Posted on March 3rd, 2008 by Auto News
Audi will unveil the production version of the Q7 V-12 TDI at the 2008 Geneva auto show, Car and Driver has learned from sources within the company.
Our photographer has caught one of the powerful SUVs during testing on Swiss mountain passes. It is parked next to a regular Q7, showing off its huge air intakes, bulging fenders, and XXL-sized wheels and tires.
The production model remains faithful to the Q7 V-12 TDI concept unveiled at the Detroit auto show in January 2007. A bar of LED accent lights is still covered up on the prototype.
Audi??™s twin-turbocharged 5.9-liter V-12 TDI will be one of the most powerful engines available in any SUV??”and it will be the most powerful diesel on the market. Pumping out about 500 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque, this Q7 should leave any other SUV in its dust??”diesel or gasoline. Expect a 0-to-62-mph time of about 5.5 seconds and a governed top speed of 155 mph.
The V-12 TDI engine is inspired by Audi??™s Le Mans??“winning racing engine, although virtually no components are shared. In January, it was shown in a second show car??”the luscious R8 V-12 TDI, which may also see production.
The Q7 V-12 TDI will be available in Europe this fall. Michael Dick, Audi management board member for technical development, told us in a recent interview that Audi will decide within the next year whether to offer the Q7 V-12 diesel in the U.S.
In the meantime, Americans must be content with the 2009 Q7 3.0-liter TDI that is due later this year or in early 2009. Audi will use the V-6 turbo-diesel to gauge acceptance of oil burners in this market, Dick says. Currently, about 30 percent of Q7 buyers are opting for the V-8 gasoline engine, the rest being content with the 3.6-liter V-6.
Additionally, a hybrid Q7 is slated to go into production at the end of the year, the result of collaborative development efforts with Volkswagen and Porsche. The hybrid will be incorporated into the current-generation Q7.
The Volkswagen Group is streamlining the way it engineers future vehicles for use by all of its brands and paring its number of global architectures to four, including the new modular longitudinal platform, a giant family of vehicles with longitudinally mounted engines for front- and all-wheel-drive vehicles ranging from the Audi A4, A5, and Q7 to the VW Passat and Phaeton and even Bentleys.
It will also serve as the basis for all Audi hybrids in the future, Dick says, as the modular hybrid system is designed for integration with vehicles with longitudinally mounted engines. The next-generation Q7 will come from the new architecture. The platform is flexible enough to offer hybrids in all Audis, but which ones actually get the system will be determined by product and market to determine what makes sense, he tells us.
For now, though, the focus is on the diesel. Whereas BMW and Mercedes are showing vehicles designed to raise awareness that modern diesels are clean, Audi is going after a far more ambitious goal: proving diesels are cool.
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Posted on March 3rd, 2008 by Auto News
The bastion has been razed: After luxury sedans and convertibles, Audi puts a diesel in a sports car, giving the hip TT a new 168-hp, 2.0-liter TDI engine.
Europeans will get the privilege of the low, sporty oil burner starting in June 2008, as the 2009 TT will be on display at the 2008 Geneva auto show.
Road performance might not be classified as formidable, but the TT diesel is no slug. Audi says its 168 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque translate into a 0-to-62-mph time of 7.5 seconds (7.6 for the cabriolet) and a top speed of 140 mph (139 for the cabriolet). Rather more remarkable are the modest drinking habits: 44.3 mpg for the coupe and 42.8 mpg for the convertible in the Euro measuring cycle.
Despite the heavy diesel engine and standard all-wheel drive, the TT TDI coupe tips the scales at just over 3000 pounds, thanks to a hybrid aluminum structure used in all TTs where the front end is made of aluminum and the rear is conventional steel. It is cheaper than the fully aluminum structure of the A8 or R8, and it makes for better weight distribution.
This new common-rail four-cylinder diesel will eventually replace the current efficient??”but noisy??”unit-injector technology in all VW Group cars with four-cylinder diesels. It’s a sweet engine??”we??™ve sampled it in VW models??”and it revs freely up to 5000 rpm, which is high for a diesel.
If you accept the loosely Rabbit-based TT as a sports car, then there is no vehicle class left without a diesel for Audi. Next up, we hope: the R8 V-12 TDI, which was unveiled as a concept at this year??™s North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
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Posted on March 3rd, 2008 by Auto News
OUR TAKE: One of the better-looking SUVs available, the Audi Q7, with its V6 and ultrasmooth six-speed automatic, has decent oomph–it just doesn’t sound very smooth. The engine sounds rough, leading some testers to assume at first that it was a diesel-powered model.
The interior, however, simply rocks. It is extremely well built and uses excellent materials, and the seats are terrific. It was nice to see that this Audi SUV shares much of the same interior bits as our long-term S6, especially the Multi Media Interface and other controls. We felt right at home in no time.
Oddly, for an SUV that also has a lot in common with the Porsche Cayenne, this vehicle has a completely different character compared with the V6-powered, manual-tranny Cayenne we recently sampled. The Cayenne’s V6 produced more power and pushed about 350 fewer pounds of vehicle (and was priced at about $8,000 less), but it was a fairly base sport/ute compared with this well-outfitted cruiser.
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Posted on February 21st, 2008 by Auto News
We are excited about the unveiling of Audi??™s A4 Avant at the 2008 Geneva auto show because we eagerly anticipate its sale, along with the sedan, in the U.S. this fall.
Wagons have never taken off here the way they have in Europe, but the lines of this temptress should be enough to draw a few converts. For a sportier stance, and to improve dynamics over previous nose-heavy generations, the front overhang has been shortened, and the engine hood and wheelbase have been extended for a car 4.7 inches longer than the outgoing model. Weight is down a claimed 10 percent.
The overwhelming majority of Americans will opt for the A4??”easily the volume model in the Audi lineup. Powering the four-door will be a new, undisclosed high-powered four-cylinder turbocharged engine that will make more than its current 200 horsepower, and a 265-hp, 3.2-liter FSI (direct injection) V-6.
The family wagon has 60/40 split-fold rear seats and a cargo area that features a reversible floor as well as a cover that retracts at a touch. An interesting safety feature, dubbed Audi backguard, uses the backs of the front seats and the headrests to support the upper body in a rear-end collision. We need to try this to see how it differs from the regular yeoman work of seats and headrests.
The luxury quotient is well met with parking aid, lane-departure warning, side assist (to warn of hazards when changing lanes), and adaptive cruise control.
The Avant has connectivity for iPods and Bluetooth cell phones, as well as navigation and DVD systems, and, of course, a Bang & Olufsen sound system.
Trim levels include Attraction, Ambition, and Ambiente, and the performance S-line with optional exterior and sport packages. Among the available options are air-conditioned seats, keyless access, pushbutton start, and adaptive lighting for cornering. The wagon also comes with a panoramic glass sunroof.
Pricing in the U.S. has not been announced, but in Europe it will start at ?‚¬27,550 ($40,380) for an Avant Attraction with a 1.8-liter turbo four, an engine that will not be available in the U.S. The A4 sedan will start at about $30,000.
The 2009 A4 Avant will come to the States only with the turbo four and Quattro all-wheel drive but in Europe will have a choice of two gasoline and three diesel engines. Three of those are turbocharged four-cylinders, and all have direct injection. And although Europeans will have a choice of six-speed manual and Tiptronic automatic transmissions, as well as a CVT, we expect only a six-speed auto for North America.
Like the sedan, the wagon shares a layout in which the new five-link front axle has been shifted forward for better balance.
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Posted on February 7th, 2008 by Auto News
Now that the S-Line appearance package is standard equipment on all versions??”sedan, wagon (Avant), and convertible??”of the 2008 Audi A4, Audi??™s Chicago auto show news is that it has come up with a new way for customers to spend more money for mechanically identical cars.
The innovatively-named 2008 Audi A4 Special Edition enhances the look of the S-Line equipped A4 2.0T sedan and Avant with new nine-spoke wheels??”the S-Line wheels are not included in the standard upgrade??”and metallic paint.
Inside, quattro models get heated front seats and leather trim and one year of Sirius satellite radio. That??™s all, folks.
Of course, the real news with the Audi A4 is that the redesigned 2009 model is already finished and on its way. We??™ve driven it, and it??™s a beauty.
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Posted on February 5th, 2008 by Auto News
 Audi has dubbed its Q7 4.2 TDI ???the most powerful diesel SUV in South Africa???. With 240 kW on tap and a 236 km/h top whack, we??™re inclined to agree??¦
This latest addition to the Q7 range plays host to a twin-turbo 4,2-litre V8 diesel engine that develops an impressive 240 kW and a remarkable 760 Nm of torque, which is available between 1 800 and 2 500 rpm. The engine is mated with Audi??™s six-speed Tiptronic transmission as standard and propels the Q7 4,2 TDI from 0-100 km/h in just 6,4 seconds on the way to a 236 km/h top speed.
Not only does this newcomer boast impressive performance figures , but also respectable fuel economy as well. The Q7 4,2 TDI is reportedly capable of covering 900 km from its 100-litre tank.
This model employs the latest version of Audi??™s Quattro permanent four-wheel drive system. Off-road, the torque converter with its damping action and torque multiplication is particularly useful when driving off and when driving slowly on inclines.
Among its numerous safety features, the Q7 4,2 TDI sports an ESP system with functions for towing and downhill driving in difficult conditions, a hydraulic brake system with internally ventilated discs and six-piston callipers up front, six airbags and a tyre pressure monitoring system for the rubbers that wrap around the 20-inch forged alloy wheels it rides on.?  The driver can select any of three settings for the adaptive air suspension via the MMI operating system - namely dynamic, automatic and comfort - from very sporty to extremely comfortable. The Q7 4,2 TDI also bristles with such technology as adaptive cruise control, Audi lane assist (which warns the driver should they inadvertently stray into another lane) and Audi parking system advanced.
The sound system sports Audi??™s music interface, which allows the latest iPods and other MP3 players to be plugged in via a USB connection. It has 14 active speakers, special Acoustic Lens Technology from Bang & Olufsen and - thanks to sophisticated amplifier technology - more than 1,000 watts of amplification.
This newcomers formidable powerplant is certainly a far cry from Audi??™s earlier oil-burning efforts. The first TDI-engined Audi made its appearance back in 1989, and while its 5,73 litres/100 km was impressive the 2,5-litre unit developed just 88 kW. ???The new Q7 4.2 TDI now translates this success story to the road with an intense demonstration of performance, refinement and efficiency. We call it ???diesel Vorsprung??™???, says Greg Levine, General Manager of Audi SA.
The Q7 4.2 TDI is available now and priced at R710 000. The price includes a 5-year or 100 000 km Audi Freeway full maintenance plan.
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Posted on January 26th, 2008 by Auto News
Design milestones of sports car construction do not only come from Sant’ Agata Bolognese or Maranello but also from Kempten. Because there, in the picturesque Allg?¤u region, Abt Sportsline, the greatest tuner for vehicles from the Volkswagen group, is based. With the new Abt R8, the term “improvement” is set one level higher as this car combines technical competence and brilliant design from Abt and results in an automobile masterwork. Not more and not less. The Abt R8 is a fantastic super sports car, playing in the same league as Lamborghini Gallardo or Ferrari F430.
No doubt, even the basis model of the R8 is something special - and therefore a real challenge, emphasizes Hans-J??rgen Abt. “The fluently dynamic form of the car is unique, it looks like having a lot of power, even when standing still,” admits the managing director and therewith he raises the bar for his engineers and designers. As it is usual for Abt, the result is quite respectable and can be driven with fascination. The light and sporty high-tech material Carbon well visibly shapes the rear skirt, the side blades and the side skirts. The exciting body kit of the two-seater was developed by the motor sports professionals from Kempten who also optimized the car in reducing weight and in distributing mass evenly. That optical features do not obviate technical sophistications but, on the contrary, lead to perfection clearly show the contours of the Abt R8. Front skirt, side skirts, and rear skirt form a unit in which the rear wing, the side blades and also the exhaust system are harmonically integrated. A special highlight is the front skirt partially made of sight carbon. It is a component of the equipment version “Extravagant”. The customer is able to provide his Abt R8 with attachment parts, at his own option with elements of sight carbon. A two tone structure is also possible by request. Another alternative ist the equipment version ???Exclusive???, which offers the customer the possibility to beautify his R8 with an Abt body kit made of high-quality GRP (glass fibre reinforced plastic). Also the new BR wheel from Abt with its bi-colour paint perfectly fits the car. The front axis presents it in the size 9×20 inch, the rear axis in 11×20 inch. Thus the R8 appears much more dynamical. With Abt suspension springs and car lowering the team from Kempten improves the road holding even more as Christian Abt and his specialists exactly adjusted the suspension. With the Abt sports brake system (380 millimeters diameter), the fast super sports car from the Allg?¤u sets standards also in matters of delay.
The new Abt R8 is a car which makes hearts beat faster. It perfectly brings the magic of speed onto the road even when standing still.
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Posted on January 26th, 2008 by Auto News
By concept, the new Audi A4 is already a dynamic, exciting and powerful car ??“ and therefore this new sedan car made in Ingolstadt offers a perfect starting point for the engineers and designers with Abt Sportsline. With the AS4, the world??™s leading tuner of cars from the Volkswagen group succeeded in creating a car which is in every respect harmonic and sporty, as well as elegant: the front skirt, which emphasizes the distinctive headlight area, makes the AS4 look very dynamic and self-confident. Side skirts and fender inlets meet the sporty design and harmonize perfectly with the rear section of the car; the 4-pipe rear muffler, the rear skirt inlet and the rear spoiler form a perfect unit.
The rear spoiler is not only a sleek add-on part; it also provides an even better contact between car and asphalt. That is indeed necessary, as the Abt engineers have substantially increased the power of the state-of-the-art engines of the A4: equipped with Abt Power, the new 1.8 TFSI now delivers 200 bhp instead of the serial 160 bhp. Equipped with Abt Power S, the engine even delivers 240 bhp ??“ thanks to the turbocharger developed by Abt replacing the serial charger. Also the diesel engines are significantly more powerful. Equipped with Abt Power, the 2.0 turbo diesel delivers 170 bhp; with Abt Power S, the two-liter self-igniting engine has 200 bhp. Thanks to Abt Power, the 2.7 TDI delivers reliable 230 bhp instead of 190 bhp. The flagship diesel 3.0 TDI disposes of either 270 bhp (Abt Power) or of 300 bhp (Abt Power S) instead of 240 bhp. The Abt Power S version has an enormous torque of 443 lb-ft.
The Abt suspension springs, and particularly the Abt adjustable sport suspension have been perfectly tuned to the character of the sporty sedan car by racing-pro Christian Abt. In order to adjust the brake force to the power potential of the Abt AS4, the Allg?¤u-based tuners offer either the Abt brake system (diameter: 345mm) or the Abt sport brake system (diameter: 380mm).
Elegant wheels from the Abt wheel program are ideal to complement the dynamic, exciting and powerful car. No matter whether sleek AR wheels or extravagant BR wheels ??“ both suit the AS4 perfectly. AR and BR are both available in size 18, 19 or 20 inch, of course also together with suitable tires.
Engines currently available for the Abt AS4:
1.8 TFSI
Serial: 160 bhp
Abt Power: 200 bhp
Abt Power S: 240 bhp
2.0 TDI
Serial: 143 bhp
Abt Power: 170 bhp
Abt Power S: 200 bhp
2.7 TDI
Serial: 190 bhp
Abt Power: 230 bhp
3.0 TDI
Serial: 240 bhp
Abt Power: 270 bhp
Abt Power S: 300 bhp
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Posted on January 22nd, 2008 by Auto News
The 2008 Audi S8 has a lot of reputation to live up to as the high performance version of the acclaimed Audi A8-and it does so impeccably. This 5 passenger luxury sedan was first introduced for the 2001 model year and produced only throughout the 2003 model year. The S8 returned for 2007 in grandiose yet unpretentious style, and the 2008 model capitalizes on the success achieved last year by adding redesigned fog lights and tail lights, side mirror mounted turn signals and increased standard interior features that include heated rear seats, satellite radio and some very well appointed brushed aluminum accents.
The fast and fabulous sounding S8 is equipped with a 5.2 liter V10 engine that produces a very impressive 450 horsepower. All that power is delivered to all 4 wheels via the standard 6 speed automatic transmission that allows for manual gear changing capability via paddle controls located behind the steering wheel. Although top speed is electronically limited to 155 MPH, the S8 easily goes from 0 to 60 in under 6 seconds.
Standard comfort and convenience features are more than abundant on the one and only trim. On the inside you will find dual-zone automatic climate control, a navigation system and Bluetooth connectivity as well as a sunroof, a power tilt-telescoping steering wheel, a trip computer, auto-dimming mirrors, two-tone leather seating, power operated and heated front seats, heated rear seats and a premium Bose audio system with satellite radio and a glove compartment mounted CD changer. 20 inch alloy wheels and super bright bi-xenon adaptive headlights enhance the exterior and improve the overall driving experience. If that’s not enough for you, available options include a park assist system with a back-up camera, door close assist feature (which actually completes closing the door and trunk for you), upgraded leather upholstery and a power rear sunshade. Safety is ensured with standard antilock disc brakes, stability control and a full complement of airbags.
The discreetly tasteful and refined 2008 Audi S8,with its robust engine and impressive all wheel drive system and superior handling in combination with its lavish interior make this luxury sedan an extremely attractive choice for those in the market for a luxury car with sport car like performance.
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Posted on January 15th, 2008 by Auto News
Torque, as we all know, is a twisting force. It??™s what gives us Indian burns, sort-of-dry dishrags, and long black streaks on industrial-park streets late at night. It??™s also a hoot and a half, particularly when presented in quantities on level with a Caterpillar D11T bulldozer.
Audi??™s 5.9-liter V-12 diesel promises 738 pound-feet of torque, or a little more than Superman would have needed had he used a car and a lonely Nevada two-lane to stop the earth??™s rotation and spin us back in time. Wedge the V-12 in Audi??™s R8 supercar, and we??™re going a little weak in the neck.
Neither car nor engine is new, and we??™ve had the opportunity to sample both. The R8 prevailed over Porsche??™s vaunted 911 Turbo in a 2007 comparison test for its playful, predictable behavior, despite being slower than the Porsche. And the V-12 TDI??”inspired by the diesel in Audi??™s back-to-back Le Mans??“winning R10 race car??”made its debut at the 2007 Detroit auto show under the hood of a Q7 sport-ute, which we later drove and labeled ???just mental.??? We meant that in a really, really good way.
Audi claims sticking the 493-hp diesel V-12 in the R8 will result in a 0-to-60-mph time of 4.2 seconds and a top speed well over the 187 mph it claims for R8s equipped with the 4.2-liter gas V-8. We say poppycock. We recorded a 0-to-60 blast of four seconds flat in our first outing with the R8, and that car was down 73 horsepower on the diesel V-12, never mind the torque deficit of 421 pound-feet. Actually, do mind it, because it??™s an improvement of 133 percent. How do you say ???yee-ha??? in German?
All that, and Audi claims this engine meets Euro 6 emissions standards not set to go into effect until 2014.
External cues that something is amiss with this R8 include more gape to the side blades??”Audi??™s term for those mismatched vertical panels aft of the doors??”a glass roof with a NACA duct to help feed air to the big diesel, and all-LED headlights to better replicate daytime on those long Cannonballing nights.
Originally, our sources reported that the R10 race car would not inspire Audi honchos to drop a 12-cylinder compression-ignition lump into the R8 supercar. Here??™s hoping they were wrong and some serious arm-twisting has been going on at Audi.
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