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Delivering news and opinion about Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, VW and Porsche.
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Labels: Audi
by Christian @ 1:53 PM Linking Blogs
A new road-going A4 sports Saloon developed by the Audi division responsible for the RS 4 and RS 6 quattros is to commemorate a landslide championship victory for Audi in the 2004 German Touring Car Masters (DTM). Limited to 250 right-hand-drive examples, the new A4 DTM Edition Saloon is now available to order in Britain at an OTR price of £29,980, for first deliveries in September.
Paying homage to the 460PS A4 DTM race car, with which Audi decisively won the driver, team and manufacturer trophies in the 2004 German Touring Car Masters (DTM), the A4 DTM Edition further emphasises the sporting character of the A4 2.0 T FSI quattro Saloon on which it is based.
Audi high performance specialist division quattro GmbH modifies the directly fuel injected four-cylinder, 2.0-litre turbo FSI petrol engine, raising power from 200PS to 220PS and torque from 280Nm to 300Nm. This is reflected in the performance data, the A4 DTM capable of accelerating from rest to 62mph in 7.1 seconds and of reaching a top speed of 153mph where conditions allow.
Visually, the touring car's influence can be seen in the new 18-inch, 15-spoke alloy wheels, which are combined with lowered sports suspension with spring and damper settings unique to this version. Flanking the single frame front grille is a redesigned front bumper with additional air intakes and a black carbon fibre chin spoiler derived from motor sport. For maximum impact, the door mirrors can also be finished in contrasting Phantom Black at no extra cost.
Unique sill strips inlaid with the DTM logo enhance the A4 in profile, and at the rear, larger diameter 100mm exhaust tailpipes signal intent from within a new look bumper incorporating extra air intakes and a racing-inspired diffuser.
Inside, embossed sill strips and silver-piped floor mats help to single out the Audi A4 DTM Edition, as do Recaro sports seats with silver side stitching upholstered in a special Nardia microfibre fabric with leather side sections. Leather and Nardia microfibre also covers the 3-spoke sports steering wheel, and Nardia is used for the handbrake lever and gear knob. Carbon fibre inlays from the Audi S4 add a striking finishing touch to the instrument panel and door trims.
Thanks to the combination of quattro permanent four-wheel-drive, S line sports suspension and powerful ventilated cross-drilled disc brakes upgraded exclusively for this version, the A4 DTM Edition can live up to the expectations instilled by its styling.
The 2004 DTM season was a resounding success for Audi. In its first year of participation with a works team, the brand scooped all three titles with a new car in one fell swoop. Mattias Ekström won the drivers' trophy in the A4, the Abt Team triumphed in the team trophy and Audi secured the manufacturers' trophy.
Labels: Audi
by Christian @ 1:44 PM Linking Blogs
The innovative Spyker C8 was designed as a convertible ("Spyder") from the get go, and thanks to a rigid, all-aluminum space frame, the curves and lines of the aluminum body weren't compromised during the design process, a feat that Spyker is rightfully quite proud of. Perhaps even more impressive is the fact that the windshield isn't boxed-in as it would be on any other production car. Most cars utilize the windshield frame as a structural member of the body and chassis - it essentially ties the car together, and the fact that the Spyker does away with that extra metal is downright impressive.
Speaking of track use, the Spyker C8 should feel right at home on nearly any race-purposed tarmac, thanks to a stash of more than 400 horses that it keeps in its back pocket. Or, should we say, "mid-pocket." The mid-engined C8 Spyder makes use of a 400-horsepower double overhead cammed, 4.2-liter aluminum V8 that comes by way of Audi and can otherwise be seen in the venerable S8. Thanks to its Audi motivation, the Spyker C8 Spyder will sprint to sixty in just 4.5 seconds, while on its way to a claimed top speed of 187 mph.
And what's the asking price for such a fine automobile? About $280,000. Expect the Spyker C8-series to make its way stateside soon, as it recently won approval for sale in the United States, thanks to the EPA's recent judgment in Spyker's favor.
That $280,000 will earn you some serious cache with the valets at your country club, your favorite dining location, or amongst your polo pals. It'll also deliver true, old-world craftsmanship that lends more to art than fabrication. Interior and exterior details are numerous, with form following a healthy dose of function at every opportunity.
If it's more power you desire, you might want to check out the Spyker C8 T. The epicenter of the Spyker C8 T is Audi's twin-turbocharged 4.2-liter V8 that delivers 525 horsepower. Sources close to Spyker tell us the burly motor is very similar to that of the potent Audi RS 6, albeit with some additional tweaks and enhancements that help produce zero-to-sixty runs of less than four seconds, with a top speed of 200 mph. And like all Spykers currently slated for production, you'll have to change your gears manually - all Spykers are made available with a six-speed manual transmission (not that we'd complain).
But be prepared to wait, as Spyker currently has a waiting list that 91 people deep.
Labels: Audi
by Christian @ 12:48 AM Linking Blogs
The Dutch-built D8 is the latest creation of Joop Donkervoort, a gentleman racer who subscribes whole-heartedly to Mr. Chapman’s mantra of “to go faster, add lightness”. In 1978 he built his first car based on the Lotus 7 concept, the S8. The early days saw Joop handling most operations of the business, from purchasing to manufacturing to sales. The company today employs 30 people, many of whom are highly skilled craftsmen, building cars the “old fashioned” way, one at a time in a modern workshop that was built just four years ago.
The beauty of buying a Donkervoort is that you can pretty much order it the way you want it. An extensive options list includes such treats as custom color combinations, chrome trim, white gauge faces, and carbon fiber fenders. The only limiting factor may be your budget. Pricing for standard D8s starts around $52,000 (€41,000) and can climb to around $105,000 (€82,500).
Those owners who still want more power can thank Joop Donkervoort for his decision to use the Audi 1.8T as the source of the D8’s motivation. The 1.8T not only delivers enviable performance in stock form, but can easily be tuned for considerable more power by simply changing the ECU programming for more boost and more aggressive ignition and fueling. Even a conservatively chipped 1.8T can deliver 250 reliable horsepower. That works out to just over six pounds for each pony, making a D8 a true road rocket.
Labels: Audi
by Christian @ 12:38 AM Linking Blogs
If you are at the wheel of an Audi A2, an Audi A6 or an Audi A4 Cabriolet, you are driving the most reliable vehicles in their respective classes. This is the conclusion of the ADAC's breakdown statistics, which the automobile club has now published. Audi is therefore the only German manufacturer to take first place in the statistics for three categories.
The Audi A6 encountered the least problems in the highly prestigious field of the premium segment. This put the A6/S6 model series ahead of all its competitors – including the German competition in the premium segment - for the third time in a row in the chase for the reliability Oscar. "The A6 demonstrates that the Ingolstadt quality offensive is actually bearing considerable fruit," confirms the ADAC.
In the "Small-Car Class" the A2 left all its competitors standing – and not only all the German cars but also the Japanese, which have had a firm hold on the top spots in terms of reliability for many years.
For the first time, the A4 Cabriolet scored a victory in the sports car category, sending its competitors in a field dominated by German products away to lick their wounds. Second place in the medium-sized category was taken by the A4 model series, making it the best-placed German car.
Labels: Audi
by Christian @ 3:35 PM Linking Blogs
Victor Muller, CEO Spyker Cars: "We are absolutely thrilled that Spyker has been chosen for Basic Instinct 2: Risk Addiction. Our role in this movie strengthens our position in the top segment of the market for exclusive sports cars. The film will also give our worldwide brand recognition a major impulse. The movie, the plot, the characters and the car are a perfect match. They all combine elements of power, elegance, seduction and suspense. To see our Spyker C8 Laviolette driven by Sharon Stone will be a stunning experience. She embodies the essence of the Spyker driver: entrepreneurial, self-made, demanding and inquisitive. Obviously I can not wait to see our Spyker up on the wide screen. I wish the actors, the director Michael Caton-Jones and his crew every success during the coming strenuous months of filming and production."
by Christian @ 3:08 PM Linking Blogs
It's award time again for the guys at Audi! Where do they store all these things? There must be already a separate hall for awards, just because of the huge success this year with their new models.
Labels: Audi
by Christian @ 2:57 PM Linking Blogs
The combination of 1.8T and manual transmission typically indicates a VW with special performance capabilities. Not so in this car. All the added bulk required to make the open car feel like a sedan absorbs any of the performance potential from this drivetrain. It also doesn’t help that the 3480 pounds of mobile tanning salon are pulled around by the weakest version of the venerable 1.8T, making only 150 horses. Still, this is 25 percent more power than the 2.0-liter engine that comes standard in the Beetle Convertible. The resulting performance is adequate if not stellar.
Unlike most German cars, this one is no Autobahn stormer. On the contrary, cruising is what the Beetle Convertible does best.
Labels: VW
by Christian @ 2:50 PM Linking Blogs
Labels: VW
by Christian @ 2:50 AM Linking Blogs
Labels: VW
by Christian @ 2:41 AM Linking Blogs
To an Audiphile, there is little in the automotive vernacular that strikes such a universal chord as the name Sport quattro. It’s a pride thing, mostly, as the Sport quattro reminds the world that it was Audi who pioneered the concept of all-wheel drive in a performance machine and their subsequent dominance in various forms of motorsport is undisputable proof the concept works.
Dialynx’s own Sport quattro demo is chock full of such go-fast goodies and is positively infamous for tearing up any 0-60 sprint or ¼-mile strip in which it competes. The idea of a Sport quattro as a modern day drag racer might seem odd to some, but when you’ve assembled a group of parts capable of making 2.37-second 0-60 sprints, and 10.11-second ¼-mile passes, why not show it off in a straight line?
Labels: Audi
by Christian @ 2:21 AM Linking Blogs
“We’ve started operations in India by introducing our cars through the fully-built import route. In the second phase of our India plans, as volumes grow, we intend to have a local assembly operation in India,” Audi AG’s country manager for India, Michael Weber, said.
Weber is in India to roll out Audi’s new premium car — the Rs 46-lakh A6. “It’s too early now to commit a timeframe on the investment plans but we are exploring the investment option. As volumes grow, we will look at the assembly option,” he said
Labels: Audi
by Christian @ 1:52 PM Linking Blogs
a powerful, practical, understated but classless reincarnation of the original GTI concept, brought bang up to date with the prerequisite number of pneumatic bosoms and electronic gadgety-pokery.
An unbeatable driving experience for the money. Superb power plant, with quite incredible spread of torque. DSG transmission the one to have, in our opinion. Opt for Candy White and Interlagos cloth for the full retro experience, but leave the options list alone. Ownership experience still a little disappointing, however, with cheap-feeling materials and pushy and unhelpful dealers.
Labels: VW
by Christian @ 1:42 PM Linking Blogs
Labels: VW
by Christian @ 1:32 PM Linking Blogs
When the Elise project began at Lotus, the original goal was to build a car that was low in price and high in fun. That may sound like an easy task, but many an automaker has tried the very same directive and fallen quite short.
It is said that the name “Elise” is attributable to the grand-daughter of the illustrious Romano Artioli – then head of Lotus who spearheaded the project and championed its development. At the time, Artioli owned and ran both Lotus and Bugatti Automobili SpA.
Speaking of the Elise 1.8T’s performance, Bernard told us, “I only occasionally drive standard Elises and they seem incredibly slow. But they are not really, anything that does 0-60 in sub 6 secs could not be described as slow. It's just that the conversion, with its 260 lbs ft of torque with the K04 turbo engine is so much quicker. With all the torque there is instant acceleration as long as you are above about 3000 rpm. In traffic lines it makes for exceptional overtaking capability. The big turbo car is miles quicker again, the torque holds on much higher in the rev band than the K04 and with 305 lbs ft. that's almost triple the torque of the standard car.”
Labels: Audi
by Christian @ 2:36 AM Linking Blogs
Labels: Audi
by Christian @ 1:43 PM Linking Blogs
Labels: Audi
by Christian @ 1:38 PM Linking Blogs
As a preview, potential customers are now able to experience the all-new A3, several weeks in advance of the market introduction in mid-May. Demonstrator A3s are now available at all Audi dealerships in the U.S. and Canada. Consumers who take a test drive can benefit from the “Great Things Come in 3s” promotion. This promotion includes the opportunity to receive 33 songs from iTunes for qualified drivers who take a test drive, and a Bose Companion 3 multimedia sound system for customers who place a pre-sales order.
Labels: Audi
by Christian @ 1:31 PM Linking Blogs
Labels: VW
by Christian @ 1:24 PM Linking Blogs
Labels: Audi
by Christian @ 1:48 PM Linking Blogs
Highs: Supple long-travel suspension, amazing ground clearance, smooth moves on- and off-road, Lexus-class interior.
Lows: Four passengers is the comfort limit, not much motor for the money, amazingly heavy at 5235 pounds.
The Verdict: Forget the Phaeton—this is the VW to lust after.
Labels: VW
by Christian @ 1:43 PM Linking Blogs
Each YES! (an acronym for Young Engineers Sportcar) is hand assembled and built one at a time in a modern aircraft hangar on the outskirts of Dresden, Germany. The company is owned by Funke & Will AG and was formed when two engineering students at Cologne Technical University got together and decided they did not wish to complete their studies by preparing ordinary dissertations - they decided to build a car. Each YES! is built with its prospective owner’s physical and aesthetic dimensions in mind. Seat height and pedal placement are assembled to suit, and interior trim and paint schemes are quite flexible as well. Even engine output is open to discussion.
Speaking of engine output, the YES! employs a VWAG-sourced 1.8T engine tuned to produce a very healthy 280+ hp and is properly situated amidships and mated to a 5-speed transaxle. So much power in such a light vehicle should yield supercar performance, and according to YES! these expectations are fully realized – they claim the 0-62 mph sprint is accomplished in 4.2 seconds.
by Christian @ 1:39 PM Linking Blogs
Donna Crossman Casting is looking for you to become a TV host for an upcoming car show on a major US cable station.
Show Synopsis:
Casting talent for an entertainment show featuring cars. Show will be aired on a major cable station. Looking for outgoing personalities who are witty and irreverent with excellent skills in improv and interviewing. Knowledge of cars and specs a plus, more importantly, have an interest in the role of cars in pop culture. Contacts in the auto industry a plus.
Host:
We are looking for a host; male or female age 25 – 45. Wry and mischievous! Could be an up and coming comedian, but definitely someone funny and clever who has a strong interest or background in cars (technical, historical, hobby, sales, etc). The show is unscripted and relies on the host thinking on his/her feet and interacting with the other on screen characters. Remember, general car knowledge is key.
by Christian @ 1:28 PM Linking Blogs
