Month: May 2009

Audi Confirms Driver Teams for Le Mans

May 27, 2009 | Motorsport

Audi has chosen the three driver teams that will race the 24 Hours of Le Mans this June. They will be driving the excellent and proven R15 TDI, which is just…great. The team driving car 1 will be Dindo Capello (Italy), Tom Kristensen (Denmark) and Allan McNish (Scotland) pictured above, which is the same team that won the 12-hour race at Sebring. Car 2 will be driven by Lucas Luhr, Mike Rockenfeller and Marco Werner (pictured above,) all Germans, who also already ran at Sebring. Finally, Car 3 will be driven by the German Timo Bernhard and the two French Romain Dumas and Alexandre Prémat, pictured above. Timo and Romain are both new to the team, and have thoroughly familiarized themselves with the R15 TDI, which has undergone some changes since Sebring. Due to regulations, Audi had to increase the weight of the R15 TDI by 66 lbs, and added an aerodynamics package which better suits the high speed Le Mans track. Individual driver pictures are below. For Audi Sport Team Joest, the 77th edition of the endurance classic will start at 2:30 pm on Monday, June 8, with scrutineering in downtown Le Mans. On Wednesday night, a 6-hour free practice session is on the agenda. Qualifying will be held on Thursday night from 7 pm to 9 pm and 10 pm to 12 pm, the race will start...

Audi Q5 Custom Concept at Wörthersee Tour 2009

May 19, 2009 | Concept Cars, Modified, Q5

Audi made their first appearance at the Wörthersee Tour in Austria this year, with quite a display. They showcased 20 cars total in their 3,000 sq ft stand, from the TT RS, to the R8 V10, and A1 Sportback Concept. The highlight of the Audi display however was a heavily modified version of the 2009 Q5, called (quite descriptively) the Audi Q5 custom concept. For this new concept, Audi engineers lowered the Q5’s suspension by 2.36 inches, widened the track by 3.54 inches, added big 21-inch custom wheels, and gave it a special Daytona Gray paint finish. They didn’t stop there, of course. They also tuned the output of the Q5’s 3.0-liter TFSI V6 engine from a decent 333hp to 408hp, which gives this Q5 an incredible 0-62 mph time of only 4.4 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited at 155 mph. Some vehicles of note on display at the Audi booth were both the coupe and roadster versions of the TT RS, the R8 5.2 V10, R8 GT3, and the A1 Sportback Concept. Also on display were the production A3 Cabriolet, A4 allroad quattro, A5 Cabriolet, S5, RS 6, TT Coupe, A4 Avant, and A3 Sportback. They also displayed some historic Audi models: Audi 50, 100 Coupé S, Ur-quattro, 100, TT Coupé (1st generation), and the A2. Also announced at the Wörthersee Tour is the Audi Customizing club,...

Read AudiSite.com on Your Amazon Kindle

May 15, 2009 | Site News

AudiSite.com is now available on Amazon Kindle! If you have an Amazon Kindle, you know how great they can be to read books, magazines, blogs, newspapers, and now AudiSite.com is available. For only $0.99/month (14 day free trial,) you can get Audi Site delivered straight to your Kindle device. For those who aren’t yet aware of the Amazon Kindle, it’s a small and thin device in which you can download thousands of books, magazines, newspapers and blogs, and they are delivered to you automatically via free 3G internet access. Currently, the Kindle Store has over 275,000 books, and they’re always adding more. This is a great way to save space and not have to buy the hard copy of every book. The screen on the Kindle is a special type of e-ink that is easy on the eyes and reads just like a printed book. Check out the Amazon Kindle. Subscribe to AudiSite.com on Amazon...

Audi Receives 2009 Mechatronic Innovation Award

May 14, 2009 | Company

The nerds over at the Association of German Engineers just awarded Audi with the 2009 Mechatronic Innovation Award for their dynamic steering system. The system dynamically adjusts steering forces and steering ratio depending on how you’re driving. Innovative, aerospace power-transmission technologies, highly sensitive sensors, and digital data networking: Audi dynamic steering integrates the collective know-how from numerous mechanical and electronic systems for enhanced driving pleasure and safety. This is the system that makes it easy for you to navigate around parking lots at low speeds with minimal steering input, and tightens up the faster you go for straight-line stability. This is one of those systems that you don’t really notice when driving, and that’s the point. It’s made for driver comfort and pleasure, and is another one of those transparent features that make Audis so nice to drive. The system is available on the new A4, S4, A4 allroad, A5, S5, A5 Cabriolet, and Audi...

Audi R8 V10 Visits Maranello – Video

May 13, 2009 | R8 V10, Video

Audi’s recent advertisements have been successful at taking little stabs at competitor’s products. The latest commercial, which you can view below, is firing a direct shot at Ferrari. The video shows Audi’s new R8 V10 driving through the streets of Maranello, Ferrari’s home town. The Italians, seeing the Audi supercar drive by, are angered and shamed. Clever. Check out the video: via:...

Audi Might be Developing a Self-Driving Car

May 12, 2009 | A8, Spy Shots, Technology

If these spy shots from AutoExpress tell us anything, we might not be driving our own cars in the near future. The shot above clearly shows three different cameras – one in each foglight position and one mounted behind the rear-view mirror of an A8 test car. The cameras will scan in front of the car, detecting obstructions, helping avoid a collision, or possibly driving the car around turns for us so we can take a nap. Not exactly a new thought or technology, but they’re serious enough about it to do real-world testing, which means that we might see this in our cars within the next few years. Honda has already implemented a similar technology – a safety feature that helps to keep you in your lane – and Infiniti has Lane Departure Assistance, which tugs you in the right direction if you drift out of your...

Autoblog Reviews 2009 A4 – Says “Too Good For Its Own Good”

May 9, 2009 | A4, Review

Yet more praise for the excellent redesigned 2009 A4. Autoblog.com just reviewed the 3.2 quattro version, which looks like it may have been the exact same 2009 Audi A4 Automoblog.net reviewed in March, much to the same praise. Just as everyone else in the automotive world right now, Autoblog was amazed at how good the A4 was, saying it’s “too good for its own good.” They also said that the 3.2-liter V6 in the A4 was good, but would take the “2.0-liter turbo nine-times-out-of-ten.” A good engine, but I like the smoothness and power of the 3.2. Unlike Autoblog, I’m not happy about Audi nixing the V6 next year. They also stated: The A4 is “easily in range of the segment stalwart, BMW 335i. We’d be lying if we said the A4 was just as entertaining as the Bimmer, but the security of all-wheel drive, the top-notch interior and the choice of a four-cylinder could easily put the Audi at the top of the list. And given the choice between the two we’d almost be compelled to pick the A4… almost.” Seeing as how every semi-successful business person working in a downtown skyscraper trying to impress the neighbors has a 3-series, I’d chose the A4 every...

Audi Cans the R8 V12 TDI

May 6, 2009 | Concept Cars, R8 V12 TDI, TDI

Despite everyone lusting over the R8 V12 TDI Concept from last year, Audi has decided to halt plans on development, citing that “the market isn’t strong enough to make it realistic.” According to AutoExpress, the final blow was a lack of demand in the United States for diesels – the US accounts for one-third of global R8 sales. What a shame, we should absolutely be adopting the idea of diesel engines right now. Audi claims the cost of re-engineering the petrol R8 to accommodate the massive twin-turbocharged diesel engine is simply too great – and that it would be unable to recoup its investment through sales alone. But man, what an engine it is. The 5.5-liter TDI engine produced 500 horsepower and over 738 lb-ft of torque for a 0-60 mph blast of 4.2 seconds. Source:...

PPI Razor GTR – A Lightweight, High-Powered Audi R8

May 4, 2009 | PPI, R8

PPI, another German Audi tuner, has taken some of their best parts developed for the Audi R8 and rolled it all into one. They call it the PPI RAZOR GTR, and it’s mean. The result of this is an R8 with 580hp, and about 443 ft-lbs of torque. Their main objective here was to optimize the power-to-weight ratio of the R8, so they’ve also lightened the car by 551 lbs. This allows the Razor GTR to run from 0 to 62mph in 3.7 seconds, and reach a top speed of 206 mph. This is all made possible by the specially made supercharger system along with a ram-charged air filter system, high-flow exhaust, and re-tuned ECU. The extensive modification list begins with the body. Carbon fiber is used all-around to reduce weight an increase strength. This includes PPI’s own front bumper and front diffuser for aerodynamics, and large air inlets to help cool the brakes and feed fresh air to the radiators. New sideskirts also help with aerodynamics, and a larger rear wing with adjustable flap keep the car planted at high speeds. They’ve even changed the motor cover, which is now made from Makrolon – a lightweight polycarbonate material, and includes carbon fiber ram-charged air inlets that help keep the engine cool. New side blades, rear fenders, and rear bumper also help with cooling, and a new rear diffuser...

Audi R8 Convertible Planned for 2011

May 4, 2009 | R8, Video

Insiders at Audi have confirmed production of the R8 Convertible, probably to be released in 2011. The R8 Cabriolet (hopefully called a Spyder instead,) will most likely forgo the retractable hardtop, and instead use a fabric roof. We assume this because of the limited space in the rear from the R8’s mid-mounted engine, and from Audi’s previous use of fabric tops. Whether the convertible will receive the V8 engine from the original R8 or the upcoming 5.2-liter V10 is unknown at this time. I am very against the idea of a convertible R8, regardless if it’s soft- or hard-top. Some cars simply should not be made into convertibles, and the R8 is one of them. I think the R8 is one of the best-looking cars on the road, but as a convertible it looks terrible. Some of the earlier shots I’ve seen of the R8 Spyder have been downright ugly, and a video of the prototype lapping a track has the car sounding great, but looking terribly awkward. The video is below. Please Audi, don’t make this...