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Future Audi Models will Differ More in Design from Each Other, Says R&D Boss

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Things are looking great for Audi: in the first 11 months of the year, its sales have already exceeded 2011’s total, recording a 12.7 percent increase and it’s nigh impossible to find a niche in which it doesn’t compete.

Alas, in their efforts to create a family look its designers have taken things a bit too far. In fact, in certain cases, it’s difficult to distinguish one model from the other, especially from the front…

That’s not nitpicking but a fact that even Wolfgang Dürheimer, the ex-Bentley boss who since September is Audi’s board member responsible for research and development, acknowledges.

Thursday, November 29, 2012

While extremely popular in Europe, for a long time, diesel-powered passenger cars were a non-entity in the U.S. automotive business. Furthermore, it was more likely to see pink flamingos parading in Times Square than a premium brand automobile with a diesel engine under its hood.

Today, things are quite different. Diesel engines are nothing like they used to be, nor are gasoline prices, so manufacturers are not afraid to add diesel variants to their U.S. line-up.

Monday, November 19, 2012

Audi's push into the U.S. diesel market will continue with the presentation of four-new models at next week's Los Angeles Auto Show. Joining the already available Q7 3.0 TDI that went on sale in America this past September, Audi will soon offer the same updated 3.0-liter V6 TDI 'clean diesel' on the A8, A7, A6 and Q5 models.

With the exception of the A8 TDI that will go on sale first in spring of 2013, the other three TDI models will arrive in U.S. dealerships in the fall of the same year.

Thursday, August 16, 2012

The S8 is the sportiest version of the Audi A8 series featuring the most powerful iteration of the brand's new 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 petrol engine with a maximum output of 512-horsepower (520PS) and peak torque of 650 Nm (479.42 lb-ft) for a 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint time of 4.2 seconds.

Not too shabby - unless you ask ABT Sportsline founder Hans-Jürgen Abt who is a firm believer of pushing the performance boundaries.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

No intelligent system in the world can help a foolish driver without a drop of common sense to avoid getting into an accident.

A too fast, too furious motorist behind the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz CL went on to unleash some of the many ponies hiding under the hood of the German coupe on a fairly tight city road and overtake a car in front of him.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

You can say business is going good for Audi as the German premium automaker announced today a new plan to invest €13 billion, mainly in new products and technologies and in expanding its sites by 2016, while the company will also recruit some 1,200 specialists in 2012 in addition to 3,500 new employees it hired throughout 2011.

“We are aiming to achieve strong growth on an international scale and boost our lightweight construction and electric mobility areas of expertise in particular," said Thomas Sigi, Member of the Board of Management for Human Resources at AUDI AG. "That is why we will be hiring even more people and are planning to appoint a further 1,200 experts next year.”

Monday, December 12, 2011

Even though the A8 is not as popular as the BMW 7-Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class in the German tuning scene, Audi's offering in the luxury limousine sector definitely has its fans.

The latest creation to hit the streets is named the Audi A8 Venom Edition and it comes courtesy of Anderson Germany.

The first thing you'll notice about the car is the eye-catching satin gunmetal gray with the front grill, all emblems, plus the door handles and window surrounds finished in gloss black. The dark theme continues with the tinted windows and smoked lights.

Friday, November 4, 2011

An Audi S8 is a rare sight indeed in the U.S.A. Yet the A8 range-topper is also on top of the list in NHTSA’s recently published theft report for 2009.

As they say, there are lies, greater lies, and statistics: the S8’s number one position is somewhat misleading, however, since only two of the 227 cars that were sold that year were actually stolen. Statistically, though, this figure represents a theft rate of 8.8106 per 1,000 vehicles sold.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

German aftermarket companies have recently stepped up their efforts to outdo each other in modifying the most luxurious proposals in the large sedan segment.

After the 720HP BMW 750Li from Tuninwerk that we told you about earlier today, Hofele Design has presented a similar but less powerful tuning package for the latest Audi A8 saloon [D4 series]. The German company's offering is called "SR 8" and it includes both styling and performance modifications.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Audi has chosen the 64th Frankfurt Motor Show to present two new versions of its A8 large luxury sedan as well as the brand-new 4.0 TFSI engine which will power the “S”-badged versions of its line-up.

The A8 Hybrid will go on sale on 2012 and unusually for such a big car, it features a relatively small-capacity four-cylinder gasoline engine coupled to a hybrid system. In reality, the A8 Hybrid is anything but underpowered: The 2.0-liter TFSI and the electric motor develop a combined output of 245 HP and 480 Nm (345.03 lb-ft) of torque for short periods of time.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Audi's third and final "S" model heading to the Frankfurt Motor Show is the luxurious S8 that will be launched on the market along with the S6 and S7 Sportback in the spring of 2012.

As it holds the title of being the 'Big Daddy' of Audi's S range, it was only appropriate that the S8 receive a more powerful version of the newly revealed 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine than on the S6 and S7 models.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

A little over a year after the presentation of its A8 Hybrid Concept at the 2010 edition of the Geneva Salon, Audi is introducing the final production version of its frugal four-cylinder limousine, which goes on sale in 2012.

Confirming our suspicions that the concept label was misleading, Audi made very few changes to the production model such as the smaller (18" instead of 21") but same design alloy wheels and the more conventional looking engine cover.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

No matter what car you buy, its price will start depreciating from the moment you turn the ignition key and roll out of the showroom. Of course, not all models lose value at the same rate. But there are some cars that stand out more than others and Popular Mechanics has compiled a list with some of the most heavily depreciated vehicles in the luxury car segment.

And while this may not be the kind of news a seller wants to hear, it's music to the ears of buyers in the market for snazzy set of wheels. Just remember that regardless if the car is new or used, running costs remain the same, and when it comes to luxury models, be prepared to dig deep into your pockets.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

In the large luxury sedan stakes, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Lexus have been the long-time leaders. Five years ago, each brand’s flagship model – the 7-Series, the S-Class and the LS – collectively owned 82% of the U.S. market and Merc’s offering could claim 30% of that.

Between June 2010 and May of this year, however, their collective market share has dwindled some 68% while that of three newer models have grown.

There’s the Audi A8, up 5% and the Jaguar XJ, up 12%. Both of these models could claim next to nothing of the market when they were launched but now look at them.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

We knew that Audi was working on a more spirited version of its "new luxury" A8 flagship sedan and now we have some fresh spy photos as the Germans put the final touches on the S8 before its official premiere later this year, possibly as early as the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.

The big news is that VW Group is hushing in a new generation of engines for its performance orientated models and the 2012 Audi S8 is no exception.

The new sporty limousine will drop the previous model's naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V10, which was shared with Lamborghini, in favor of a newly developed 4.0-liter turbocharged V8.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

In an article on a BMW-faced Honda Accord we found for sale on Craigslist back in 2008, we wrote that in a perfect world, our ultimate car would be “designed by Italians, engineered by Germans, built by Japanese and marketed by Americans”.

So, what’s the worst car one could imagine? Well, if we played around with the above statements, we’d say one designed by Japanese, engineered by Americans, built by Italians and marketed by Germans.

But UK insurance firm Warranty Direct had something a little bit different in mind. Instead of playing the origin card, the company decided to check out its database of 50,000 live policies on cars aged five years on average to part the UK’s most unreliable vehicle that would break down every other month and cost an average of £2,050 (equal to US$3,270 - €2,330) to fix each year.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Like every year, Ward's AutoWorld magazine picks the best interiors the automotive industry has to offer. For 2011, the publication chose 10 the ten best interiors the offer after editors analyzed 51 vehicles that were all-new or featured significantly upgraded interior. Ward's Auto picked the 10 winners from all segments, with the finalists including three luxury brands, three economy cars, a sport sedan, a minivan, an SUV and a family sedan.

If you’re still with us, the top 10 winners for 2011, in alphabetical order, are:

Audi A8
BMW X3 xDrive35i
Chevrolet Cruze 2LT RS
Dodge Charger Rallye Plus
Ford Focus Titanium
Honda Odyssey Elite
Hyundai Elantra Limited
Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland Summit
Kia Optima EX
Volvo S60

Thursday, March 24, 2011

In 2010, the year that Audi celebrated the 30th anniversary of the quattro, it sold an impressive 437,792 quattro-equipped cars, or about 38 percent of its total production. The brand with the four rings said it sells more all-wheel drive vehicles than any other premium manufacturer in the world.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

As any self-respecting luxury car manufacturer, Audi is also offering its customers BRVs or Bullet Resistant Vehicles, with the latest such model being the W12-powered 2011 A8 L Security. Set to go on sale in late summer, this...panzer on wheels will also be available with another, as of yet unspecified powerplant, starting from 2012.

To the untrained eye, the 5.27 meters (208 inches) long sedan is almost identical to the standard A8, but looks are definitely deceiving as the Security is said to comply with the strictest standards in ballistic protection and can even withstand an explosion and still offer adequate protection for its passengers.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

When Hyundai launched the i30 small car on the Australian market, it marked the end of not only the Excel/Accent lineage down under but also the end of the automatic T-shifter. The Accent, a subcompact design available in either a four door sedan or five door hatchback body style, was the last car sold here to feature the venerable (if archaic) T-shaped automatic gear stick.

The T-shifter was born in the 1960s, as American automakers moved away from the steering column mounted automatic and towards a system that reduced complexity and design differentiation between its automatic and manual models. As the ‘80s moved into the ‘90s, automakers - for whatever reason - moved away from the T-shift and toward the semi-ubiquitous, upright “drumstick” shifter.