audi

Audi RS5 Reportedly Coming to North America

If you've been pining for the Audi RS5, we've got good news for you, whichever side of the Atlantic you're living in. European deliveries of Audi's 444-horsepower V8 super-coupe are set to begin in June. And according to the latest reports, the RS5 will, in the end, make it to North America, though it could take a little while.

European prices peg the sticker for a new RS5 at €65,300, translating to about $88,000 in American exchange and representing a 32.4% increase over the S5 on which it is based. Apply the same formula to the S5 in the United States, however, and the relative price comes out closer to $70k. However sources indicate that Audi doesn't expect to sell many RS5s in the US, and will therefor only bring them over fully equipped. So expect to see a price closer to $75,000 when it reaches an Audi dealer near you.

Gallery: Audi RS5

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Tags: audi, audi rs5, audi rs5 quattro, rs5, rs5 quattro

Audi Debuts Long-Wheelbase A8 Limousine in Beijing

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

If you're looking for the lap of luxury without the extroverted opulence associated with a Rolls-Royce or Bentley, have a look at the new Audi A8 L. Set to be officially unveiled shortly at the Beijing Motor Show in China where long-wheelbase luxury limousines are in high demand, the A8 L sits at the very top of Audi's range as its new flagship saloon.

With an extra half-foot of length on its standard-wheelbase progenitor, the A8 L features a rear seating area fit for a king. A full-length center console separates the fully adjustable recliner seats – each has 25 adjustable motors – with lap trays, refrigerator, controls and more. There's a 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system, twin 10.2-inch LCD displays, and a front passenger seat that can fold up out of the way with a deployable footrest for the lucky passenger in the back.

Don't think that the Audi A8 L is only about the creature comforts, though. Power comes from a 6.3-liter W12 engine driving 500 horsepower to all four wheels through an 8-speed automatic transmission, rocketing this mobile palace to sixty in 4.9 seconds and on to an electronically-limited top speed of 155 miles per hour.

Gallery: Audi A8 L

Tags: a8, a8 l, audi, audi a8, audi a8 l, beijing, beijing motor show, limousine, long wheelbase, long-wheelbase

Audi Outsells Mercedes-Benz Globally For First Time in Q1 2010

by Jeremy Korzeniewski (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

The apocalypse is nigh. How else can we explain how, for the first time ever, Audi managed to outsell Mercedes-Benz in global sales for the first quarter of 2010? Before we break out our Mayan calendars and go all 2012 on you, here are the hard numbers: Audi sold 264,100 vehicles worldwide between January and March while Mercedes sold 248,500 units over the same time period. For what it's worth, BMW has yet to release its final first-quarter sales figures.

On second thought, perhaps we should be holding back our inner Nostradamus. Audi has repeatedly signaled its desire and intent to become the world's leading luxury car brand by 2015, which would mean passing both of its German rivals, the aforementioned Mercedes-Benz and BMW, along with Japanese automaker Lexus. Plus, Audi offers a pretty compelling lineup of vehicles with which to do battle with those formidable competitors.

According to Autocar, the biggest single contributor to Audi's passing of Mercedes-Benz is the Chinese market, where Audi sells twice as many vehicles per year as Mercedes-Benz. In fact, one out of every five Audis built is sold in China. Considering how rapidly the Chinese market is expanding, Audi is certainly finding itself in an enviable position. Time will tell if it's able to maintain that growth in the face of constant pressure from its German and Japanese rivals.

[Source: Autocar]

Tags: audi, audi china, audi china sales, audi sales, AudiChina, AudiChinaSales, AudiSales, china, mercedes, mercedes china, mercedes-benz, mercedes-benz sales, Mercedes-benzSales, MercedesChina

2010 Geneva Motor Show: Ze Germans

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Germany is the very epicenter of the European automotive industry, playing host to several of the world's largest and most significant automakers. But with the Frankfurt expo forced to alternate with the Paris salon, Geneva is the closest to a home turf international auto show these companies have.

Ever keen to demonstrate the latest cutting-edge automotive innovations and show the world their newest developments, Germany's automakers crossed the border into Switzerland this year with a virtually unprecedented array of new vehicles. Follow the jump to read and see what they brought.

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Audi A8 Hybrid 'Design Study' Currently on Display in Geneva

by Jeremy Korzeniewski (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Green

Audi A8 Hybrid design study – Click above for high-res image gallery

In addition to a very interesting electrified A1 e-tron concept, Audi is also showing off a hybridized version of its range-topping A8 sedan at this year's Geneva Motor Show, which it claims offers V6-levels of power with four-cylinder fuel efficiency and emissions. Backing up that claim are reported power figures of 245 horsepower (45 of which can be supplied from the electric motor) and 354 pound-feet of torque. The run to 62 miles per hour is said to take about 7.5 seconds and fuel mileage comes in at 38 miles per gallon on the EU cycle. That's about a 20-percent improvement over the standard car.

As a full hybrid, the A8 design study can run on electricity only for up to 1.2 miles at speeds of 40 miles per hour or less. Above that, the 2.0-liter TFSI engine takes over. A lithium ion battery pack of unknown capacity resides in the trunk, but Audi makes sure to point out that there's still over 14 cubic-feet of space back there for storage. The German automaker also makes pains to assure that the A8 Hybrid is still "an extremely dynamic car" – one that just so happens to return good fuel efficiency.

Check out our gallery of high-res images below, and be sure to note the Prism Silver paint with Spectra Flair (yes, really) rainbow effect and 21-inch two-color wheels. Also, check out the prominent hybrid badging on each front fender along with the door sills (illuminated, naturally) and inside on the new Powermeter in the instrument cluster. Still want more? Click past the break for the complete press release.

Gallery: Audi A8 Hybrid Design Study

[Source: Audi]

Tags: a8, a8 hybrid, a8 hybrid design study, A8Hybrid, A8HybridDesignStudy, audi, Audi A8, audi a8 hybrid, audi a8 hybrid design study, AudiA8, AudiA8Hybrid, AudiA8HybridDesignStudy, geneva, geneva 2010, Geneva Motor Show, Geneva2010, GenevaMotorShow

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Audi's New 450-Horsepower RS5 to bow in Geneva

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Few cars at any price point have the street presence of the Audi A5. But even in higher-spec S5 trim, the Audi coupe lacks a certain oomph. The German automaker is out to fix that, however, with the tantalizing new RS5.

The super-coupe packs a 4.2-liter V8 engine worth 450 horsepower, driving through an electronic differential and dual-clutch transmission to all four wheels for a 0-60 sprint in 4.6 seconds. The styling of the svelte coupe carries over, only enhanced by some extra sporty trim, bigger wheels and the like. The new RS5 will make its official debut next week at the Geneva Motor Show, so stay tuned. Unfortunately there's no word yet on plans to bring the RS5 to North America, but European pricing will start at €77,000, or about $104,000.

Gallery: Audi RS5

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Tags: 2010 geneva motor show, 2010GenevaMotorShow, a5, audi, audi a5, audi rs5, audi s5, AudiA5, AudiRs5, AudiS5, geneva, geneva 2010, geneva motor show, Geneva2010, GenevaMotorShow, rs5, s5

Audi First Automaker to Display at International Toy Fair

by Jeremy Korzeniewski (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Children

Audi at the International Toy Fair – Click above for high-res image gallery

Audi will show off its exclusive series of model cars and automotive toys at the 61st International Toy Fair in Nuremberg. Perhaps the most desirable showpiece of Audi's display is the classic Auto Union Silver Arrow Type C race car, which is exactly one half the size of the original racer. Perfect for budding racers, the silver bullet-shaped machine appears very nicely finished and uses a chain drive to send the pedal power back to the rear wheels.

Audi is the first automaker to feature its wares at the show. "It's an exciting project," said Caroline Gerberding, who is responsible for exhibitions and events at quattro GmbH. "For the first time, the main focus of an exhibit is not to present our cars, but instead is aimed at showing off our "little" Audi world."

Gallery: Audi at the 61st International Toy Fair

[Source: Audi]

Tags: audi, audi pedal car, audi silver arrow, audi toy, audi toys, AudiPedalCar, AudiSilverArrow, AudiToy, AudiToys, auto union, auto union c-type, auto union silver arrow, AutoUnion, AutoUnionC-type, AutoUnionSilverArrow, international toy fair, InternationalToyFair, silver arrow, SilverArrow

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Silver Bowl Brings In $5.9 Million

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Auctions

The price for a Colonial-era silver bowl at a Sotheby's New York sale of Important Americana has astounded antiques lovers. The bowl had an estimate of $400,000 to $800,000 but sold for a hammer price with buyer's premium of $5,906,500. The price was particularly amazing considering that no piece of early American of silver had previously sold for more than $1 million. The bidding was reportedly heated with bids over $3 million batted back and forth between two competitors an anonymous gentleman seated in the room and New York dealer S.J. Shrubsole. Eventually the anonymous bidder won setting a record for American silver and locking in the second highest price ever paid for silver at auction

What makes this bowl so special? Created around 1700-1710 it is probably the largest piece of early eighteenth century American silver currently in existence. It has quite a story behind it, the brandywine bowl descended with the Loyalist family of Commodore Joshua Loring since before the American Revolution and just came to light in England last year. Loring left his mansion in the Jamaica Plain area of Boston in 1774 and hid the large bowl in a well. Loring and his family moved to London in 1776. After the Revolutionary War, his son rescued the bowl and took it to England. It stayed in the family for all these years until the family decided to sell. This bowl was sold with two 19th century letters from members of the Loring family that reveal the bowl's history.

Tags: antiques, audi, colonial silver, ColonialSilver, joshua loring, JoshuaLoring, silver bowl, SilverBowl, sothebys

Detroit 2010: Detroit show car Audi E-tron, Bluesport Goes Electric

by Sam Abuelsamid (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Audi e-tron Detroit Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

Right now Audi is heavily pushing diesel as the answer to reducing fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions but down the road we'll be seeing both hybrid and electric options from the German brand as well. Last fall at Frankfurt Motor Show, Audi debuted a battery powered supercar based on the R8 and dubbed E-tron. For this weeks Detroit Auto Show, the E-tron name is back as is the lithium ion battery pack.

This time around the sports car is significantly smaller and only features two electric motors driving the rear wheels instead of four like the last concept. The new concept is almost the same size as last year's Volkswagen Bluesport roadster concept and may be based on the same platform. The concept again demonstrates that a car doesn't have to be dull to be green. The new E-tron gets to 62 mph in just 5.9 seconds from a standing start and is claimed to be able to about 155 miles on a full charge of its battery. While Audi plans to build some production examples of the original R8 based E-tron in 2012, there has been no announcement about this smaller model.

Gallery: Detroit 2010: Audi e-tron Detroit Concept

[Source: Audi]

Tags: audi, audi detroit showcar e-tron, Audi E-Tron, Audi e-tron Concept, AudiDetroitShowcarE-tron, AudiE-tron, AudiE-tronConcept, Detroit, detroit 2010, detroit auto show, Detroit2010, DetroitAutoShow, electric sports car, electric sportscar, ElectricSportsCar

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Fleet-Footed Greenery: Audi to Cap e-tron Sales At 1,000 Units?

by Jeremy Korzeniewski (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Green

Audi e-tron concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

Audi may not be positioning itself as a "green brand," but it's still putting a rather big toe into the environmentally-friendly waters of electric sportscars with its R8-based e-tron, which is reportedly headed for production in 2012.

As a refresher – as if you needed one – the e-tron debuted as a concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September with some truly impressive statistics: four separate electric motors with 230 kW (313 horsepower) and 4,500 Nm (3,319.03 pound-feet) of torque (sort of), which is enough to push it to 62 mph in a mere 4.8 seconds.

So, um... want one? The line forms at the rear, and you'd better not dawdle as Audi says its only planning to build 1,000 of them. Naturally, pricing has yet to be set, but it's reportedly expected to be "above R8 levels." Regardless, with all those lithium ion batteries and their associated electronic gadgetry, we don't imagine that Audi plans to make much of a profit when it finally goes on sale in two years.

Gallery: Audi e-tron concept

[Source: Autocar]

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Tags: 2012 audi e-tron, 2012AudiE-tron, audi, Audi e-tron Concept, audi electric vehicle, audi etron, audi etron concept, audi ev, AudiE-tronConcept, AudiElectricVehicle, AudiEtron, AudiEtronConcept, AudiEv, Audo e-tron, AudoE-tron, e-tron, r8

Review: 2009 Audi R8 5.2 FSI V10, An Everyday Supercar

by Sam Abuelsamid (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

2009 Audi R8 V10 - click above for high res image gallery

Not so many years ago, driving a exotic supercar while clearly demonstrating the owner's financial wherewithal to own such a vehicle was not always such a pleasant experience. Such cars were typically built by small financially shaky companies that didn't have the resources necessary to properly develop the vehicles to be reliable and robust. The interiors were often poorly built and outfitted and were afflicted by assorted mechanical and electrical glitches.

Then in 1990 things suddenly changed when Honda rolled out the NSX. Instantly people realized that there was no reason why a high performance, mid-engine exotic sports car couldn't be just as a reliable and hospitable as an Accord. By the end of the 1990s exotic car builders like Ferrari, Lamborghini and Aston Martin had all come under the wing of major automakers like Fiat, Volkswagen Group and Ford and the engineers began tapping into the parents resources to improve their cars.

Lamborghini in particular took advantage of its relationship with Audi to help develop the Gallardo, the best selling Lambo ever. Audi in turn decided to reverse the process with a supercar of its own to celebrate its decade long dominance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and used the Gallardo as the jumping off point for the R8. We recently got to spend some quality time with the fastest R8, the 5.2 FSI V10 and you can read about it after the jump.

Gallery: 2010 Audi R8 5.2 FSI

Tags: 2009 audi r8 v10, 2009AudiR8V10, audi, audi r8, audi r8 v10, AudiR8, AudiR8V10, r8, R8 V10, R8 V10 5.2 FSI Quattro, R8V10, R8V105.2FsiQuattro, review, reviewed, reviews

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2009 Frankfurt Auto Show: Audi e-tron Concept

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Green

The Audi R8 ranks among the fastest cars you're likely to see on the road, but the German automaker isn't about to rest on its proverbial laurels. After the V8 version came the 5.2-liter V10, and while the turbo-diesel V12 TDI version never made it past the concept stage, Audi has tantalized the torque-happy alternative-energy crowd with the e-tron concept.

Based on the R8 and unveiled last week in Frankfurt, the e-tron replaces the gasoline-burning engine in the existing supercar with no less than four electric motors and an enormous lithium-ion battery pack to supply it with juice. The result? A relatively modest 313 horsepower, but an absolutely bonkers 3,319 lb-ft of torque. And no, that's not a typo: it really does have more than ten times the torque of most of the cars. To go with the alternative power, Audi updated the e-tron's design details. But don't take our word for it: have a look for yourself in our high-resolution photo gallery below.

Gallery: Audi e-tron concept

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Tags: 2009 frankfurt, 2009 frankfurt auto show, 2009 frankfurt motor show, 2009Frankfurt, 2009FrankfurtAutoShow, 2009FrankfurtMotorShow, audi, audi e tron, audi e-tron, audi r8, AudiE-tron, AudiETron, AudiR8, e tron, e-tron, ETron, frankfurt, frankfurt 2009, frankfurt auto show, frankfurt motor show, frankfurt motor show 2009, Frankfurt2009, FrankfurtAutoShow, FrankfurtMotorShow, FrankfurtMotorShow2009, r8

2009 Frankfurt Auto Show: Audi R8 5.2 FSI Spyder

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

It's been a long time coming, but the Audi R8 Spider is finally here. The convertible version of Audi's mid-engine supercar debuted at the Frankfurt auto show after months of speculation, finally giving enthusiasts the car they want.

The design is essentially the same as the R8 coupe, but replaces the fixed roof with a folding soft-top. Gone as well are the iconic side blades that characterize the coupe's profile. The structural reinforcement and collapsing roof structure add an extra 476 lbs to the curb weight, but the 525-horsepower V10 engine should have no problem hauling the extra heft in return for the open-air experience and unmitigated exhaust note.

Gallery: Frankfurt 2009: Audi R8 Spyder

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Tags: 2009 frankfurt, 2009 frankfurt auto show, 2009 frankfurt motor show, 2009Frankfurt, 2009FrankfurtAutoShow, 2009FrankfurtMotorShow, audi, audi r8, audi r8 roadster, audi r8 spyder, audi spyder, AudiR8, AudiR8Roadster, AudiR8Spyder, AudiSpyder, frankfurt, frankfurt 2009, frankfurt auto show, frankfurt motor show, Frankfurt2009, FrankfurtAutoShow, FrankfurtMotorShow, r8, r8 spyder, R8Spyder, spyder

Aesthesis' Gramophone Speakers Now Looking for €60,000 Ears

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets

With the exception of Bang & Olufsen, the Danes have mainly focused on creating the most compelling perpendiculars since perhaps Frank Lloyd. The Swedes, on the other hand, have been known to throw a few more curves into their design -- think IKEA vs. Abba. Enter Aesthesis, a Swedish audio loudspeaker company that is going even further than mere curves with its Gramophone line; we're talking waves of beauty here.

And to do it, they started with Swedish car maker Koenigsegg -- or at least, with some of their designers. Aesthesis procured the talents of Ergonomidesign, Eker Design, and Carbocomp which all provide services to the maker of million dollar automobiles.

They spent four years coming up with the Gramophone, which employs a custom developed, full-range coaxial driver to eliminate phase differences and reproduce sounds from 37-20,000 Hz. The curved horn amplifies the higher frequencies, the open cabinet amplifies the lower frequencies. The narrowing of the cabinet is for damping echoes.

The entire point of the Gramophone is to "bring more intriguing, avant garde and sensual products to the market without compromising with sound or picture quality." The handmade, carbon and stainless steel speaker is 1.2 meters (47.2 inches) high, and comes in black -- or any other Natural Color System hue you choose.

Which is to be expected when there will only be 100 pairs of Gramophones made, and each pair will go to the tune of €60,000, or $85,500 U.S., plus shipping. The question you should be asking is: are your ears good enough?

Gallery: Aesthesis Gramophone Speakers

[Source: Aesthesis | Images: Maria Fredriksson]

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Tags: aesthesis, aesthesis gramophone, AesthesisGramophone, audi, gadgets, gramophone, speakers, sweden

Swiss Tuner Sportec Squeezes 400 Horsepower out of the Audi TT RS

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

For some people, enough is never enough. Those are out kind of people. They're also Sportec's kind of people. The Swiss tuning firm takes a look at the Audi TT RS – the most aggressive sportscar in Audi's line-up short of the R8 – with its 335hp turbocharged five-cylinder engine and says "that's not enough". So they tinkered with the electronic engine control system and coerced another 65 horses out of it to top 400hp, and 400 lb-ft of torque to go along with it. The result? 0-60 in a scant 4.2 seconds. Not too shabby. They've also removed the electronic speed limiter to let the TT RS stretch its legs on those derestricted sections of the Autobahn. But that's just the tip of the iceberg, as Sportec has a whole range of mods in the making for the all-wheel-drive rocket.

Gallery: Geneva 2009: Audi TT RS