Third-gen Audi A8 to be "stronger, sharper, more precise"

From the first lozenge-shaped A8 that hit American shores in 1997, Audi's flagship sedan has slowly been asserting itself more and more. The current A8 W12 is almost always given credit for its beautiful-yet-subtle design and a glorious interior. American buyers, however, haven't thrown money at it like they do the BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz S Class. Audi is out to change that with the 2011 A8. Among the changes, Audi is trumpeting improvements to the car's handling, the area in which it has traditionally lost ground to its European luxo-sedan brethren. The rear-biased quattro system will also be enhanced with Audi's "sport differential" torque-vectoring system, and if other markets clamors for it, Audi will offer the front-drive A8 outside of Europe. Inside, expect a raft of changes to the interior and a "more innovative" MMI system. As before, the A8 will come in regular and long wheelbase versions, and provide a wide range of engines for world markets, from a 3.0-liter V6 turbodiesel through to the S8's V10. The transmission will be the same 8-speed ZF unit used by the 2009 BMW 7 Series. All of it will be wrapped in sheetmetal that Audi says will be "stronger, shaper, more precise," a design that will make efforts to highlight the car's aluminum build technology. Said head designer Stefan Sielaff, the car will present "a strong three-dimensional theme," and be "the first of a new styling language at Audi." We can't wait to see it. Thanks for the tip, Other Man! [Source: Car and Driver]

 

2010 Audi A5 / S5 Cabriolet - Car News

Audi's new S5 and A5 cabriolets eschew the retractable-hardtop trend in favor of a fabric roof. The new Audi two-doors replace the A4/S4 convertibles and go on sale this spring starting at an estimated $55,000 for the A5 and $65,000 for the V-8–powered S5 ragtop.   Keep Reading: 2010 Audi A5 / S5 Cabriolet - Car News

 

More details on Audi’s next-generation A8

The current Audi A8 has been on sale since 2003 and since that time has only received a minor facelift to keep it fresh alongside the Mercedes Benz S-Class, Lexus LS and recently revealed BMW 7-series. The minor styling changes implemented during the recent facelift will have to soldier on for a few more years as the next-generation 'D4' A8 is, according to latest reports, is expected to arrive in the second half of next year, following a debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. A prototype for the car has already been spotted undergoing cold weather testing, hidden beneath the current D3 body. 2011 Audi A8 rendering

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2010 Audi A8 and 2011 Audi S8

It will soon be time for a third-generation Audi A8, and early reports are that the automaker will push a bolder, stronger styling theme with the next version, according to Car and Driver. The A8 has always been a rolling technology bed, right down to its all-aluminum body shell and aluminum space frame; this time around, the company plans to announce it with the styling.

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New Audi A3 Black Edition S-Line

First of all, I'm pretty sure this has nothing to do with Barack Obama becoming the US President. The new Audi A3 Black Edition is available in all three Audi A3 bodytypes, namely the 3-door, the 5-door Spotback and the Audi A3 Cabriolet. Available powertrain options are the 1.8 liter and 2.0 liter TFSI engines, and two different 2.0 TDI engines. The A3 Black Edition is based on the S-Line trim level and features a de-chromed front grille, black surrounds for the roll bars and shoulderline for the Cabriolet, 18 inch S-line alloy wheels with a dark titanium finish, privacy glass from the B-pillar to the back, and also Brilliant Black paint. If you want, Phantom Black is also available at extra cost. Audi is even allowing you to choose a non-black premium colour if you pay more - Misano Red and Monza Silver. But what's the point of a Black Edition car when it's no black? Even on the inside, the black theme carries on. The interior features high gloss Piano black inlays, and the Cabriolet version is specced with a black acoustic hood.

 

Five-door Audi A3 gets new petrol and diesel variants as part of 2009 upgrade

AUDI has added two new engine variants as part of an overall upgrade of its five-door A3 Sportback range in Australia. The A3 Sportback gets a 1.4-litre TFSI direct-injection turbocharged petrol engine for the first time while the 2.0-litre diesel option is now a more powerful and economical direct-injection TDI unit. Other changes for the 2009 model year include the availability for the first time in the A3 Sportback of Audi's 7-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission, which is now standard in the 1.6 and 1.4 TFSI models and is available as a $2700 option on the 1.8 TFSI (which comes standard with a six-speed manual). Minor exterior changes to the range include revised bonnet, grille and front and rear bumpers, redesigned tail-lights, LED side indicators integrated into the side mirrors (first seen two months ago with the launch of the high-performance S3 Sportback), new alloy wheel designs and four additional exterior colours. Prices still start from $37,200 for the 1.6-litre (non-turbo) Attraction, which now has the seven-speed auto instead of the previous six-speed unit. The new turbocharged 1.4-litre four-cylinder TFSI petrol engine delivers 92kW of power at 5000rpm and 200Nm of torque, which is available from 1500 to 4000rpm. Fuel consumption is an impressive 5.8L/100 km and the 1.4 TFSI Attraction is priced at $39,950 with its standard 7-speed S tronic transmission. Although there was a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel model in the superseded A3 Sportback range, the new direct-injection common-rail TDI gets a big lift in performance with a power output of 125kW (up from 103kW) and maximum torque of 350Nm (up from 320Nm) delivered from 1750rpm to 2500rpm. At the same time, even using the same six-speed S tronic transmission, the advances in technology have reduced fuel consumption by five per cent to 5.7L/100km while carbon dioxide emissions have been reduced to just 149 grams per kilometre. And the price of the new A3 Sportback 2.0 TDI is $47,900, which is $600 less than the previous model. As part of the 2009 model year upgrade, Audi Australia has extended the options list with the addition of magnetic ride, park assist (which also debuted on the S3 Sportback) and adaptive headlights with cornering light technology. Park assist is priced at $1750 and works at speeds of up to 30km/h using ultrasonic sensors to detect if a parking spot is large enough. Once reverse gear is engaged, it then parks the car automatically in a single movement. Magnetic ride was developed in Australia and uses magnetic particles inside the shock absorbers that enable the dampers to be continually adjusted electronically according to the road and driving conditions. Audi first used this electronic suspension control system in the TT and R8 models and now offer it at $2400 on the A3 Sportback 1.8 TFSI, 2.0 TDI and 2.0 TFSI models. Interior changes include additional chrome elements on the air vents and on the 3-spoke steering wheel, single-colour black dials and needles in the instrument cluster (similar to the S3 Sportback and TT models), new trim colours and a change-up display in the driver information system that now shows optimum gear changes. Top-end models can also be optioned with a $700 flat-bottomed multi-function leather sports steering wheel, with paddle shifts for S tronic models. 2009 Audi A3 Sportback pricing: 1.6 Attraction (7-sp S tronic) (a)                $37,200 1.9 TDI e                                         $38,900 1.4 TFSI Attraction (7-sp S tronic) (a)           $39,950 1.8 TFSI Ambition                                 $42,500 1.8 TFSI Ambition (7-sp S tronic) (a)             $45,200 2.0 TDI Ambition (6-sp S tronic) (a)              $47,900 2.0 TFSI quattro Ambition (6-sp S tronic) (a)     $53,200

 

2010 Audi A8 / 2011 Audi S8 - Car News

Plutocrats take heed! Ingolstadt readies its next-gen flagship, and you're going to want one. Audi is charging ahead with its third-generation A8, set to be unveiled at the Frankfurt auto show in the fall of 2009. Once released, it will battle a slightly face-lifted Mercedes-Benz S-class, expected to be unveiled next spring, and BMW's all-new 2009 7-series. But unlike the rather conservative 7-series, which backed away from the audacious styling of its predecessor, the next Audi A8 will show a new look and carry the brand forward stylistically. Audi's chief designer Stefan Sielaff explains: "The first generation was very dogmatic and product-design-like. With the second generation, the theme was 'elegance'—softer, flowing lines. The upcoming third generation will be stronger, sharper, and more precise." Highlighting the Technology Within While the design of the current, second-generation car is pleasing to our eyes, you could argue that it doesn't properly convey the advanced chassis technology under the skin—the A8's all-aluminum structure is lighter and stronger than those of its steel-intensive competition. The next A8 continues to use an aluminum space frame and aluminum exterior panels, all of which bring weight down compared to a conventional steel design. Sielaff says that the next-gen Audi A8's styling will play up that distinction. "It will highlight the aluminum aspect, and it will have a strong three-dimensional theme. In that respect, the next A8 will be the first of a new styling language at Audi. We are entering a new phase with a clear top-down strategy." Keep Reading: 2010 Audi A8 / 2011 Audi S8 - Car News