Audi's R8 mid-engined supercar caused a stir when it was first driven back in January. The 414bhp 911 rival was warmly received by CAR's testers - and it even trumped its Porsche and Lambo rivals on our first test in the US.

However, lurking in the back of everyone's mind was the thought of the potent V10 version in the pipeline. After all, the R8 shares many components with its Gallardo brethren, so it was only a matter of time before the V10 would be dropped in. And now our spies have caught a V10 test car being put through its paces at the Nurburgring in Germany.

Labels: Audi

"With an annual build of just 5,000 R8s for global sale, deliveries to UK customers will start in July. Just 450 of the cars will arrive this year and 750 in 2008.
With 1,200 deposits paid by UK customers, and 700 R8 advance orders already being built to specific customer requirements, new UK customers placing an order now will receive their car towards the end of 2008.
Germany, the USA and then the UK are expected to be the largest markets for the R8 but the UK leads the world when it comes ‘early adopters’ said Audi UK this week."

Labels: Audi

Eagle-eyed reader Philip Dea spotted one of Audi's North American-spec A5 preproduction cars in California recently. We've confirmed this car's existence with several Audi of America representatives who've driven the very car. Note in particular the wheels, a new design not-yet seen but definitely due to go into production say our sources.

Labels: Audi

Labels: Audi

The folks at Audi of America’s Denver-based interactive agency are at it again, this time shooting a new video starring a Brilliant Red Mk2 TT.

Readers will remember a similar video shoot from early January which combined the Audi Q7 with an Apple iPod, laptop and monitor. At the time we could only speculate about the intended messaging, although we now know that Audi has been producing regular Vodcasts regarding various models, technologies and features.

Does this latest video represent more content in the ongoing Vodcast series or something different?

Labels: Audi

The new 4-cylinder gasoline engine is going to be called 1.4 TSI despite not being a twin-charger engine: in the 122 ps power-step it's going to have only a turbo-charger (losing the supercharger). Torque is going to be a healthy 200 Nm.

The second novelty is a new version of the DSG gearbox (double clutch robotized transmission). This new gearbox will have seven speeds, can be coupled with engines with torque up to 250 Nm and the double clutch will no longer be immersed in oil as in the current DSG and, according to VW, it's going to be particularly good for fuel economy: a Golf with the new 1.4 TSI and the new 7-speed DSG will have an average fuel consumption of 5.9 liters/100 km.

Labels: VW

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At the Shanghai Motor Show Audi has presented a study that defines a new segment in the field of crossover vehicles. The Audi Cross Coupé quattro combines the design and dynamism of a compact premium sports car with the spaciousness and versatility of a four-seat sport utility vehicle (SUV) - see it in the official Audi Video Podcast.

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Apparently a Hong Kong manufacturer created this Porsche-branded phone with a reported two-megapixel camera, color screen and the shape of the affluent Suburban-mommy car. Engagdet says it "purrs along on dual band GSM, supports microSD flash cards, and plays nice with MP3 / MP4 files," but those specs haven't been confirmed.

Labels: Porsche

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Labels: Audi

Our Four Seasons Audi RS4 has a lot of fans around the office. While it's a great all-around car, it's the 8,250-rpm, 420-hp, 4.2-liter engine that really gets our attention. The V-8's power delivery is so linear that it feels like an electric motor, except of course no electric motor could ever sound this good. I once described its staccato exhaust note as sounding like a thunder cloud. Assistant editor Sam Smith said it sounded "like an angry, drunken bear being shot from a cannon." One of us is obviously a big fan of hallucinogenics.

Anyway, Audi's new R8 shares the RS4's engine, albeit with a couple of small changes. First, it has different intake and exhaust paths due to its mid-engine layout. Then, its dry-sump lubrication system allows the engine to be mounted lower in the chassis, permitting the use of a smaller, and lighter, flywheel.

The lightened flywheel is evident as soon as you turn the key. The R8's V-8 revs much more quickly than the RS4's. So quickly, in fact, that it seems the flywheel must be made of helium. Teensy little prods of the throttle result in huge surges of revs, with sharp barks of anger shooting out of the short exhaust pipes.

2007 Audi RS4 Dyno
In gear under load, the R8 sounds frenetic, evil, and pissed off. By comparison, the RS4 sounds happy, refined, and non-threatening. Never thought you'd hear those words about an RS4, did you? The R8 sounds that good.

Labels: Audi

he automaker on Wednesday set the timetable for the U.S. launch of the car, starting in August with the 2.5-liter Jetta SportWagen that uses the 170-horsepower 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine.

The launch of the base model will be followed with the 2.0T Jetta SportWagen that gets the 200-hp four-cylinder engine in the fall. In early 2008, the Jetta SportWagen will be available with a 2.0-liter clean diesel engine.

Labels: VW

While the heavy Veyron powers all four wheels with a 1000-hp quad-turbo W16 engine through a 7-speed dual-clutch semi-automatic gearbox, the super-light F40 was driven through a conventional 6-speed manual by a twin-turbo 3-liter V8 to the rear wheels. The Veyron is one of the most complicated cars ever devised, let alone produced, while the F40 was a straight-forward and brutally simple instrument.

Labels: Bugatti

This week in Greenwich, the weather is sunny, the temps are well into the 70s, and Miller Motorcars has a fresh Veyron parked out front. Finished in Deep Red and Chocolate -- like a 987-horsepower cherry cordial -- it looks suitably delicious gleaming in the midday sun. In a lot cluttered with Rolls-Royces, Bentleys and Aston Martins of every type and color, the Bugatti looks like a predator among prey, always poised to strike.

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There will be numerous engine choices for the new Golf including a new 1.6L TSI engine developing 200hp as well as a high-performance 2.0L version with 260hp in the GTI. A rumored top of the line 3.6L FSI V6 engine taken from the Passat R36 and developing 281hp will round out the Golf range.

With climate change a major part of today’s current affairs VW has also announced a 30% more fuel-efficient version. This stems from the VW Polo BlueMotion released late last year. The BlueMotion models utilize slow-shift gear boxes that reduce fuel consumption as well as low-resistance tires to save extra fuel.

Labels: VW

Labels: VW

For 2008, each of the Cayenne models get substantial power boosts, thanks to the incorporation of direct injection across the line of engines, but it's in real-world driving with the V-6 that this difference is most dramatic. With a larger, 3.6-liter narrow-angle V-6 engine making 290 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque, up 43 hp and 44 lb-ft from the 2006 model, the base Cayenne can reach 60 mph in 7.9 seconds with the automatic, more than a second shorter than before.

In case you're wondering, yes, this is basically same engine installed in the VW Passat - and the Touareg, with which the Cayenne shares its platform. But for those who drove the V-6 Cayenne before, realized it was too underpowered (or rather, underpowered for a Porsche), and then raised their eyebrows at the price of the V-8, you should seriously give the V-6 another try.

Labels: Porsche

Top Art has created a carbon-fiber aero body kit for the 911 that includes a new front spoiler, rear spoiler with integral diffuser, side skirts, wheel arches and air extractors. A roof-mounted tunnel provides additional air flow to the turbochargers in the rear engine bay.

Inside, the car is trimmed in black leather and carbon fiber and sports a multimedia surround-sound system with rear camera, DVD player and central video screen.

Labels: Porsche

This time around, however, the Porsche Panamera was in the midst of a real workout when our spy shooters caught up with it at the Nürburgring. Wearing the same heavy camouflage as the first test mule, this prototype doesn't give us anything new to report in the styling department. It's not too hard to guess what this new front-engine, rear-drive sport sedan is going to look like, however, as its basic shape is obvious despite the plastic cladding. Expect the production version to have a slimmer tail section and a less pronounced rear wing, along with a nose that looks more like its 911 cousin.

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Labels: Audi

Well, they did it. Audi managed to make the second-generation TT as stunning to look at as the last. Even after we saw this new TT in pictures, far before we ever saw it in metal, we doubted that it was really good looking—it had to be trick photography, right? Sequels can’t be as good as the original, can they? Sure they can, and here’s proof. Thankfully, the latest TT is more than a smokin’ body—it’s now an honest-to-Nuvolari sports car, too.

Labels: Audi

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Top Car is a Russian aftermarket outfit, and from the looks of things, it has its stuff in order. The Cayenne-derived Vantage GT is both a looker and a performer, and we'll say this: it's one of the best looking Cayennes we've seen -- factory or tuner-built -- period.

Labels: Porsche

A cross-section of Bentley's current range is fanned out on a frozen lake: a handful of Continental GTs, a Flying Spur, and an Arnage. Only the new GTC convertible and Azure cabriolet are missing, for obvious reasons. Up to 552 horsepower sits on a 20-inch crust of ice topped with a sugar coating of snow.

Labels: Bentley

The reason? Another two-door, Golf-based hatch would cannibalize sales of the GTI, and with American's apparent distaste for hatches, sales would be underwhelming.

Adrian Hallmark, executive veep at VW of America maintains that, "having six different coupes and hatchbacks would be crazy," which seems like sound logic.

Labels: VW

"Building an out-and-out performance car would have been easy, but as well as being able to claim bragging rights to being the fastest Golf 5 GTI around, it also has to be able to stop and turn and still make more than a few heads swivel with its dramatic looks," said Sportech's Chad Wentzel.

When done, the P Cubed Golf will be a technological marvel on wheels. While fitted with a 1 800-W Rockford Fosgate in-car entertainment system, Phase Linear will provide a motorised, touch-screen seven-inch screen with a pair of similar screens in the back of the front headrests.

For a touch of excess, another DVD screen is housed in the boot as part of a custom-made rearward-facing sound unit with a 15-inch subwoofer.

Nashua Mobile will provide a wireless internet connection via a Linksys 3G router. A pair of Hewlett Packard "tablet" computers that fit into custom-made console between the rear seats will be supplied, too.

The use of this console means this machine will be a strict four-seater, with the rear passengers getting Recaro seats identical to those used by the front occupants.

Labels: VW

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Labels: Audi

The sculpture is parked in the piazza in front of Times Square, a major shopping center here in Shanghai, where it will apparently remain until May 5. If you happen to be in the neighborhood, we recommend stopping by.

Labels: Audi

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Once in a while some lucky "civilian" gets the chance to ride shotgun with Balboni in the latest fire-snorting bull. This video was recorded from inside the cockpit of a Murcielago LP640 as Balboni gave his passenger what was certainly the ride of his life – tail out, foot to the floor as the Lambo drifted from corner to corner around the Bahrain race circuit. Hold on tight and follow the jump to catch the action.

Labels: Lamborghini

Labels: VW

A recent talk with one of Audi's product planners revealed that the previous plan may be changing. We'd love to tell you that the sport-ute-slaying wagon is on its way here, but that isn't the case (feel free to join our support group--we're learning to accept this sad truth, too.) Instead, we've been told that the RS4 cabriolet still has a very good chance of making it stateside.

Labels: Audi

- More than 1,000 vehicles for athletes, officials and guests
- “Olympic Corner” in Chinese showrooms
- Extensive commitment in the realm of culture

As a partner of international sport, Volkswagen China Investment Ltd., with its brands Audi and Volkswagen, will be nailing its colours to the mast during the Summer Olympics staged in Beijing (China) in August 2008. In the Olympics and Paralympics the spotlight will be on Audi vehicles as the “Official Premium Car”: Athletes, officials and VIP guests will be using the chauffeur service with over 1,000 cars from the Audi brand, primarily the models A6L, A8L and Q7.

The commitment entitled, “Passion for Movement”, consists of numerous individual elements and activities. “It has become a tradition at Audi to support high-class sports events around the world. The partnership with the Olympic Games in Beijing marks another milestone. It’s the perfect opportunity to present Audi’s values of sportiness and innovation as well as its position as a premium manufacturer,” said Werner Eichhorn, Managing Director Audi Sales Division China, before the start of the Shanghai Autoshow.

Labels: Audi

Two 10.2-inch monitors are fitted on the backs of the front seats. The DVD player integrated in the centre armrest also includes connections for a games console, iPod and digital camera. Together with the TV tuner, the system transforms the luxury-class saloon into a mobile film theatre. Sound can be relayed via either the on-board speakers or headphones.

The system is available in the A6L, the long-wheelbase version of the Audi A6. It is built exclusively for the Chinese market and is frequently used as a chauffeur-driven saloon. Since its launch in 2005, the Audi A6L has set the standard among its competitors in terms of ride comfort and luxury, spaciousness and design. The chassis, designed specifically for the road conditions in China, offers outstanding suspension comfort, particularly in conjunction with adaptive air suspension, which is optional.

With a wheelbase that is ten centimetres longer than that of the A6 saloon, the A6L is unique. This extended wheelbase benefits rear-seat passengers, who can enjoy legroom that is exemplary in this vehicle segment.

Not least the range of equipment available for the Audi A6L demonstrates this model's right to the claim "Vorsprung durch Technik". The MMI operating concept enables straightforward operation of a wide array of functions such as a telephone and audio and navigation systems, not to mention a wealth of vehicle settings. Comfort features and standard equipment also cater for every possible demand.

Labels: Audi

Labels: Audi

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Performance car? I hear you sneer. A Citi Golf? Well, yeah, the new R-line produces 90kW at 5900rpm, five more than the original hot-hatch, Mk.I Golf GTi. What’s happened is that VW’s competition department has taken a fuel-injected 1.8-litre Golf engine and beefed it up with different camshafts, crankshaft, con rods and pistons.

Visually, the R-line Citi is remarkably restrained. I had expected something aimed at the boy racer to come with huge wings and garish stripes but the body kit runs to nicely proportioned front and rear spoilers and sills.

It also has slightly lower suspension, double exhausts and new 15", six-spoked alloy rims through which red brake callipers are just visible.

In fact most of the boy racer stuff is inside the car, what with front bucket seats, a three-spoked sports steering wheel with aluminium trim, silver dials, vents and sills as well as silver foot pedals.

Labels: VW

“Few break free from the pressures of conformity to the accepted rules, to do so convention must be challenged, and existence redefined. Once boundaries are rejected it is possible to believe that the world can be changed”

Newly developed by Project Kahn is an eight-piece body which consists of a three piece rear valance, two side skirts, a two piece front valance and a rear boot spoiler. This kit has been developed by the specialist Project Kahn team and has undergone many hours of testing not only to ensure safety but also to ensure that a perfect fit and look is achieved for each and every car.

Labels: Bentley

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Basically the forerunner to the all-new Q5 compact SUV, the four-seater concept car sports huge 20in wheels, a fabric folding roof and a transversely positioned four-cylinder TDI engine under the hood. The 2.0L motor features common-rail fuel injection with piezo technology, and outputs 204bhp and 400Nm of torque. Debuting in the new Cross Coupe is a single component lighting system that employs LED technology for both headlights and cornering lights. Other technologies incorporated into the concept include a Bluetec filtering system, Haldex AWD, an S-tronic dual-clutch gearbox and ceramic brake discs.

Labels: Audi

Labels: Audi

Labels: Audi

There's been plenty of speculation about Porsche's forthcoming model, designed to bridge the gap between its top-end sports cars and SUVs. Porsche currently holds the record for making the most cash per car, and combined with the success of the Cayenne with the school-run crowd, the company is rolling in it.

So now seems like a good time for a spot of product development and these shots of the Panamera undergoing testing in Germany prove that Porsche is doing just that.

Labels: Porsche

While walking my dog through Palo Alto this afternoon at 2pm, I noticed an unfamiliar automobile rolling down the street at a snail's pace. As it neared, I immediately recognized it as a 2006 Bentley and I noticed the headlights, grille, and bumpers reflected the new 2006 minor cosmetic enhancements (MCE).

It must be the updated 2006 Arnage sedan, I thought to myself. But I spied a canvas top. What?!? No, it can't be? It just went on sale this month! Yes, indeed, it was the new 2007 Bentley Azure convertible costing $330,000. On top of that lofty pricetag, only 125 Azure convertibles are coming to America this year. Talk about ultra-rare and exclusive.

Labels: Bentley

It takes me a while to slot myself into the heavily bolstered sports seat. Longer still when I realise I’m sat on the seatbelt buckle and need to haul myself almost completely out to get at it. It is worth it though, as once I have squeezed my not-so-sporting frame into the thinly-padded £3,130 optional fixed back carbon-fibre seat I am held in very snugly indeed. Aside from the tight-fitting seat my surroundings are pretty familiar, being much like every other 911 I have ever been lucky enough to drive. However in the centre of the rev counter there are two letters and a number that underline this is no ordinary 911. This is a GT3.

Labels: Porsche

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The 'Who's Who' of Dubai's art and motoring aficionados were joined by Mr. Khalid Kalifa Al Nabooda, Managing Director of the Khalifa Juma Al Nabooda Group of Companies, Mr. Ralph Weyler, Member of the Board for Marketing and Sales at AUDI AG and Mr. K. Rajaram, CEO of Al Nabooda Automobiles.

'From the day of its launch in autumn 1998, the Audi TT took the sports coupé segment by storm and quickly became a cult car internationally and in the Middle East. The new Audi TT continues this legacy.' said K. Rajaram addressing the exhibition's guests.

Labels: Audi

Prof. Dr. h.c. Ferdinand K. Piëch celebrates his 70th birthday on April 17, but his passion for cars rules out any thought of retirement. Following his career as a manager at Porsche, Audi and VW, the Vienna-born grandson of the world-famous automotive engineer Ferdinand Porsche is today still active as chairman of the Supervisory Board of Volkswagen AG and a member of the Supervisory Board of Porsche AG. In the words of the laudation at his induction into the “Manager-Magazin” Hall of Fame in 2002: “What singles him out is competence, genius, devotion, persistence and passion.”

Piëch was practically born into the world of cars in Vienna in 1937, and grew up in the Porsche-Piëch-family. The family not only owns the Stuttgart-based sports car maker Porsche and Porsche Holding, a vehicle distribution company based in Salzburg, but also recently became the owner of almost one third of the shares in the Volkswagen Group through Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG.

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It's back to basics at Bentley. That is, of course, if you consider cars costing upwards of $250,000 basic transportation.

"There's still more room for us at the top end," he tells TheCarConnection.com, adding that, "There's always a danger we would forget what Bentley's heartland is, which is (products for) the top buyers."

Labels: Bentley

The red tester is wearing black panels that are likely made of carbon fiber and/or plastic, just like certain body panels on the Gallardo Superleggera. According to The Car Connection, the doors, engine hood, central tunnel and that large rear wing will likely be comprised of the carbon fiber stuff, and some glass may also be swapped out for lighter clear plastic panels. One would assume that the Murcielago's rapid weight loss would also be accompanied by a corresponding bump in power, as was the case with the Gallardo Superleggera.

Labels: Lamborghini

Sources are telling Automotive News that Audi feels that the Roadjet, which would have been positioned above the A4, doesn’t fit with the company’s new agressive image.

Labels: Audi

You can appreciate one example of how the Audi A5 marries good design and high functionality as soon as you pick up the key: with its soft contours and pleasant surfaces it sits beautifully in the hand. But the key also represents the modern electronics and the advanced equipment level of the Audi A5. For one thing, it dispenses with the conventional key bit. The innovative key communicates electronically with the vehicle electrical system as soon as it is inserted into the cockpit. Pressing the key stops and starts the engine.

The new key can also store important information, such as the car’s current mileage or warning messages from the Audi A5’s driver information system. The data are always up to date and available to allow staff at a dealership to receive the vehicle for servicing quickly and easily.

Labels: Audi

“The specific products we requested have been through an absolutely critical review process, in detail,” he told Automotive News. “Small details have been changed, but nothing that will fundamentally threaten the cars or the timing.”

The new vehicles include:

- The Tiguan small SUV.
- A Passat-based four-door with coupe styling.
- A minivan developed jointly with Chrysler.

Labels: VW

Five years since Volkswagen showed off its 222 mpg "1-Liter Car" concept (shown), the company is apparently recommitting to the 200+ mpg project. Board chair Ferdinand Piëch says it can be done -- that advances in materials and a reduction in associated costs have put plans for a super-efficient small Volkswagen back on the table. According to Piëch, one supplier says the components can be had for around $6,775, not $47,400 as had been calculated.

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The RUF CTR 3 may have taillights from a Cayman, and yes, it is based on a 911 chassis, but this is no normal Porsche. The CTR 3 uses a twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter pumping out 700 hp-over 200 hp more than a 911 Turbo-and 656 lb-ft of torque. The car's 0-to-62 mph figure of 3.2 seconds is just a few tenths faster than that of the aforementioned 911 Turbo's, but the CTR 3 is capable of a tear-inducing 235 mph. With that sort of capability, fifteen-inch, six-pot, ceramic composite brakes aren't just impressive, they're necessary. As are the steamroller-wide 335/30 ZR20 tires holding the car's rear in place.

Labels: Porsche

What's your plan for Lamborghini?

I heavily revised the product plan for the next few years, and I said that for each year, we had to have some news, even if we have only two models. Ten years from now, our cars will still be uncompromising, extreme, and Italian.

Labels: Lamborghini

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Audi’s exciting new interpretation of a classic vehicle concept, the Audi A5, is a modern grand tourer, a touring coupé in the best tradition. It marries sporty dynamism with refined elegance to produce a fascinating car – exhilarating driving and generous refinement all combined with the Audi brand’s legendary sophistication and quality. The progressive design has been perfected to ensure the new coupé an appearance that is both elegant and dynamic. The powerful and economical FSI and TDI engines and the A5’s wholly new high-precision running gear and innovative, luxury-class equipment features make Audi’s new offering in the coupé segment truly peerless.

The A5 extends the Audi range as a new model line, taking up the tradition of classic two-door sports and touring coupés. Expertly styled with a powerful presence, it interprets elements of Audi’s progressive design language. The new coupé is a clear design statement of sportiness and elegance. Moreover, the A5 offers a thrilling dynamic driving experience and excellent long-distance comfort. Handover of the Audi A5 will begin in June.

With a length of 4.63 metres, the Audi A5 clearly belongs to a superior class of coupé. Four comfortable seats and an ample load volume of 455 litres make this car a spacious long-distance tourer. The dynamic performance is supplied by FSI and TDI engines with rated power ranging from 125 to 195 kW (170 to 265 bhp). All engines have high efficiency and eco-friendly characteristics in common: the diesel units already comply with the EU5 standard which will apply in future and, thanks to a range of technical innovations, their fuel consumption and CO2 values are impressively low.

The drivetrain options on offer include front-wheel drive and quattro versions and a six-speed manual gearbox or the multitronic continuously variable transmission. The running gear developed for the A5 is entirely new and combines agile handling with optimum driving safety.

Labels: Audi

Labels: Audi

Last year, a pair of series-built Porsche Cayennes that were further modified by the customers who purchased them drove to victory in the 10,000km-long Transsyberia Rally. Spurred on by the success shown by those two cars, Porsche has built a small production run of at least twenty-six 2007 Cayenne S Transsyberia SUVs, all of which will compete in the 2007 rally. The full range of Porsche's techno-enhancements are in place, including Porsche Traction Management (PTM), Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDDC), and Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM). The PTM system is further enhanced by a transverse lock from the optional Offroad Technology Package available to regular customers, and the PDCC system is already set up with a Special Offroad Mode, which, when active, lets the Cayenne ford bodies of water up to 30" deep. A roof-mounted snorkel keeps that water from invading the intake manifold.

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Volkswagen announced new environmental goals for China at the inauguration of the engine plant in Dalian. These goals envisage a reduction of over 20 percent in fuel consumption and emissions for models built at the plants operated by the two joint ventures FAW-Volkswagen and Shanghai Volkswagen by 2010. Volkswagen intends to become the most environmentally friendly automaker in China with the help of modern TFSI engines, innovative automatic gearboxes, lightweight design and further initiatives. So far, some 80 million euros has been invested in the new engine plant, and total investment until 2011 amounts to roughly 145 million euros. The plant is designed for an annual production capacity of 300,000 engines.

Environmental protection was the central theme at today’s opening ceremony of the Volkswagen engine plant in China. As Dr. Winfried Vahland, President and CEO of Volkswagen Group China, emphasized: "As the market leader in China we have an obligation to ensure that growth is compatible with the environment while also keeping ahead of government regulations."

Volkswagen intends to cut fuel consumption and emissions in China by more than 20 percent by 2010 through the introduction of the innovative TFSI engine technology and a new generation of automatic gearboxes as well as lightweight design for individual vehicle components. In addition, the company is currently arranging for the certification of all production sites in China to the ISO 14001 environmental management standard.

Labels: VW

So how do you cut the weight of a rotund coed from a tightly packaged supercar? With cubic megadollars, of course. And carbon fiber, lots of carbon fiber. The stuff is literally everywhere in the Gallardo Superleggera. From the door panels to the rocker panels, in fact.

Plus the Superleggera has carbon fiber in the rear air diffuser and the wing, as well as the engine cover (which also incorporates lightweight, transparent polycarbonate instead of glass). Hell, even the rearview mirrors and the cover for the center tunnel in the cockpit are made from carbon fiber.

There are also other light parts and some of them aren't even carbon fiber. Lighter front driveshafts and a lighter propeller shaft contribute to 17 percent of the total weight savings. The muffler is lighter and the forged wheels save some weight as well. As for the Gallardo's optional $15,600 carbon-ceramic brakes, well, they have always been light.

Labels: Lamborghini

“India has exceeded our expectations and the number of customer base is constantly growing. With the company limiting its production globally to maintain exclusivity, we are looking at the used car business as a serious model to satisfy customers,” Bentley Motors Ltd regional director, Middle East, Africa and India, Ian Gorusch said.

In its three years of operations in India, Bentley has so far sold about 70 cars across its different models, including the Arnage, Continental and Flying Spur, all of which are in the “crore-plus” price category.

“What we are looking is at making a passionate Bentley customer drive the car he likes, even if it is a used car, while he waits for the new one to arrive,” Gorusch said, adding the company was also tapping those who want to buy the used Bentleys for other reasons.

“The used car customers are going to be special as the pre-owned Bentley is going to be far costlier than other normal badges,” he said, adding the company was adopting a personalised approach to expand the new initiative.

Labels: Bentley

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“We have a country allocation for India at 130 to 140 cars. I must admit we are trying to get more cars in India,” says MD, After Sales Manager of Porsche Middle East and Africa, Deesch Papke Mohamed Rahman.

Porsche has sold about 300 cars ever since it began operations in India in 2005. Out of this, Cayenne has been the best-selling model. It sold 100 models last year and hopes a similar response with the launch of the second generation Cayenne in India.

Porsche will also bring in the Panamera model by 2009 and also look at setting up an assembly line in India in future.

Labels: Porsche

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The price may be daunting, but in super-sedan circles it's actually reasonable. And for me, the all-weather advantage of Quattro all-wheel-drive makes it the leader of this excusive club.

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Labels: VW

At the risk of sounding boring and worthy: Lamborghini's real achievement with this car is the way that it has sanitized something with almost twice the power of a base Porsche 911 into a machine capable of covering great distances with no hint of histrionics. Just because it doesn't break, don't assume this is Eric the half-a-supercar. Scoring one for this exercise was hard enough, because, of the twelve cars used to introduce it to the automotive press last year, only five have survived. That nearly became four. The LP640 bites like no Lambo since the LP500S on shoddy Pirellis.

Labels: Lamborghini

It turns out that the Bentley Azure brings you two particular things so characteristic of England. First, it's exclusive, as only 125 will find their way to America this year. Second, stubborn British craftsmen with incredible pride build the Azure by hand, and this gives the car something approaching a soul.

Yet the Azure isn't aimed at the PlayStation generation. The Bentley Azure buyer typically is in his or her late 50s. And after all the trials and tribulations one endures to reach such an age, when one has reached the pinnacle of success despite untrustworthy business associates, troublesome ex-spouses and the like, the Azure is more than just a reward.

Living like royalty is the best revenge.

Labels: Bentley

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Labels: Audi

Stuttgart's latest deviation from its core products is said to debut at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, likely sporting a turbocharged 4.8-liter V8, producing 400 to 520 HP and clocking the trek from 0 to 60 in around four and half seconds. The engine, lifted from the recently updated Cayenne, should allow the Porsche sedan to reach a top speed of 180 MPH when making unencumbered runs on the Autobahn.

The article goes on to state that a 300 HP 3.6-liter V6 is also planned, supposedly utilizing a gas-electric hybrid setup that can make up to 400 HP while running on pure electricity –- albeit for brief periods of time.

Labels: Porsche

Preparation for the production of the new Porsche model series Panamera is running at high speed: Today, Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart celebrated its topping out ceremony for the further expansion of its Leipzig plant. Among those present included German Federal Minister of Transport Wolfgang Tiefensee, the Minister President of Saxony Georg Milbradt, Leipzig's mayor Burkhard Jung and the Porsche Executive Board member Michael Macht as well as 300 guests and construction workers who together placed a garland on the roof of the new Panamera production facilities. With an area of 25,000 square meters, the facilities form the basis of the expansion. An adjacent logistics center with an area of 23,500 square meters has also been created. In addition, the existing assembly facilities, in which the Cayenne is already being manufactured, will be expanded to include a pilot and analysis center as well as an apprentice workshop. In total, investments for the buildings and production equipment amounted to 150 million Euro.

Labels: Porsche

Labels: Lamborghini