NADAguides.com picke Audi A8L as 2009's Top Luxury Car

NADAguides.com, a leading online site for vehicle pricing and information, picked the Audi A8 L as the No.1 choice in its ranking of the Top 5 Luxury Cars for 2009. The editors of the Web site said the Audi A8 L topped its list "due to its ultra-luxurious cabin, complete with leather and wood inlays, and plenty of extra legroom for rear passengers thanks to its extended wheelbase." They praised the A8 with the 450-hp 6.0-liter W12 engine and Audi quattro for being extremely responsive on the road. "This car is a must-have for car buyers who want passion, prestige and power in one perfectly appointed package," the editors summarized. "What's particularly gratifying about this honor is the compliment NADAguides.com paid to the exceptional driving capabilities of the A8 L, in addition to its world-class luxury appointments," said Johan de Nysschen, executive vice president, Audi of America. "The A8 embodies Audi's drive to combine progressive features with exhilarating performance behind the wheel." Editors at NADAguides.com also paid tribute to the A8 L's14-speaker Bose surround sound system with Audiopilot noise compensation. That system includes a microphone that measures background noise and adjusts the radio volume accordingly, "resulting in a more balanced sound," the editors wrote. The 2009 Audi A8 L bested the Jaguar XF Supercharged, Mercedes-Benz S550, Hyundai Genesis and the Bentley Arnage.

 

Four Audi Models Earn Top Safety Marks in 2009 Awards from IIHS

- Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recognized the Audi A3, A4, A6 and Q7 - Audi has earned multiple IIHS Top Safety Pick awards the past three years - Audi wins more awards than competitors BMW, Mercedes and Lexus HERNDON, Va., Nov 26, 2008 - Audi's reputation as a leader in automotive safety gained added validation with four of its best-selling models claiming Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick awards for 2009. Winning the highly sought safety award were the Audi A3, the all-new Audi A4, the Audi A6 and the Audi Q7. The award recognizes vehicles that do the best job of protecting passengers in front, side and rear collisions. All of the winners also had to have electronic stability control, which IIHS credits with significantly lowering crash risks. "Protecting the drivers of our vehicles, and their passengers, is at the top of Audi's priority list and we're delighted to clearly stand above other European luxury carmakers," said Johan de Nysschen, executive vice president, Audi of America. "Safety is woven into the earliest consideration of how our different models should look and perform. We're grateful the Insurance Institute has recognized this singular focus of ours." This marks the second consecutive year that four Audi models have earned this important safety award. The Audi Q7, Audi A6, Audi A4, and Audi A3 all received the IIHS Top Safety Pick Award in 2008. The Audi A6 and A4 received the IIHS Top Safety Pick Award in 2007. IIHS launched the safety awards in 2006. The four awards collected by Audi models exceeded the number of awards given to BMW, Mercedes-Benz or Lexus models. Additionally, some Audi models, including the Audi R8 sports car, the Audi A5 coupe, and the Audi A8 luxury sedan did not fall within the IIHS test program at this time. IIHS evaluates each vehicle for front crashworthiness following a 40 mph offset collision. Calculations are made on the level of intrusion the crash causes in the occupant compartment and the impact recorded by crash test dummies. Side impact evaluations involve crashing a barrier into the side of a vehicle at 31 mph. Rear crash protection involves measuring the geometry of head restraints. Vehicles with good or acceptable measurements are then struck in the rear at 20 mph. For more information on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the 2009 Top Safety Pick awards, please go to www.iihs.org.

 

Lightweight Design - It’s an Art: The Audi ASF Design Principle

Most manufacturers' cars have grown heavier as the years have gone by. This isn't true of Audi. Quite the opposite: more than ten years ago the Audi A8 and the Audi A2, with their aluminum bodies, put a stop to this never-ending spiral of increased weight. Since then, Audi has developed this pioneering weight-saving technology more and more. Today ASF (Audi Space Frame), as it is now known, is used for four Audi models: the TT, TT Roadster, R8 and A8. ASF: the three letters stand for Audi Space Frame – the technology with which Audi has completely reinvented car body construction. ASF is a breakaway from the problem of spiraling weight that has its origins in the growing demands that a modern car must satisfy. The new principle makes a major contribution to the dynamic performance and high efficiency of these Audi models. The TT 2.0 TDI quattro, for example, with its 125 kW (170 hp) diesel engine, sprints up to 100 km/h from a standstill in 7.5 seconds, and has a top speed of 226 km/h. Yet its average consumption is only 5.3 liters of diesel fuel per 100 kilometers, a sensationally low figure. ASF technology can look back on a development process that has brought Audi a three-figure collection of patents and the "European Inventor of the Year 2008" award from the European Patent Office. The brand now possesses broad-based know-how covering everything from the best metal alloys through casting and forming to suitable component joining techniques. The framework of an ASF body consists of extruded aluminum sections and pressure castings. This frame carries the sheet aluminum elements, for example the roof panel, which are rigidly connected to it and help to withstand loads on the body. The elements of the Audi Space Frame are very varied in shape and cross-section, depending on the tasks they have to perform. Like the bones of a human skeleton, they combine optimal function with low weight. The big advantage of extruded sections is their design flexibility. The side sills of the Coupe and Roadster bodies, for instance, look identical, and the same tools and machines can be used to produce them. Inside, however, they are topology-optimized using bionic principles, and the ribs that govern their rigidity therefore have different patterns – the Roadster needs greater rigidity in this area than the Coupe. In all cases, the extruded sections used for the TT's body are made from advanced aluminum alloys, to increase their strength still more and lower their weight at the same time. The castings, which withstand extremely severe loads, are primarily deployed where high forces are introduced locally and where intelligent multifunctionality is required. A good example is the A-post node, a hi-tech multifunctional component that links the side member, sill, A-post and wind-shield cross-member together. Like all these aluminum castings, it is notable for precision geometry and maximum use of the available space. The TT Coupe and Roadster introduced a new variant of ASF technology, with steel used in addition to aluminum at certain points. This innovative hybrid construction principle cuts the car's total weight by as much as 100 kilograms compared with the previous models, which relied entirely on steel. At the rear of the floor pan in particular, for the doors and for the trunk lid, these compact Audi sports cars contain fully galvanized steel elements. Although these steel components weigh more than aluminum, they help to achieve well-balanced front and rear axle load distribution. The TT 2.0 TFSI weighs only 1,260 kilograms unloaded – a splendid figure for a sports car. Its body weighs a mere 206 kg; this figure is made up of 140 kg of aluminum (68 percent) and 66 kg of steel. An equivalent body built in steel by conventional methods would be almost 100 kg heavier. The aluminum used in the body consists of 63 kg of sheet, 45 kg of castings and 32 kg of extruded sections. The Roadster tips the scales at 251 kilograms. Audi's wealth of experience is invaluable when aluminum and steel components have to be joined. Various methods are employed: punch riveting, clinching and adhesive bonding. The problem of contact corrosion between these two metals has been solved by choosing adhesives that form an isolating layer. Camera systems monitor their correct application. A fourth joining technique is new: self-tapping screws inserted by robots generate friction that melts the surface of the component, so that they can penetrate completely into the material and form a rigid connection. Another innovative concept used on the TT is the aluminum zero-gap joint between the roof and the side section, which is produced by laser welding. The Audi TT with its hybrid ASF, constructed in Ingolstadt, Germany, but shipped to Györ in Hungary for final assembly, has characteristics that suit a sports car outstandingly well. Compared with the previous model, the Coupe's static torsional rigidity is about 50 percent higher, while that of the Roadster in fact more than doubled. At the same time, however, there is a high level of freedom from bothering vibration and excellent crash impact absorption. Low weight is one of the keys to captivating road dynamics and high efficiency. To reduce a car's weight by 100 kilograms is to improve its fuel consumption by about 0.3 l/100 km, and also to emit between 7.5 and 12.5 grams less of CO2 per kilometer. Customers and trade experts alike have praised this tendency: at the end of 2006, Audi's new hybrid body design principle received the Euro Car Body Award, the most important European trophy for innovation in body construction. Audi has already gained this award in 2003, for the ASF used for the Audi A8. Audi Technology ABC • Aluminum is an element frequently found in chemical compounds in the earth's crust. It is obtained from bauxite, an ore, and is suitable for a large number of applications. Its characteristics make it ideally suitable for vehicle bodies: thanks to its low density it is two-thirds lighter than conventional grades of steel, and since it is a relatively soft metal, it is easy to machine. For high strength, it is alloyed with magnesium and silicon. If aluminum can be recovered without being mixed with other materials, it can be recycled most effectively, which improves its energy balance sheet still further. • Audi is continuing to shape the future, in lightweight design and elsewhere too. Inaugurated in 1994, the Aluminum and Lightweight Design Center in Neckarsulm, Germany, employs more than 120 specialists to work on new joining techniques, body structures, materials and construction techniques. They also look into the use of high-strength and ultra-high-strength grades of steel. In the area of fiber composites too, Audi acts as an innovative pioneer and trend-setter.

 

Audi Q7 : Review

The Audi Q7 is a full-size luxury sport utility vehicle (SUV) produced by German automaker Audi since its unveiling at the Los Angeles Auto Show in January 2006. In its name Q7, the "Q" denotes a new family of vehicles for Audi, and the designation "7" marks its placement between the A6 and A8 in Audi's model range. Though, its 4.2L FSI V6 Petrol engine is a real treat, the Diesel 3L TDI V6 is no less either, it'll pull your house off its place, such is the amount of torque! Highlights - 7-seater SUV - All-wheel Drive - Voice-activated navigation system - Three panel sunroof Pros - Powerful - Spacious - Elegant and elite design Cons - Its massive size makes parking difficult in small parking lots. The audi suv is price tagged (Indian Ex-showroom) from Rs. 52,00,000 (Audi Q7 3.0 TDI quattro) to Rs. 66,00,000 ( Audi Q7 4.2 FSI quattro). The rate may differ with change in city or country. It provides a fuel economy of : 7/9 kmpl (city/highway).

 

2011 Audi A5 Sportback - Car News

Audi brings back the five-door sedan-hatch. And we like the idea. In the 1970s, many European carmakers offered four-door cars with a sloped roofline and a large hatch for accessing the cargo hold. Beyond the simple 'hatchback' descriptor, designations such as fastback or aeroback were used in cases where the trunk opening remained small. The style even became fashionable in the U.S.—think Buick Century, Oldsmobile Cutlass, or Chevrolet Citation—but the fad was over by the mid-'80s. Only niche vehicles, such as the Saab 9000 or the Mazda 6 hatchback, carried on, as the typical sedan reclaimed its territory. Today, though, we're seeing a resurgence of four-doors with wide hatchbacks, led by the German premium brands. The movement is being spearheaded by the styling leaders at Audi, as well as by the somewhat less elegant Porsche Panamera. The shape brings more practicality than a notchback sedan, and it makes for a beautiful, sleek roofline. Plus, they're kind of '70s retro. What's not to like? Audi is so confident that customers will go for this style that two models are in the wings: the A5 Sportback, based on the A5 coupe, and the A7—see our spy shots here—which will be positioned between the A6 and A8 sedans. Both vehicles will rely on the same modular architecture, but the A7 is large enough to be positioned comfortably above the A5 Sportback.

 

Four Audi Models Earn 2009 Consumer Guide® Automotive Praise

Four 2009 Audi models merited spots on the new Consumer Guide Automotive list of the top vehicles for car shoppers to consider. Editors for the 2009 print and online Consumer Guide Automotive awards called the Audi A5 coupe a "Best Buy" among all Premium Sporty/ Performance Cars. The Audi A3, A8 and Q7 claimed "Recommended" [...]

 

Audi S5 to get new LED tail lamps

The Audi A5/S5, one of the best looking cars ever and one of our favorite cars, keeps getting better. After some time ago the Ingolstadt company announced that the S5 will get a new 3.0 liter supercharged engine that will deliver 333 hp (half evil?), a couple of days ago they said that all S5 models that will be built starting with December will get a new displacement for the tail lights, including LED lights (somehow similar to the ones on the A6 facelift), plus an optional third generation MMI system. The MMI III infotainment system features faster graphics, a large hard disk drive for storage of music files etc, and a topographical or 3D representation of images. The new MMI III will also be available for the A8, Q5 and facelifted A6. The 'regular' A5 will also have the system as an option, but the new LED lights are only available for the S5. Source: Qarsi.de (Via World Car Fans)