and it becomes your car key. The phone also stores all your preferences, and your music. That means you can take it out of the car and use it as an MP3 player or as a navigation device. It's basically Audi's MMI system in your hand: for instance, from inside your house you can turn on the car's heating while you're getting ready in the morning. We're very excited about this car, and its arrival should prove more timely than the A2's. Had that car arrived today, it would've surely sold as well as the Mini, but it was hampered by high cost, tricky aluminium construction and low volumes. How times have changed.

Audi A4 pricing

2008-01-17T19:55:00.000-08:00

By Ben Barry
Industry news
12 September 2007 10:16
Audi has announced on-the-road pricing for the all-new A4 that’s set to reach British customers in Spring 2008.
The Audi A4 will start at £22,590 for the 1.8 petrol, rising to £29,680 for the 3.2 petrol. The 2.0-litre diesel lists at £23,940, while the 2.7 and 3.0-litre V6 oil burners come in at £28,440 and £30,290 respectively. To put that into perspective, the last generation A4 started at £19,925 – more than £2500 cheaper – while the current lowest-price rivals from BMW and Mercedes start from £20,705 and £22,937 respectively.

Audi RS6 Avant unveiled

2008-01-17T19:53:00.000-08:00

By Ben Pulman
First official pictures
05 September 2007 10:00
Right, I want numbers
Impatient? Well we are too, having snapped the RS6 Avant testing at the Nurburgring earlier this year, and knowing how good the RS4 is. So, without further ado… The headline figure is 571bhp. Yes, 571 horses, so if you thought the German horsepower race was slowing down you were very much mistaken, as today Mercedes has also unleashed its C63 AMG estate, detuned to 451bhp. The rest of the numbers are 479lb ft, €101,750 (£68,656) on the Continent, 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds, a limited top speed of 155mph and a kerbweight of 2025kg. Oh, and 1660 litres of boot space with the rear seats down.
But it looks understated?
At first glance, yes, but when you clock it in your rear-view mirror you’ll notice the subtly sculpted front bumper and LED daytime running lights. As the RS6 Avant passes you, and if you’re quick, you’ll pick out the bigger wheels and the chunky, flared wheel arches reminiscent of the old Ur-quattro. And, once it’s passed you, watch the two oval exhausts disappearing into the distance, and only then realise that it was an estate. Yes, it was that fast. Standard are 19-inch wheels, though you can specify 20-inch wheels. Only with the larger wheels can you have the ceramic brake option: they’re as impressive as the engine’s outputs, with 420mm discs up front, and 356mm discs at the rear. Also on the options list is a sports exhaust and a three-stage magnetic damping system.

So why is the RS6 Avant so quick?
We’ll start with the engine. It’s a V10, but not the 5.2-litre V10 found in the S6 or S8. This one's a 5.0-litre. Audi is being coy about the similarities this engine has to that in the Gallardo, but there are differences, most notably the presence of FSI in the RS6’s. Thanks to two turbochargers, you’ll get 479lb ft at 1500-6250rpm, and 571bhp from 6250-6700rpm. The end result is 20.3mpg – but also a 0-125mph time of 14.9 seconds. It's quick, then. The RS6 Avant comes, of course, with quattro four-wheel drive as standard, and a 40:60 front-to-rear torque split. Drive passes through a six-speed Tiptronic gearbox, complete with paddleshift. The standard spec list is massive, with heated front and rear leather and Alcantara seats, a Bose stereo, and a tyre pressure monitoring system. The car will take a bow at this month’s Frankfurt Motor Show before going on sale in April 2008. We should get to see the saloon – which we’ve already scooped testing – in Summer 2008. Bring on the Merc E63 Estate and the BMW M5 Touring...

Audi's clean and green future

2008-01-17T19:48:00.000-08:00

By Ben Pulman
First official pictures
30 August 2007 04:30
What’s all this about then? Vorsprung durch Technik?
Audi, like every other German premium car maker, is feeling the pressure from the EU, its own Green Party, Al Gore, and seemingly everyone else. And unlike the French or Italian volume manufacturers which are already very close to the EU’s proposed 130g/km limit, the Germans are still a fair way off. Even with Chancellor Merkel fighting for them, they have to get clean and green, and have to be seen doing it. So, like Porsche last month, Audi has given unprecedented access to their Neustadt Proving Ground for a sneak preview of its forthcoming hybrids (both full and mild), CNG, E85, urea and other technologies.
What's Audi's solution then?
Audi isn't committing to any specific fuel for the near-future. Instead it’s hedging its bets and exploring all sorts of cleaner, greener fuels - but it is planning to put a lot of them into production. The only thing that the company sees as a certainty is that hydrogen will not be in anything approaching general use for at least another 20 years. And when hydrogen does appear it will be in fuel-cell guise which Audi believes is a more efficient method than using hydrogen as a fuel to power traditional combustion engines, a la the BMW Hydrogen 7 and Ford C-Max H2 ICE.

So what new technology is actually coming then?
Don’t worry, it’s not all pie-in-the-sky. Audi’s revised valve lift technology will start appearing from 2008, and is claimed to reduce fuel consumption by 5 percent. Of rather more interest is Audi's Q7 Hybrid, that's due in 2008, although UK buyers will have to wait until 2009 and may be snubbed altogether; Audi claims it hasn't even been confirmed for right-hand drive.
Seeing as we’re talking about the Q7 tell me about it . . .
We’ve already covered the full technical details of the hybrid system when CAR Online had a ride in the Cayenne Hybrid last month. The Q7 Hybrid is a similar parallel system where the technology slots into the existing mechanical layout, without the need for too many expensive changes. Apart from the air-con and steering that must now be run electrically. Our test Q7 was a five-seater as the NiMH (nickelmetalhydride) battery was in the boot – though engineers claim they can still make the car seat seven in the future – and up front is the standard 3.6-litre V6. Unfortunately the system means that the kerb weight has ballooned from 2235kg to 2480kg. However, emissions should fall from 304 to 231g/km CO2, whilst fuel consumption is claimed to be down - 22.4 to 28.2mpg. Disappointingly, I managed just 18.7mpg, according to the onboard computer. How good this system actually is will only be discovered when CAR has a longer first drive, and isn't fed laboratory figures. The glovebox in this prototype was filled with wires for the dashboard screen that displayed the energy flows between the wheels, engine and battery. The system is clearer than that in a Lexus or Toyota, and should make production.

Educating the driver? Do you mean having lessons?
Not quite, and while Audi wants whatever system it puts into production to be unobtrusive, some of the possibilities seem rather dictatorial. The company estimates that a driver can influence fuel consumption by up to 30 percent, and even more in a hybrid. All new Audi models from 2007 will have a gearshift indicator, and while it’s nothing new every little does help, especially when it is as simplistic and works as well as this; apparently the telltale warning lights improve fuel economy by 15 percent in the A5. However the future holds a few authoritarian measures. The gearshift indicator will pulse and change colour to encourage you to change gear and the car will suggest ‘live tips’, like closing your windows to reduce air resistance, or dropping your speed. It could also present a list of the features you’re using on the car and show how switching off each could cut fuel consumption. Finally the ‘Eco Trainer’ will rate how economically you’re driving and future sat-nav systems will offer you an economy route with an estimation of your fuel and CO2 savings. Welcome to the future!
What about these alternate fuels then?
As we’ve mentioned Audi isn’t sure what fuels are going to be the best in the near-future. And because different markets have different fuelling infrastructures Ingolstadt has shown us both CNG (compressed natural gas) and E85-powered cars. The base engine for this test is the company’s new 2.0-litre turbocharged FSI engine (TFSI), which is in-turn based on the new 1.8 TFSI. This 2.0-litre is rated by Audi to 220kW (295bhp) and can be installed transversely and longitudinally so expect to see it in all sorts of VAG products in the near future, including the new VW Scirocco. First up is the CNG engine with 161bhp. The engine is optimised to run on CNG and even using fossil-fuel produced CNG CO2 emissions are supposed to be 20 percent less, whilst CNG (at least in Germany) is half the cost of petrol. The system weights 90kg more than a standard car, in part because of the weight of four gas tanks holding 21kg of CNG at 200bar. But this gives a theoretical range of over 250 miles, plus the small 14-litre petrol tank should give you a 100 mile back-up. On the road, you can't tell the difference between the car on CNG and conventional petrol.

But CNG died a death in the UK. What about this E85 that Saab is crowing about?
Audi’s E85-engined car has 174bhp (thanks to its higher octane rating than petrol) but the car is actually designed to improve economy not performance, so a driver isn’t caught out in an overtaking manoeuvre, finding he’s on petrol and suddenly lacking a little poke. Ultimately the car is designed to run on anything from E85 (a mix of 85 percent ethanol and 15 petrol) down to E0 (conventional petrol) though all petrol has some renewable content now. What both systems ultimately rely on however is the fuel they use. If CNG is made from liquid manure and other farming waste then Audi reckons, from 'well to wheel', your car could do 40g/km. The other interesting possibility is Audi’s (and also VAG’s) tie-up with a Canadian company called Iogen that makes ethanol from straw - so not using food industry products - and in the process cutting 90 percent of CO2 emissions. And VAG is also tied up with Choren in Germany working on SunDiesel using other waste products, and running this fuel Audi claim CO2 emissions will be down to 22g/km. There’s only the issue of mass-production to overcome...
Anything a little closer to production?
Stop/start technology, but then still not until 2009. Audi are evaluating two systems, one with a separate alternator and starter motor, and one with a combined belt-driven unit. Both systems work, though the latter may be more expensive but unlike BMW’s technology, Audi showcased the technology on six-cylinder cars as well. And again as part of educating the driver, the MMI screen will show how many grams of CO2 are saved when you’re stopped or when the charged-up battery is running the car’s electrical systems. We also got behind the wheel of Audi’s 1.9 TDI ‘e’ model, whose 119g/km would avoid the possible Congestion Charge increase. CAR Online will be bringing you a first drive of this car, and the 1.8 TFSI engine in the A3, later this week.

Anything else?
Possibly the best technology CAR saw was Audi’s AdBlue technology. Developed in conjunction with VW, and Mercedes (they call it Bluetec), the system reduces diesel NOx emissions. To put it very blunty the car pisses on its own exhausts gases. Two NOx sensors track the gases and administer a pulsing spray of AdBlue (essentially a mix of water and 32.5 percent urea). NOx emissions are effectiviely cut by 90 percent, and even booting the Q7 test car around the proving ground kept the reduction above 70 percent. The only downside is the system is a weight penalty of about 40-50kg, but consider the weight of the hybrid system, and that AdBlue reduces most of diesel’s Achilles’ Heel and you wonder why the Q7 Hybrid exists... Especially as Audi claims that AdBlue will give them the cleanest diesel in the world. At least Audi is reducing weight elsewhere. The new air-con unit in the A5 is 9 percent lighter than the system in the A4. But unfortunately weight does seem to be the crux of the matter for most of this technology. So many of these innovations add weight in order to cut emissions and fuel consumption, and then the way we drive can undo all this hard work.

Audi A4

2008-01-17T19:45:00.000-08:00

By Ben Pulman
First official pictures
29 August 2007 09:30
This can't be the new A4! It look just like an A5...
That it does, but should you really complain? The Audi A5 is one of the best-looking coupes around, and that Ingolstadt’s latest four-door offering bears more than a passing resemblance to its brother is no bad thing. In fact the new A4, which will go on sale in the UK in the first quarter of 2008, shares much of its platform with the A5. The modular longitudinal platform (MLP for short) is supposed to finally make Audis sporty, rather than just nose-heavy front-wheel drive cars, thanks to a rearranged layout that pushes the engine back in the nose to the benefit of weight distribution. Audi's claims of a newfound sportiness may fall on deaf ears, though. We’re sure both the BMW 3-series and new Mercedes C-class will take some beating.
So is the new A4 really that sporty?
Only CAR’s first drive will reveal how much of the new Audi A4’s sporting ability is gospel and how much is marketing bumf. The basics are promising though, because that new platform means the front axle has been moved forward 154mm compared with the current car, so the engine now sits further back in the chassis. And those cars with quattro four-wheel drive now have a 40:60 front:rear torque split to more closely mimic the behaviour of a rear-driver. Well, that's the idea anyway. There is also a whole host of gadgets and acronyms that Audi claims makes the car a sportier drive, though like the techno-laden BMW M5 they may stop us seeing the wood for the trees. For instance, if you spec the MMI control system, as well as comfort, auto and dynamic settings for the suspension, the fourth ‘individual’ mode allows you to twiddle with 24 different settings to personalise your set-up. Other gadgets include a take on BMW’s Active Steer system, a reversing camera, a blind spot warning system and another to warn you if you change lanes without indicating.

Looks like an A5 inside too!
Indeed it does, and like every new car these days Audi claims the A4 is more spacious, safer and stiffer than its predecessor. So it should be. At 4703mm long and 1826mm wide, it’s a substantial 117mm longer and 54mm wider. The good news, however, is that Audi claims the new A4 is lighter, although it's not backed this up with hard stats yet. The only figure we have is that the new 1.8 TFSI will weigh 1410kg; but the outgoing 1.8 T is 1390kg. We still need to be convinced... Blame that extra weight on extra equipment including standard air-con (on a compact exec! Whatever next?) and a 6.5-inch black-and-white screen. Also standard are six airbags while a larger colour sat-nav screen and swivelling headlamps are optional extras. Also on the options list are vented seats with a built-in safety function that switches the heater on so you don’t freeze anything off. There is more space inside, both for bodies and baggage. The electro-mechanical handbrake frees up space, and the boot can hold 480 litres, five more than the Merc C-class. The A4 is available in four trim levels: Attraction, Ambition, Ambiente and sporty S line.
So what’s under the bonnet?
At launch in November (on the Continent), the new A4 will be available with five engines – two petrol and three diesel. In the gasoline corner are a 1.8 TFSI (158bhp, 39.8mpg) and a 3.2 FSI (261bhp, 30.7mpg). Diesel lovers can pick a 2.0-litre four-pot and two related V6s (2.7 and 3.0-litre). The four-cylinder engine comes with 141bhp and 51.4mpg. The 3.2 petrol and 3.0 diesel come with Quattro four-wheel drive; the 2.7 TDI is only available with front-wheel drive and a CVT ‘box. Daytime running lights come as standard on the A4 - they're fast becoming a feature across the whole Audi range. At the back all models get straight tailpipes. And when you’re looking at the back of the A4 you can also see the taillights which Audi preposterously claims ‘create a visual relationship with the road’. Quite.

What else?
The current 2.0-litre petrol A4 cost £75 shy of £20k. So you can expect the 1.8 TFSI to just nudge past the 20 grand milestone when it goes on sale in the UK early next year. Up next after the A4 saloon will be an A4 Avant (nee estate), and a Q5 4x4. Audi is also readying an RS6 so neither an RS5 nor RS4 will be around for a while yet, though knowing how good the current RS4 is, we can’t wait for both cars.

Audi A8 facelift

2008-01-17T19:43:00.000-08:00

By Mark Nichol
First official pictures
07 August 2007 06:45
Another mid-life facelift? What's so exciting about that?
More than you'd think, actually. Audi hasn't just tweaked the front bumper, added a couple of new colours then sent it to a photo studio (although it has done those things). It's also - wait for it - dropped a brand new engine into the inconspicuous executive's motor of choice. As you may notice from the pictures, the A8 has undergone very minor cosmetic surgery inside and out, highlights including a new grille, a fresh design of alloy and new door mirrors with integrated indicators. However, you won't see the main changes, you'll feel them.
Don't tell me, they've made it greener, right?
Er, right. But unlike Lexus's of-the-moment hybrid LS600h, the boffins at Ingolstadt have opted for good old fashioned weight and power reduction to make their flagship limo more environmentally sound. A 2.8 V6 FSI petrol motor has been introduced to make progress cleaner and more economical, so if diesel's not the oil in your lamp but you still crave the tax and conscience breaks of a low CO2 motor, this might be the solution to your big saloon woes.

Ok, so it's more economical, but won't it be a bit slow?
Well, it's no rocket, but don't forget that the A8 is made of lightweight aluminium, so it's lighter than your average big saloon at just under 1.7 tonnes. Strap an Arial Atom to the top of it and it'll still weigh less than the LS600h, and it'll give you a better return at the pumps, too. This new entry-level A8 averages 34mpg, a figure more akin to a diesel. And it's cleaner too, with only 199g/km of CO2. The 210bhp engine pushes the big A8 to 62mph in eight seconds flat, but the chances are you won't have bought this to shred tyres; its 207lb ft of torque should be ample to pull you around town in an effortless waft.
What other changes have been made to the Audi A8?
Improved adaptive air suspension has been fitted across the range, all the better to smoothe out the most minute of bumps, and the soundproofing has been optimised to cut interior noise, especially road rumble. There's also a new side warning system that will make the steering wheel vibrate if you drift into the path of another car on the motorway. Minor changes have also been made under the skin; a sharper steering set-up and revised damper settings are claimed to improve responses on the twisties. All in all, a neat facelift for one of our favourite luxury cars. We'll know if it works when we drive it later this summer.

Audi A7 sketch

2008-01-17T19:42:00.000-08:00

Audi A7: the world exclusive
Completing CAR Online's hat-trick of Audi scoops is this - Ingolstadt's slinky answer to the Mercedes CLS. The A7 is due to land in showrooms in September 2009 and will be previewed by a concept at the 2008 New York Auto Show. For any manufacturer to launch a successful model against the CLS, it must turn heads like a scantily-unclad A-list catwalk model. So the A7 will be a sleek, four-door based on the mechanical package of the next A6. And our world exclusive official design sketch, leaked to CAR Online by Audi moles, shows precisely how the Audi will look, with a low-slung profile and a gracefully swept-back stance. Audis are slowly garnering a reputation as better drivers' cars, after a succession of smash hits (RS4, R8... is the jury still out on the A5?) and from what we know about the new A6/7, it looks like they should be more alert handlers than today's exec. Like on the new A4/A5 family arriving this year, the A7 will get a new steering rack, multi-link suspension and a rear-bias quattro system to quell the apex-busting understeer that's blighted Audi saloons for decades. Four-cylinder power is off limits in the A7, and so is W12 propulsion. Six- and eight-cylinder power is flavour of the day, with as many as six different engines expected: 3.0-litre V6 and 4.2-litre V8 FSI petrols, topped by Lambo-sourced V10 in normally aspirated and twin-turbo form for the S7 and RS7. Prefer filling up at the black pump? Then expect 3.0-litre V6 and 4.2-litre V8 TDI units. Pricewise, the natural home for the A7 is the middle ground which separates the A6 from the A8, so the bulk of the models should be positioned in the £35,000-£50,000 bracket. Naturally, in this niche-filling, expansionist era at Ingolstadt, there could be a soft-top, too. This single image, leaked from top brass at Audi exclusively to CAR Online, suggests Audi could have an attractive big coupe on its hands. But it won't have it all its own way; Mercedes is readying a facelift for the CLS in 2008, before an all-new replacement arrives in 2011.

Audi R8 Spider

2008-01-17T19:41:00.001-08:00

Audi R8 Spider: the lowdown
Audi is lopping the top off its R8 supercar - and CAR Online has the exclusive proof. This official design sketch leaked from the company's Ingolstadt design studios shows exactly how the open-air R8 will look when it goes on sale in 2009. It follows our scoop on the Audi A1 yesterday, and we have more Audi news to come tomorrow. This drawing reveals the R8 targa for the first time, with twin speedster humps incorporating breathing vents for the mid-engined V8 behind the two-seater cockpit. The doors are deeply scalloped, as on the coupe, but this time there's a shortened, stumpier aluminium-look blade just ahead of the rear wheels. Tone down the cartoony feel of this sketch (just look at the liquorice-wrapped, deeply dished alloys) and this is the final production car. This picture confirms CAR Magazine's scoop (October 2006) that the R8 will have removable targa panels, rather than a space-gobbling removable fabric roof or folding hard-top. Fact is, most buyers of this £85k roadster will live in hotter climes like Florida, where a fiddly targa top won't be a problem. Powering the R8 Spider will be the same 4.2-litre V8 that you'll find in the RS4 and R8 tin-top. It's a high-revving, naturally aspirated V8 mustering 414bhp - easily enough to make the lightweight, alumnium R8 a very capable sports car indeed. And this targa version is aimed squarely at open-top versions of the 911. There's more change in store for the R8. Audi is planning to drop in the V10 from its donor car, the Lamborghini Gallardo, which will give the R8 sufficient poke (500bhp+) that its four-wheel drive chassis has always cried out for. It's all part of Audi's continuing plan to leapfrog BMW and Mercedes to become the world's biggest premium car maker by 2015. Niche-filling is the name of the game, as the company targets 1.5 million sales a year, so expect derivatives galore...

Audi A1 sketches

2008-01-17T19:39:00.000-08:00

By Tim Pollard
First official pictures
27 July 2007 06:08
Audi A1: the world exclusive
We always knew that CAR's Georg Kacher is one of the best connected motoring journalists in the world. But even we were surprised when he rang the office with news that he'd 'obtained' official design sketches of Audi's new Mini, the A1. Forget the artist's impressions you'll find elsewhere, CAR Online has three sketches smuggled out of Ingolstadt's design HQ that show exactly how Audi's baby will look. It's been a few years since the A2 ceased production, and Audi is chomping at the bit to join the ranks of the premium superminis. You can't blame them after jealously eyeing five years of BMW success with the pricey Mini. Audi's own supermini will be a classy hatchback laced with the brand's design flourishes - and will form a crucial plank in its strategy to become the world's biggest premium car maker by the middle of the next decade. The A1 will also be among the first VW group models built around its new MQB formula (that's platform boffin-speak for modular transverse matrix). Sounds a bit dull, but the important thing is this: it will also underpin the next A3 in 2010 and other minis elsewhere in the group, and it's designed to be cheaper to build, easier to assemble and more flexible to drop in different modules to tailor the spec for different brands. Audi reckons it'll be $1000 cheaper per car than today's small-car architecture.
Wow. Describe the A1 in more detail then
Audi plans four different A1 versions: a chunky three-door hatch (revealed here in our exclusive sketches), a roomier five-door hatch, a two-door coupe and an open-top model. Will it be a four-seater cabriolet or a two-seater roadster? We don't know yet. It may be something else altogether, like an evolution of the interesting A2 Open Air concept we saw at the 1999 Frankfurt show. Former chairman Martin Winterkorn, now at VW, is very proud of his new baby. 'It demonstrates our packaging skills - this is a more attractive second car. With the new four-door Polo waiting in the wings, conceiving a structurally similar but visually very different version for Audi is not exactly rocket science.' Audi will equip the A1 with quattro four-wheel drive. That's one reason why it won't be based on the new 2008 Polo's front-drive only PQ25 architecture. Why introduce quattro in this price-sensitive segment? Because premium customers don't mind spending money on comfort and safety options - and quattro is writ through Audi DNA like a stick of Blackpool rock. All-wheel drive gives planned S1 and Q1 derivatives more kudos, too.

A four-wheel drive, turbocharged Audi S1... sounds like a genuine pocket rocket!
The S1 is tipped to get angular flared wheelarches like the 1980 quattro coupe, and will be powered by a 200bhp turbo engine driving all four corners for all-weather traction. This official Audi sketch shows how a butch, bodykitted S1 could look with large alloys, tarmac-hugging spoilers and LED daytime running lights. Base A1 models will of course be front-wheel drive, and the engines will be direct-injection from bottom to top. Audi plans to offer five different derivatives of the same 1.4-litre petrol. With and without turbo, the power output ratings are 65, 85, 105, 140 and 170bhp. The same reduce-to-the-max strategy applies to the diesels. Here, it's a new 1.6-litre four-pot, which has been selected to do the job in 75, 90, 105 and 130bhp guise. The transmission of choice is a heavily re-engineered low-cost dual-clutch unit dubbed DSG250 which boasts seven forward ratios, a world first in this price segment. The new management team at Audi needs to make sure that the A1 will be a true Audi - in the way it looks, in the way it is put together, and in the way it drives. Under four metres short and a tad lower and wider than most rivals, the A1 models will be shaped to rival the Mini in terms of street credibility and to eclipse it in terms of practicality. Audi hopes to build 100,000 units in its first full year of production, 2010. But once the open-top version and the Q1 are in production, Audi intends to boost the capacity in Brussels to an ambitious 190,000 vehicles. To make sure the new car takes off like a rocket, prices are expected to start at €16,000 (£10,700) in today's money, thereby undercutting the least expensive Mini by almost 10 percent.

Audi TT Clubsport Quattro

2008-01-17T19:36:00.000-08:00

By Tim Pollard
First official pictures
16 May 2007 04:20
Audi TT Clubsport Quattro: the full lowdown
Inspired by the Porsche 356, Audi has lopped the top off its TT Roadster to make this speedster version of its two-seater. The TT Clubsport Quattro, unveiled today in Austria, is a concept car to show how far the TT brand can be stretched, but officials freely admit that they are considering a limited production run. It's a TT like no other, squashed and squat, flattened to create a low-slung sports car for those living in dry climates where the occasional rain storm isn't a worry. There's no roof on this speedster at all - slightly at odds with the apparent motorsport roots of this one-off.
So how have they created the speedster look?
The hood is dispensed with altogether, along with the A-pillar, leaving just a tinted, wraparound windscreen. The rollover bars are lower than in the TT Roadster, nestling the same height as the sports bucket seats. Audi has also played around with the single-frame grille; new aluminium inserts emphasise the width and Ingolstadt's four interlocked rings have been switched up to the bonnet. Day-running lights are standard, the mirrors are shrunken items on stalks and you won't spot any door handles, because there aren't any; the doors open by remote, apparently.

s it all show and no go?
The TT Clubsport Quattro uses the TT's standard 2.0-litre TFSI engine, as used widely in the VW Group from the Golf GTI to various hot Seats. This one is tuned to produce 300bhp - 40 ponies more than the same engine in the S3. Audi claims a reworked intake manifold and racing air intake are responsible for most of that, and the power is sent to all four wheels. That makes it the first four-cylinder, new-generation TT to have a quattro drivetrain, suggesting that the all-wheel drive spec will trickle down the range. Audi's automated manual, six-speed gearbox, S Tronic, is standard, and ceramic brakes from the RS4/A8 are fitted to the TT for the first time.
It definitely looks wider than the regular TT...
That's because it is. Audi hasn't just used the trompe l'oeil of different grille detailing to make the Clubsport look wider - the track is 80mm wider, too, with flared wheelarches over regular models. They house 20-inch wheels shod with 265/30 rubber.

What's the TT Clubsport Quattro like inside?
Racing buckets with four-speed harnesses are thrown in to emphasise the car's supposedly sporty credentials. Manufacturers love to talk up their cars' sportiness and Audi reckons owners will use theirs on the racetrack at weekends... Of rather more importance to most owners are the aesthetic changes: the steering wheel gains aluminium detailing, and the pedals are made from grooved, lightweight metal, too. Even the gearlever gate is new, borrowed from the top-end R8 sports car, while the middle of the three round air vents normally found on cooking TTs is replaced by a display for the top-end B&O sound system.

Audi Cross Coupe Quattro

2008-01-17T19:34:00.000-08:00

By Jack Carfrae
First official pictures
26 April 2007 01:30
Audi Cross Coupe Quattro: the lowdown
This is the first official picture of what will become in 2010 Audi's new Freelander rival, efectively the Q3. It's a baby brother to the Q7 mud-plugger and forthcoming Q5 - but this one is more compact, seats only five and has gone on a crash-diet. End result? The Cross Coupe Quattro - unveiled today in Shanghai, it's a concept car for a much slicker crossover. It'll be based on VW's new Tiguan, sharing its four-wheel drive and transversely mounted 204bhp 2.0-litre TDI engine.
What will the Q3 be like to drive and will it be any good off-road?
The Cross Coupe rides on MacPherson struts at the front and a four-link rear axle, which should make for a decent ride and solid cornering on the road. Some extra ground clearance required for light off-roading is helped by the concept car's bling 20-inch alloys. Nestling behind the rims are ceramic brake discs, to ensure that the Cross Coupe can anchor itself to the tarmac quickly and fade-free. The Haldex 4wd system distributes power evenly between all four wheels for decent traction; just don't go expecting to cross deserts. The Cross Coupe also comes with Audi's S-tronic transmission, for quick, paddle-shift gearchanges.

Any more toys?
Of course. Being aimed at the fickle and fashionable SUV market means that the Cross Coupe is bristling with trendy electronic pampering. There are three different driving style settings available to the driver of the Cross Coupe: Dynamic, Sport and Efficiency. Dynamic is normal to you and me, while Sport sets the suspension up for a bit of intense B-road blasting. Efficiency however, alters the engine map for economical driving and even adapts power-sapping items such as the air-conditioning compressor.
Clever stuff...
That's just the tip of the iceberg. The Cross Coupe is laden with quirky and useful little bits of technology. Audi's MMI control panel allows a split screen view of the computer read-out, showing different images depending on where you're sitting in the car. So dad can keep an eye on fuel levels and the like, while the kids can watch TV. There's also a folding fabric roof, which is an unusual feature for an SUV, but nonetheless an attractive concept.

Sounds like a great place for a long family journey. Not sure about the styling, though.
It's an unusual looking thing, that's for sure. But there's no denying that Audi has been brave with the styling on this one and is obviously attempting to lure buyers away from the more subtle lines of the X3 and Freelander. Despite the steeply raked rear windscreen, the Cross Coupe looks like a mini Q7 from the back, sharing its long horizontal tail lights. At the front, it's pretty aggressive-looking. The hunched stance and frowning lamps are intimidating enough to frighten away most small animals, before they're sucked into that monstrous grille.
What about practicality? Presumably it will have to cope with kids and bags?
The Cross Coupe is only a four-seater, so it won't be suitable for particularly large families. However, those with one or two kids looking for something to swallow a few suitcases probably won't be disappointed. There's a handy 450 litres of luggage space if you're prepared to stack your bags up to the edge of the window, which isn't bad going for a small SUV. There's no word on prices yet, but expect the Q3 to cost from around £20k. It's interesting that Audi chose to unveil the Cross Coupe Quattro in China; the Germans are hoping to build their brand in this, one of the fastest emerging markets in the world.

Auto Union sale scotched

2008-01-17T19:32:00.001-08:00

By Jack Carfrae
Industry news
19 March 2007 02:35
Christie’s has pulled the ultra-rare 1939 Auto Union Type D grand prix car from auction this month. It had been expected to hit a new record of nearly £8 million.
As reported previously, the Auto Union was attracting great interest because it is one of only two surviving examples from the late 1930s. However, the legitimacy of the Type D was questioned after going to auction on 17 February. The car was removed from the block when it was discovered that it was not the same Type D believed to have won the 1939 French and Yugoslavian Grand Prix - but the other remaining example, which has considerably less motorsport pedigree. Christie’s cancelled bids for the car on 4 March as potential buyers believed that this car lacked value when compared to the grand prix-winning model.
The car itself is a tremendous piece of engineering from the period. Designed by Porsche, it features a 454bhp, twin-supercharged V12 which has a displacement of only 3.0 litres due to period regulations, but still manages to top 205mph.
The current record for the most expensive car sold at auction belongs to the 1931 Bugatti Type 41 Royale Sports Coupe, which was also sold by Christie’s for £5.5 million in 1987. We’ll keep you posted and let you know if the Type D makes it back to auction and trounces the Bugatti or if it returns to the storage room.

Audi A5

2008-01-17T19:30:00.001-08:00

By Tim Pollard
Motor shows & events
08 March 2007 09:57
Audi A5 heralds new A4
Audi's new A5 coupe will form the basis for the new A4 due to be launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show this autumn. Expect to see the two-door's sleek look transferred to the regular saloon, with the taut waistline and nose treatment essentially carried over. The A5 is Audi's new mid-sized coupe and it's aimed squarely at the likes of the BMW 3-series coupe and Mercedes CLK. As well as providing pointers to the look of the next A4, it ushers in a new engineering package, with a 'front-mid' installation for better weight distribution.
A 'front-mid' engine, you say?
Yes. Audi has long relied on front-wheel drive, and the new installation on the A5 is designed to improve the handling so its cars don't feel quite so stodgy through corners. The wheelbase is stretched, pushing the front axle forwards and the engine back, you see. It's a construction system that will be repeated on the next iteration of the A4, A6 and A8. Bearing in mind that Audi has been on form recently with the R8 supercar, TT coupe and RS4 sports saloon, we're hopeful that they've cracked the handling question at long last.

I like the look of the new A5, when can I buy one?
The new coupe arrives in July, priced from around £28,000 for the cheapest model and rising to some £40k for the S5. It uses the S4's naturally aspirated V8 and quattro drivetrain to make a pleasingly rapid coupe. Does it look good in the metal? Well, design boss Walter de'Silva called it 'the most beautiful car' he'd ever worked on, and we'd have to admit it does look smart. That rear three-quarters view can look a bit Lexusy, mind you.
What else has Audi got at the show?
Every stand at Geneva is bursting with news of green cars, and Audi's was no different. The A3 1.9 TDI E is a new, leaner A3 model with remapped engine management and taller gearing for some surprising economy benefits. It'll average 62mpg and emits a piffling 119g/km of CO2. It'll be available in three- and five-door Sportback guises this summer, for a similar price to the existing 105bhp diesel.

What else is Audi up to?
The brand is on fire at the moment - it sells 24 models and derivatives today, but that will rocket to 40 by the end of 2009. It's all part of a plan to push sales from 900,000 last year to 1.5 million by 2015. Reflecting the fragmentation of the market, Audi is busy plugging all the gaps in its range. The new A1 is being engineered to tackle the premium supermini segment hogged by the Mini, while mid-size 4x4 the Q5 will arrive in 2008.

Audi A5

2008-01-17T19:28:00.000-08:00

By Tim Pollard
First official pictures
24 February 2007 08:09
Audi A5: this time it's official
Stung by the leak of A5 photos, Audi has brought forward the first official pictures of its new A5 mid-sized coupe. It's the car designed to bridge the gap between the TT sports coupe and the R8 supercar - Audi's calling it a modern grand tourer. CAR Online brought you theleaked photos of the sporty S5 earlier this week; today we can publish all the official details of the regular A5, which goes on sale in June.
The idea of a mid-sized Audi coupe has been knocking around for a few years now; the graceful Nuvolari concept car was first shown back in 2003. The A5 is the production version of that car. It stretches to 4630mm long - roughly halfway between the A4 and A6 saloons. It's a new segment for Audi and, from a manufacturer on a roll with hits such as the TT, R8 and RS4, we're keen to see if the A5 lives up to the hype. It's the first Audi to get a new front/mid-engined layout - the front wheels are pushed forward, and the engine back, supposedly to improve the handling.

What's the A5 like inside?
The A5 is a full four-seater and these first photos inside a regular model reveal a high-quality interior whose ancestry is clearly shared with the rest of the Audi clan. Switchgear is neatly arranged in usual Ingolstadt fashion and you can almost feel the build quality from these photos. Audi reckons the A5 will be a practical coupe, and there's a handy, 455-litre boot, whose lid rises automatically at the touch of a button. And the A5 does away with a traditional metal key, instead storing all the info on a chip in the plastic key fob. This stores all the car's diagnostic readings, too, so checking your car in for a service will be easier than ever.
Is there the usual, bewildering Audi range of engines on offer?
The A5's engine room options stretch from 170 to 265bhp, sending power through either the front wheels or Audi's quattro four-wheel drive system. All petrol and diesel engines in the A5 have direct-injection: • 1.8 four-cylinder turbo, 170bhp, performance n/a • 3.2-litre V6, 265bhp, 155mph, 0-62mph in 6.1sec • 2.7-litre V6 TDI, 190bhp, 144mph, 0-62mph in 7.6sec • 3.0-litre V6 TDI, 240bhp, 155mph, 0-62mph in 5.9sec Topping the range is the new S5, shown above: • 4.2-litre V8, 354bhp, 155mph, 0-62mph 5.1sec

It's a new Audi... it must be dripping with technology?
They have indeed thrown a lot of gadgets at the new A5. Engineering highlights include aluminium suspension components front and rear, a new, two-stage variable valve lift system on the 3.2 FSI, and Audi's first eight-speed Multitronic CVT auto gearbox. Gizmos in the cabin include all the usual trinkets (parking cameras, three-way climate control), plus a few surprises: how about aluminium hologram trim or a stonking Bang & Olufsen 500-watt stereo? We get to drive the A5 in the spring, before sales start in the summer. Expect prices in the UK to start at around £30,000 for a 2.7 TDI.

Record expected for Auto Union sale

2008-01-17T19:25:00.000-08:00

By James Mullan
Industry news
07 February 2007 09:21
A rare 1939 Auto Union Type D grand prix car is tipped to tear up the record books this month when it goes under the hammer – for an estimated price of up to £7.8 million.
Auto Union developed the Type D racing car with a mid-mounted 3.0-litre 12-cylinder engine; in 1939, it was modified with the addition of a twin supercharger, increasing power 420bhp to 460bhp – enough for a top speed of 205mph. This particular car won the French and Yugoslavian Grand Prix in 1939, but at the end of the Second World War it was transported from East Germany to the former Soviet Union by Russian occupation forces as spoils of war. Auto Union's first racing cars were funded by Hitler's government, which saw the benefit of racing for the promotion of the Third Reich. This rare Type D was rediscovered in pieces in the 1980s – and painstakingly reassembled by car restoration experts Crosthwaite & Gardiner in East Sussex, England. The racer is now expected to raise somewhere between £5.8m and £7.8m when interested parties from all over the globe fight it out for this unique slice of pre-war grand prix history. Christie’s will hold the auction at the Retromobile international vintage car fair on 17 February. Watch this space to see if the Type D smashes the previous record held by the 1931 Bugatti Type 41 Berliner Royale Sports Coupe, which sold for £5.5m in 1987.

Audi Q7 V12 TDi concept

2008-01-17T19:21:00.000-08:00

By Ben Oliver
Motor shows & events
08 January 2007 04:15
A V12 diesel?
You read that right; Audi has unveiled the first road car to be fitted with its Le Mans-winning V12 diesel engine. The Q7 V12 TDI is still officially a concept; Audi revealed the road-going version of its race engine at last year’s Paris motor show and hasn’t confirmed when it will go into production, but it will almost certainly be offered in both the Q7 and the A8. This Q7 concept featuring the engine is designed to get us excited about the new engine (it has) and to highlight Audi’s commitment to selling more diesels in America, which has long rejected them.
Just to be clear – this is a racing V12 diesel engine fitted to a big off-roader?
Sounds an unlikely combination, but yes. The road version of the V12 diesel has more capacity than the racer at 6.0 litres to 5.5, but its twin turbochargers don’t blow as hard so it produces ‘only’ 500bhp to the Le Mans R10’s 650bhp. And we love four-figure output claims; peak torque is 1000Nm, or 737lb ft. Audi says the concept will hit 60mph in 5.5sec and although it would be limited to 155mph, we noticed the speedo was calibrated to 220mph; that’s probably only 40mph optimistic.

I thought diesels were supposed to be slow, frugal and green…
This one fails on the first two counts but succeeds on the second; it is fitted with the Bluetec system developed by Mercedes which treats exhaust gases to remove the nitrogen oxides which prevent diesel engines being sold in some US states. Audi also unveiled its production Q7 3.0-litre TDI with Bluetec, which goes on sale in the US next year.
The looks are as unsubtle as the engine…
It may be a little bling for most tastes, but the white paintjob looks sensational in the steel, and the new S6-style grille looks really sorts the Q7’s fussy front end out. The massive chromed rims are concept specials, as is the completely ivory interior, but the individual MMI controllers set into the front seat backs might make production.

Audi's new model rush revealed

2008-01-17T19:19:00.000-08:00

By Georg Kacher
Industry news
24 November 2006 10:21
Audi has nothing to fear from the appointment of Martin Winterkorn as VW group boss. After all, Winterkorn clinched the job on the strength of his performance at Ingolstadt.
And if Audi continues the stunning growth he led, it's on track to become leader of the luxury pack by 2020. One car that will become more likely with Winterkorn in charge is the A1, a baby Audi to take on the Mini. Former VW boss Bernd Pischetsrieder didn't believe there was room below the A3 for a small hatch, but his departure clears the way for the small shooting brake.
Imagine a shrunken version of the TT show car, running fourpot engines, and you have the most likely concept for the A1. Expect the car around 2009-10. Winterkorn will over-rule those insiders who believe that the A1 will damage Polo sales. After all, the VW competes with Opel and Ford, while Audi battles BMW and Mercedes. That's why Ingolstadt should be free to make any product-related decisions and investments its deems necessary. What else is on the way? 2007 will be a busy year, with the launch of the R8 supercar and V12 diesel Q7.
Also coming is the A5 coupe, which uses the new MLB platform which will underpin all Audi's forthcoming big cars. The A5 will be built at the Ingolstadt factory, alongside another new boy, the Q5. The location is no coincidence, because the Q5 is a crossover SUV spun off the same platform as the A5. The five-seater, due in 2008, will be pitched at the BMW X3 and Mercedes' forthcoming baby ML. The look is much sportier than an X3's – think steeply raked roofline and narrow glasshouse, as is the current crossover craze. The body will be jacked up to boost ground clearance, with air suspension optional. In the nose are 2.0-litre and V6 petrols and diesels, coupled to a quattro drivetrain.
The SUV push might not end there: there's clearly room for a Q3 and a Q1. The A3 range will be bulked out with a soft-top cabriolet and a four-door saloon. The Roadjet concept, which is internally known as elevated sports vehicle (ESV), could mark the starting point for a string of new high-roof/high seat vehicles aimed at affluent middle-aged consumers. But Audi has gone cold on this concept, having seen the lukewarm market reaction to Mercedes' R-class.
Last but certainly not least, Audi is also planning a mid-engined R4 sports car. For exclusive pictures, check out the January 2007 issue of CAR Magazine, out 29 November.

Audi TT roadster

2008-01-17T19:16:00.001-08:00

By Phil McNamara
First official pictures
18 October 2006 11:03
New Audi TT roadster: the lowdown
Here it is – the drop-top version of Audi's new TT. Bigger yet lighter, stiffer and faster, UK customers can order the roadster from November, with deliveries following in spring 2007. Prices start at £26,915 for the 2.0-litre turbo version, with the other launch model – running the 3.2-litre V6 – costing £31,535.
New TT: staying soft top
Audi hasn't been bitten by the folding tin-top bug. The roadster retains a fully insulated fabric roof with heated glass screen. On UK launch cars, the hood is power-operated. It folds in 12sec, and drivers can operate it at speeds of up to 30mph. A standard wind deflector can be deployed at the push of a button. Available in black and grey, the roof stows more compactly than its predecessor. Some 250 litres of luggage can be swallowed, with the roof down. Thanks to its fabric roof and 58 percent aluminium construction, the fourpot TT roadster is 30kg lighter than the Mk1. It's twice as stiff, however, which should sharpen handling and boost refinement. Audi has strengthened the A-pillars and added twin rollover hoops, to boost safety.

TT roadster: design and spec
Like its coupe brother, the roadster looks more grown up than the original. The nigh-on symmetrical Mk1 didn't know whether it was coming or going, but its replacement looks far more defined. The nose is longer, that spearing line over the sill adds dynamism, and the rear – with its integrated lip spoiler – is more muscular. The base UK roadster has 17-inch alloys, the V6 rolls on 18s. The 2.0-litre gets part-leather sports seats, while the 3.2 quattro gets full leather, heated front seats and an exterior light styling pack. Magnetic ride adaptive damping is an option. Power comes from a 197bhp 2.0-litre turbo, or 247bhp 3.2-litre V6. While the fourpot sends power to the front wheels via a six-speed manual or S-tronic double clutch automatic, the V6 adopts quattro four-wheel drive.
How fast and how thirsy?
The TT roadster is no slouch: 0-62mph takes 6.5sec for a 2.0-litre turbo coupled with the sharp-shifting S-tronic double clutch 'box. Top speed is 147mph, fuel consumption 36.2mpg. Opting for the V6 shaves 0.6sec off the 0-62mph sprint, while cutting fuel economy to 29.7mpg. Top speed is limited to 155mph.

Audi R8

2008-01-17T19:13:00.000-08:00

By Ben Oliver
Motor shows & events
28 September 2006 01:46
The lowdown
Audi has unveiled its first mid-engined sports car, the R8. The 420bhp, 4.2-litre V8-powered 911 rival will hit 188mph (or 301kph) and gets to 62mph in 4.6secs. The Lamborghini Gallardo-based supercar will cost an estimated £75,000 when it arrives in the UK in May, with the Audi R Tronic sequential manual costing an extra £5000. The UK will get 350 cars a year, with deposits already taken on the first 550.
Mighty V8 power
The dry-sumped V8 sits low in the middle of the aluminium space frame chassis, producing 316lb ft of torque at 5500rpm and revving to 8250rpm, with peak power at 7600rpm. Front-rear weight distribution is 56/44, with the standard Quattro four-wheel drive system adapted for a mid-mounted engine for the first time. Suspension is by aluminium double wishbones at both ends with a conventional hydraulic steering rack. 18-inch wheels are standard, with 19s as an option.

The inside story
The R8 is 1.25m high and 1.9m across, but relatively short at 4.43m. It has a 100-litre boot in the nose but can accommodate two golf bags behind the seats. The interior features Audi’s MMI multimedia interface system with a 7-inch colour display. Full-race bucket seats are an option, and Audi’s Quattro arm will offer a full personalisation program. Just 15 cars a day, or around 4000 a year, will be built in a special assembly facility at Audi’s Neckarsulm plant.
Ground-breaking options
The R8 will be offered with a series of innovative options. Full LED front lighting will be available from the end of 2007 and is likely to make the R8 the first production car to offer it. The engine bay will also offer LEDs in the engine bay to illuminate the V8, which has been designed to be seen clearly from outside or from inside the cabin. Audi’s magnetic ride system will also be an option, the dampers filled with a magnetorheological fluid whose viscosity can be altered instantly with electromagnets.

Audi reveals monster V12 diesel

2008-01-17T19:12:00.000-08:00

By Phil McNamara
First official pictures
18 September 2006 08:15
Audi has revealed details of a flagship diesel Q7, which runs a V12 TDI inspired by the company's Le Mans-winning diesel racer.
Ingolstadt claims the engine is the world's most powerful production diesel. The blown 6.0-litre V12 kicks out 493bhp and a staggering 737lb ft at just 1750rpm. The Q7 may be the size of a train, but it will go like one too with the V12 TDI under the nose.
The announcement is timed to rain on the new Range Rover V8 diesel's parade, just driven by CAR Online and on sale in a few weeks. But punters will have to wait until next year to get their hands on a Q7 TDI, and probably pay around £55-60,000.
The V12 powers the Q7 from standstill to 62mph in just 5.5sec, and onto 155mph. Yet Audi claims 23.7mpg from pre-production prototypes. Power is sent to all four wheels via a strengthened, six-speed automatic 'box. The 6.0-litre unit employs twin turbochargers and the latest common rail injection system to produce such monster power, while reining in fuel consumption.
The boost pressure in the injection rail is 2000bar, some 300 up on the powerful Range Rover's. Audi claims the V12 TDI meets Euro V emissions standards – which don't even come into force until 2010.

Audi S3

2008-01-17T19:10:00.000-08:00

By Phil McNamara
First official pictures
01 August 2006 06:23
The lowdown
Here's the new benchmark for hot hatch acceleration: the 261bhp Audi S3 quattro. Up there with the most powerful hot hatches – the 261bhp BMW 130i and Volkswagen's 250bhp Golf R32 – the S3 is due in the UK in January 2007. Audi claims it despatches the 0-62mph sprint in an impressive 5.7sec. While the BMW and VW run six-cylinder engines, Audi has opted for a high performance version of the Golf GTi's four-cylinder turbo, sending power to all four wheels. A beefy bodykit and 18-inch rims mark out the three-door S3, while the classy cockpit is kitted out with bucket seats, a Bose stereo and automatic air-con. But all that kit means it won't come cheap. Audi is predicting a list price around £27,000 – around £7k more than a Golf GTi.
Under the skin
The headline news is that Audi has overhauled the 2.0-litre direct injection petrol engine, pictured here in the A4. A bigger turbocharger generates 1.2 bar of boost pressure, while a revised intercooler chills the air and makes it extra dense, so that more can be crammed into the cylinders. The results are explosive. Peak power is 265bhp at 6000rpm, with 258lb ft of torque delivered at 2500rpm. The block and internal components have been stiffened to cope with the extra grunt. Transmission is via a close ratio, six-speed manual gearbox and a Haldex clutch that typically splits power 50:50 between axles. The mods don't end with the engine. Stiffer suspension, a fractionally lowered body and a quicker rack should make the S3 feel taut and agile. And bigger, black painted callipers peep out through those multi-spoke alloys. The free-revving S3 hits 62mph from standstill in 5.7sec, almost half a second quicker than BMW's 130i. Top speed is limited to 155mph.

By Phil McNamara
First official pictures
01 August 2006 06:23
Design: hot hatch, Audi-style
Audi's designers clearly took inspiration from Hannibal Lecter’s face mask. As if the singleframe grille isn't intimidating enough, it's underlined by a secondary aperture and ground-stroking chin spoiler. The ducts around the driving lamps are super-sized, too, and those piercing xenon headlamps standard. At the back, there's a discrete wing, and twin pipes poking through the diffuser. The look is gentleman thug.
In the cockpit
There's a similar sporty makeover inside. The drilled aluminium fairy has been at the pedals, gear knob and vents, while the dials look handmade in Switzerland. Big bucket seats clamp you in place. And just in case you forget where you are, the S3 badge adorns the flat bottomed wheel, instrument pack, gearstick and kick plates.

Audi TT

2008-01-17T19:08:00.001-08:00

By Phil McNamara
First official pictures
13 July 2006 03:14
In a nutshell
Here are the first pictures of the all-new TT coupe - and the fashionista's favourite has become a serious sports car, claims Audi. The design update is edgier and more muscular, and there's a similar overhaul going on beneath the skin. The front end is now made of lightweight aluminium, to sharpen the handling. And there are other benefits: the new TT is lighter, faster yet more frugal than the original.
What it does and how it looks
The TT coupe instantly became a design icon, and - wisely - the MkII is faithful to the original, with trademark cues like the push me-pull you silhouette and pronounced cutline atop bulging front wheelarches. But Audi says the design has grown up, a very apt description. It's instantly recognisable as a TT, although the nose is longer and rump flatter, to tone down the MkI's symmetrical-looking profile. At the front, squinting headlamps give it a menacing look, and Audi's big mouth grille shouts for your attention. The aluminium body panels have far more sculpture, and the back end looks lower, squatter and more muscular. This time, the rear spoiler isn't fixed, instead rising at motorway speeds to boost stability.

Under the skin
Here's the big breakthrough. The new TT's structure is almost 70 percent aluminium. That's brilliant news - it's lighter yet stiffer, quicker but more frugal than today's car, despite being bigger. While the TT MkI was spun off the Golf chassis, this TT has a unique platform although powertrains, the steering rack and the suspension design is shared with the latest Golf. The TT is made of aluminium, up to the middle pillars, reducing weight by up to 80kg over its steel predecessor. The newcomer should drive rings around the today's TT. The suspension concept - struts up front, a multi-link rear axle - is borrowed from the Golf GTI, although Audi has had to redesign components to accommodate bigger diameter tyres on 19-inch rims.
The engine room
Two engines will be offered at launch: a 197bhp 2.0-litre turbo from the Golf GTI and a 250bhp 3.2-litre V6. The TT 2.0 is nearly a whole second quicker to 62mph from standstill than the outgoing 190bhp TT. Power is sent to the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox. The dual clutch automatic transmisson, which uses a second clutch to pre-engage the next cog for smooth and rapid shifts, is a £1400 option. Now called S tronic by Audi, this gearbox is 0.2sec faster than cogs swapped manually. The 3.2-litre engine is the sonorous six from the Golf R32, coupled to quattro four-wheel drive. While Audi's new S and RS models bias more torque to the rear wheels, the transverse-engined TT makes do with a Haldex clutch splitting power 50:50, although all the grunt can be sent to one axle if needed.

How fast, thirsty and dirty?
The inside story
Like the exterior, the cabin is rich in TT DNA, from design cues like the round, aluminium brushed air vents to the snug, cockpit feel. But the seats are lower, and the gearshift higher, to accentuate that sports car feeling. There's more shoulder room, and an 80mm stretch in the wheelbase means the front seats can be pushed right back, although that's borderline child abuse for those in the rear perches. Don't expect any sober adults to squeeze in there: the coupe remains a strict 2+2 seater. The rear seats fold pretty flat, boosting luggage space from 290 to 700 litres.

How much and when?
The 2.0-litre TT will cost £24,625, with the V6 £29,285. UK sales begin in September, with the two-seat roadster following in spring 2007. A diesel, plus S and RS high performance versions, are all tipped to follow, as Audi seeks to keep the TT on its pedestal as Britain's number one sports car.