Filed under: SUVs, Euro, Audi 
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With 326 horsepower and 550 lb-ft on call under the driver's right foot, the Audi Q7 4.2 TDI is the world's most powerful diesel SUV (at least until the Q7 V12 TDI launches). It's 4.2L 90-degree V8 incorporates a pair of variable-geometry turbos (one for each cylinder bank), and channels all that juice to the four corners via quattro AWD. It's pretty spry, too. It does the 0-100 km/h (62 mph) thing in just 6.4 seconds and will keep going until the speedo hits 146 mph, if you have the desire to explor e those limits. Well, you have to live in Europe, too. This Q7's not available here, unfortunately.
Inside, the carnival of luxury you'd expect to find is present and accounted for. Leather, wood, and aluminum cover most of the touch surfaces, and Alcantara adorns the headliner. If you have money to spend, the stupendous optional Bang & Olufsen audio system is a nice choice, as is the Audi Music Interface, which lets you control your iPod using the MMI system. A lane departure warning system is now available, too, so that €70,000+ base price can quickly climb skyward as the goodies are added in.
Of course, one of the best features this particular Q7 brings to the table is its combined-cycle fuel economy rating of a smidge over 21 mpg. Have fun finding another big V8 luxury blingwagon that can do that.
[Source: Audi AG ]
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Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Euro, Green, Diesel, Audi 
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Audi today unveiled it's new, efficient, and clean-running A4 1.9 TDI e. The 115-horsepower sedan drinks diesel fuel at a rate of just 5.3L per 100km -- over 44 mpg -- when equipped with a six-speed manual, and emits C02 at a rate of 137g/km. The car also incorporates features like a shift indicator in the main gauge cluster, which recommends gear changes (up or down) to help maximize efficiency based on driving circumstances. In addition, the car's gearing and engine management electronics are set up to maximize economy. Low rolling resistance tires, weight reduction measures and aero bits like an integrated spoiler fr om the automaker's S line accessory suite also contribute to the cause. It's not a threat to any land speed records with an 11.2-second 0-62 time, but that's not the point of the car. This is an attractive package that combines the A4's good looks and fine interior with a drivetrain that delivers Yaris-besting fuel economy numbers. It's for Europe only, but we're sure there'd be a long list of people willing to plunk a down payment on the salesman's desk if an A4 with these stats were available on this side of the Atlantic. Pricing in Europe starts at € 28.300.
[Source: Audi AG ]Continue reading Audi unveils A4 with Yaris-beating fuel economy...in Europe Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Sports/GTs, Videos, Supercars, Audi 
The guys over at Fifth Gear get some pretty sweet work assignments, but few match up to Tiff Needell's task of driving the brand-new Audi R8 through cones at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. If you're a fan of Top Gear, you know how well-produced their sp ots are, and the video enclosed after the jump is just terrific.
Tiff starts off by driving the gorgeous R8 down the Las Vegas strip, and Audi's supercar generated plenty of gawking. Our favorite part of the video comes about 2/3 through, when Tiff swerves through four cones, cuts left, then banks to the right through some tightly arranged cones. Another highlight comes when Needell, on several occasions, manages to kick out the rear end of the mid-engined AWD supercar after turning of the ESP.
Hit the jump to take in the sights and sounds of Fifth Gear getting the most out of the R8. You'll be glad you did.
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Filed under: Spy Photos, SUVs, Crossovers/CUVs, Audi  The small luxury crossover is quickly becoming en vogue, with the success of the X3, the new LR2, and the RDX helping their respective companies add sales while bolstering their bottom lines. With its grandios expansion plans over the next few years, Audi can't be held out of this burgeoning luxury 'ute market for long, and it's preparing the Q5 to add more sales to their expanding portfolio.
Our spy photography friend Hans Lehmann snapped some pics of the Q5 in action, and the basic form of the forthcoming ute is shown quite well, and the little utility vehicle doesn't appear to have the same shape as the recently unveiled Cross Coupe Quattro.The Q5 will be underpinned by the A5 platform, which means it will have the flexibility to have several powertrains from which to choose, including the FSI 2.0L turbo, 3.2L inline six, and even a 4.2L V8. Diesel options will be available in Europe and we can all dream that they'll be available in the States as well.
Other options for the Q5 include hill descent control and air suspension, but due to the small size of the A5 platform a third row doesn't seem plausible. Audi has a goal to reach 1 .5 million annual sales by 2015, and we think the Q5 will go a long way towards that goal.
[Source: WorldCarFans ] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Aftermarket, Convertibles, Auction Action, Euro, Audi 
Hardtop convertibles - called coupé-cabrios across the pond - are commonplace enough these days that seeing one out on the road, as nifty as they are, isn't such a novelty anymore. Long before the first-generation Mercedes-Benz SLK, before the Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4 Spyder, but significantly after the Ford Skyline Fairlane, a German garage by the name of Treser chopped the roof off the rally-bred Audi Quattro coupe and fitted a fully automatic retractable hard-top. Only 39 were made, of which only one was reportedly made in right-hand drive (apparently for a British customer), and that vehicle is on sale now on eBay. In addition to the trick roof, which disappears in 20 seconds below a hard boot-lid at the touch of a button on the b-pillar, Treser also tinkered with the engine, coaxing 250 horsepower out of the turbocharged inline-five. The seller claims the car cost £41,144.25 new, but as of when this here article was written, the bidding was at £7,645.01. For all the juicy details, check out the auction by clicking here. [Source: German Car Scene via Carscoop ] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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